Moy comeback is tough Cross’ to bear for Rovers
A picture which tell its own story: Moy Davitts and Crossmolina players react at the final whistle following their draw in last Sunday's Egan Jewellers Mayo IFC final. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
Back in 2006, Peadar Gardiner’s late flick into the net from Ciaran McDonald’s free saw Crossmolina Deel Rovers break Ballaghaderreen hearts and win the Moclair Cup. Brian Benson, now manager, with Gardiner watching from the press box with John Maughan, was playing at corner-forward that day and they saw more late drama in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last Sunday afternoon.
On this occasion, however, the Deel men were on the receiving end. Oisin McHugh’s long drive in was flicked down by Brian Reape and while the ball came back off the upright, Brian Heneghan was on hand to finish the rebound.
A game where Crossmolina had looked to be on their way to victory, suddenly had them hanging on. Moments later, the irrepressible Cian McHale, star of the Moy show, nailed his sixth free to level the game in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. It was helter skelter from hereon but neither side could muster a winner and will have to do it all again this coming Saturday evening.
There will be questions to answer for Crossmolina, who gave up a six-point lead in their group stage meeting and led by seven points at one stage here. After getting the dream start from a Niall Coggins goal inside 12 seconds, they used the wind to their advantage through superb points by James Maheady, Fionán Duffy and Jordan Flynn and were cruising.
But the Moysiders deserve great credit for their heart shown to stay in the contest. Central to their game was Cian McHale, who also put on an exhibition of scoring on the day. It may seem strange that a team who never led at any stage were the more hurt of the two when Shane Corcoran blew the full-time whistle, but the momentum was certainly in Moy Davitts’ favour in those closing stages.
Although playing against the wind, Moy Davitts were certainly lacklustre and while present on the pitch, their minds still appeared in the dressing-room as Niall Coggins ghosted through the Moy side’s backline before burying his shot past Chris McGlynn moments after the throw-in.
Moy Davitts were heavily reliant on frees in the first-half and McHale got them up and running with his first followed by a placed ball effort from fellow corner-forward Ronan Clarke.
Crossmolina’s three-point advantage was restored by the 20-minute mark. James Maheady’s first wonder score was matched by McHale’s second free but they would score the next two through Fionán Duffy’s first free and Diarmuid Coggins to make it 1-3 to 0-3.
McHale was there again with his third after Crossmolina full-back Kevin Mulhern had pointed down at the other end, while Jordan Flynn roared to the Crossmolina support in delight with a beauty from the stand side. It was all Crossmolina and no matter where they were inside the Moy side’s 45-metre line, the ball was splitting the posts as Duffy and Maheady, two, sent over skyscrapers, giving the Deel Rovers a 1-8 to 0-4 lead after 27 minutes.
Moy Davitts were reeling at this stage but responded well just before half-time. Brian Reape, a late addition to the starting team in place of Brian Heneghan, scored their first point from play before their main man McHale converted his fourth free to leave the Moysiders five behind at the interval, 1-8 to 0-6.
That lead could have been stretched to eight shortly after the restart after a lung-bursting run by Conor Loftus but his goal-bound shot was brilliantly blocked by Jack Dunleavy.
Reape pointed from a mark but the next two scores were from deadly Deel duo Duffy and Maheady, with another pair of great scores. However, the gap was back to three thanks to a trio of McHale efforts as the final quarter approached.
Two Duffy frees for Crossmolina looked to be enough going down the home stretch but Moy Davitts kept coming, and another great McHale point from distance on 53 minutes reduced the deficit to four, 1-12 to 0-11.
Crossmolina were reduced to 14 players with the black carding of full-back Kevin Mulhern but Moy Davitts’ numerical advantage lasted one minute as their corner-back Jack Dunleavy suffered the same fate. But worse was to follow as the Moysiders also lost their county senior panellist Conor Reid was who sent-off.
The 13 men of the East Mayo challengers still managed to dig out the goal they needed however, as substitute Brian Heneghan was in the right place and the right time to convert at the start of stoppage-time.
McHale pointed again from a free won by Sean Kelly and a final frantic two minutes of stoppage-time followed. Neither side could conjure up a winner and they will now meet again for a chance to finally lift the Sweeney Cup this Saturday at 6pm in MacHale Park, Scorers – Crossmolina: Fionán Duffy 0-5 (2f), James Maheady 0-4, Niall Coggins 1-0, Diarmuid Coggins, Jordan Flynn and Kevin Mulhern 0-1 each.
Moy Davitts: Cian McHale 0-9 (6f), Brian Heneghan 1-0, Brian Reape 0-2 (1m), Ronan Clarke 0-1f.
Crossmolina: JP Mulhern; Fearghal Duffy, Kevin Mulhern, Matthew Gordetskyy; Aaron Coggins, Conor Loftus, Lorcan Loftus; Daragh Syron, Jordan Flynn; Dairmuid Coggins, Fionán Duffy, Niall Coggins; Diarmaid Walsh, Patrick Leddy, James Mahedy. Subs: Stephen Duffy (for Fearghal Duffy ht), Mikie Loftus (for Walsh 41), Cathal Carolan (for L Loftus 52), Diarmuid Fox (for Gordetskyy 55).
Moy Davitts: Chris McGlynn; Cathal Clarke, Neil Murphy, Jack Dunleavy; Sean Kelly, Oisin McHugh, Fiachra Cruise; Anthony Jordan, Colm McHale; Jamie Clarke, Conor Reid, Stephen Clarke; Cian McHale, Brian Reape, Ronan Clarke. Subs: Padraig Ruane and Brian Heneghan (for S Clarke and R Clarke 39), Ryan Kenny (for Cruise 49), John Gilmore (for J Clarke 56), Liam Byrne (for A Jordan 59).
REF: Shane Corcoran (Islandeady)
