O’Dwyer hat-trick fires Mullinahone to county glory after dramatic late surge against Fr Sheehys

FBD Insurance Premier Junior Football Championship Final

Mullinahone 4-11

Father Sheehys 1-13

Mullinahone are the FBD Premier Junior Football champions following their seven-point victory over Father Sheehys at Fethard Town Park (Grass Pitch) on Friday night.

Played in ideal conditions, in between Storms Austen and Boelo, the good attendance were treated to a game of honest endeavour, with both sides intent on playing attacking football.

At the end, Mullinahone were somewhat flattered with the margin of victory, as they actually trailed by the minimum with three minutes of normal time remaining.

They drew level on fifty-eight minutes before Ned O’Meara eased them ahead as the game entered added time. With extra time a possibility, corner-forward Eoin O’Dwyer dealt Father Sheehys a double blow in the space of forty seconds in the sixty-third minute by crashing home two majors at the dressing room end.

This completed a hat-trick for O’Dwyer, as he was also on the mark with the opening goal of the game after seventeen minutes, having been fed by Martin Kehoe.

The sides went in at the break all square, 1-6 apiece, the Father Sheehys goal coming from the boot of Daire English eight minutes before the short whistle.

During an exciting second half, Father Sheehys, who had lost out in the semi-final to Carrick Swan but were given a reprieve in the boardroom, took the game to Mullinahone and led on a couple of occasions, including late on.

However, the power of the winners’ full-forward line, with the opportunism of Eoin O’Dwyer, coupled with the athleticism of Ned O’Meara and Kevin Walzer, was the difference at the final whistle.

Mullinahone, who looked the sharper early on, were quickly off the mark on their first attack, with wing-back Darragh Linnane getting the scoreboard moving after being put through by Eoin O’Dwyer.

After a few attacks that came to nothing, Daire English brought the sides level after good work from Cormac Flynn, who latched on to a direct ball from midfield.

Darragh Linnane doubled his and Mullinahone’s tally, this time Daire O’Brien being the provider, before Kevin Walzer put two between the sides in the eighth minute.

Cathal English opened his account after a slow build-up involving Padraig Hickey and Thomas Quirke, cutting the deficit to the minimum in the process.

Father Sheehys were then awarded a penalty after Daire English was fouled, but Cormac Flynn’s piledriver came back off the crossbar with Graham Horan beaten.

However, they recycled and Cathal English kicked the equaliser to tie the game for the first time coming up to the end of the first quarter.

Mullinahone were first to draw blood when Eoin O’Dwyer goaled following a defence-splitting run by Martin Kehoe from midfield.

Father Sheehys were quick to respond to this setback, with Thomas Quirke on the mark from a placed ball, before being just off target from a two-point effort.

However, they were back in front with eight minutes remaining in the half after Daire English found the net following good work by Alex Spens in the build-up.

Cathal English and Thomas Quirke, from a placed ball, were on the mark, either side of a Ned O’Meara minor, as they went two to the good.

With three minutes remaining, a blistering shot from Kevin Walzer was tipped over the crossbar by Joseph O’Brien, before Sheehys were punished from a Ned O’Meara free in front of goal, awarded for a backpass to the goalkeeper.

Half-time score: Mullinahone 1-6, Father Sheehys 1-6.

Following the restart, Father Sheehys were quickly into action, with two converted frees from the left-hand side by Cormac Flynn.

A good move on thirty-five minutes, with Padraig Hickey setting up Flynn, ended with Graham Horan saving at the expense of a 45, which yielded nothing.

However, three minutes later, Conor Walsh put three between the sides after an upfield run from defence.

Mullinahone were back in the game from the kick-out following another big run from midfield by Martin Kehoe, who cut open the Sheehys defence before parting to Ned O’Meara, who beat O’Brien at the post.

Sam Rowan eased them ahead on forty-one minutes after collecting a cross-field pass from Paul Curran, before Ned O’Meara doubled their advantage from a placed ball coming up to the three-quarter mark.

The final drama was played out over the last quarter, with Daire English and Sean Curran trading minors.

Mullinahone lost the services of influential half-forward Martin Kehoe on fifty-five minutes before Sheehys kicked three on the bounce from Colin English, Cormac Flynn, from a free to bring the sides level, and a third from Daire English to go ahead on fifty-eight minutes.

However, this was to be Sheehys’ last score as Mullinahone finished the stronger, first an equaliser from Darragh Linnane, before man of the match Ned O’Meara eased them ahead coming up to the sixtieth minute.

Eoin O’Dwyer struck late when he gained possession from a kick-out and raced through to raise a green flag, and then forty seconds later with a similar score to wrap up the game.

After the game, Jonathan Cullen, on behalf of the Football Committee, presented the O’Dwyer Cup to winning Mullinahone captain Graham Horan.

Mullinahone now advance to the Munster Junior Championship, where they play the Limerick representatives, Monagea or Athea, in a quarter-final at a Limerick venue in early November.

Scorers: Mullinahone: Eoin O’Dwyer 3-0, Ned O’Meara (1-4, 0-2f), Darragh Linnane 0-3, Kevin Walzer 0-2, Sam Rowan, Sean Curran 0-1 each.

Father Sheehys: Daire English 1-3, Cathal English 0-3, Cormac Flynn 0-3f, Thomas Quirke 0-2f, Colin English, Conor Walsh 0-1 each.

Mullinahone: Graham Horan (captain); Conor O’Brien, Eoin Treacy, Alex Britton; Darragh Linnane, Sean Curran, Daire O’Brien; Alan Curran, Paul Curran; Sam Rowan, Martin Kehoe, Enda Keane; Eoin O’Dwyer, Ned O’Meara, Kevin Walzer.

Subs used: Cillian White for Alex Britton (26); Riain O’Halloran for Martin Kehoe (53, inj).

Father Sheehys: Joseph O’Brien; Pa Ryan, Darragh Maher, Dylan Flynn; Conor Walsh, Robbie O’Brien, Cian O’Brien; Cathal English, Tom Conway; Colin English, Cormac Flynn (captain), Daire English; Padraig Hickey, Thomas Quirke, Alex Spens.

Subs used: Eoin O’Neill for Darragh Maher (23); Dan Burke for Tom Conway (49); Adrian O’Brien for Padraig Hickey (51); Pat Mulcahy for Cian O’Brien (55); Shane McGrath for Thomas Quirke (58).

Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Newport)