Indescribable is the only word to describe an epic Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC Final replay on Saturday evening, the margin between ecstasy and agony barely indistinguishable as Mohilll retained the Fenagh Cup for the first time ever, winning an historic first ever penalty shootout in a Senior Final to break Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins’ hearts.
Trying to describe what transpired in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin seems almost impossible – replays are normally the opposite of the game that preceded them so after the wonderful drawn game, you’d have expected a drab, dour affair. But no, if anything Saturday’s fare surpassed the drawn encounter in a contest that has been immediately, and rightly so, elevated to the ranks of greatest ever County Finals.
You can’t escape the historical dimensions to this contest – whether you hate them or love them, penalty shootouts are here to stay and Mohill’s icy demeanour paid off as four superb kicks from Keith Beirne, Domhnaill Flynn, Shane Quinn and Sean Harkin was enough to see off Ballinamore, the hosts seeing their hopes go up in smoke after Peter Reynolds and Paul Moran were both unable to convert.
The Ballinamore duo, teammates Paul Honeyman and Wayne McKeon converted, didn’t do a hell of a lot wrong – Reynolds lifted his ball just over the crossbar, Moran didn’t even get that far, the ball canonning off the underside of the crossbar before bouncing clear – the tiny sliver between ecstasy and agony never more clearly identified as they were on Saturday evening.
In the first game, it was Mohill who rescued a draw and they did so again in the drawn game, although it appeared that Ballinamore had pulled off a wonderful smash and grab in the final ten minutes. Mohill led by four, a reflection of their growing dominance, with ten minutes to go but a wonderful Tom Prior goal tied the scores and threw the game up in the heap, fans going bananas in the stands.
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When Paul Honeyman scored a frankly stunning free to edge Ballinamore in front, it felt as if the roof was going to come off the stand but then Jordan Reynolds produced what seemed like an absolutely ridiculous score from the right corner, his hand going high into the air in celebration before the ball ever crossed the bar!
With tiring legs, extra-time was more of a slog but again Mohill dominated long spells, went two up only to see Ballinamore produce a whirlwind finish to rescue a draw and send the final to its first ever penalty shootout.
For Mohill, victory is a long overdue monkey off their back as they defended the Fenagh Cup for the first time in their history and they certainly did it the hard way, rescuing draws deep into added time at the end of 60 minutes on both days. In the drawn game, they were chasing Ballinamore who set the tone of the game thanks to Wayne McKeon’s early goal – in the replay, they set the tone but they were unable to kill off Ballinamore’s stubborn challenge.
That’s an enormous credit to Ballinamore, scant consolation though it may be right now, but they displayed an enormous reserve of courage and resilience under tremendous pressure. They’ll have regrets, turning over the ball deep into added time on both days, but they acquitted themselves with honour and but for a slip or a bit of a crossbar, they might well have been celebrating victory.
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Tom Prior’s late attempt for a winner at the end of normal time goes wide Picture: Willie Donnellan
Luke Murphy opened the scoring with a fine point just 35 seconds into the replay but it was Mohill setting the early tempo, Keith Beirne collecting off Fiachra McGuinness to score barley half a minute later. Mohill had two wides, close ones, before Jordan Reynolds finished off a long run with a fine point.
Reynolds turned provider as Domhnaill Flynn bombed over from distance on four minutes as Mohill were looking ominous. They did, however, lose a kickout and Ballinamore profited when Tom Prior fisted over the bar but from that kickout, Mohill managed to come away with a loose ball and Evan Harkin raced through to point.
Back came Ballinamore with Paul Honeyman pointing after a Wayne McKeon free came off the woodwork but Mohill replied quickly when Keith Keegan opened his account following good work from Flynn. The first point from a placed ball came 11 minutes in as Mohill led 0-6 to 0-3 after a blistering opening.
Naturally the pace dropped but Ballinamore then hit in a burst, a Honeyman free after a Shane Moran mark was moved in front of goal due to dissent and then Tom Prior soloed round two or three players to score.
Again, another scoring drought before McGuinness worked the ball back to Keith Beirne for a fine point but Honeyman responded instantly with a free off the ground. Jordan Reynolds edged Mohill two clear but a great run across the middle of the park ended with Tom Prior landing his third of the half from play in the final seconds of the last minute of normal time.
At this point, Ballinamore would have been pretty happy, playing against the strong wind and only a point in arrears but Mohill crucially added two more before the break, Conor Quinn giving and going to score before Keegan fired over from distance to give Mohill a 0-10 to 0-8 halftime lead.
Both teams missed early frees but Ballinamore were soon off the mark when Prior finished another good run with another fine point and from that kickout, the hosts turned over the ball and Paul Moran finished off a quick counter with a fine point.
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Keith Beirne departs the field after sustaining a blood injury Picture: Willie Donnellan
Then came one of the few moments of controversy when Keith Beirne suffered a heavy collision with Wayne McKeon as he turned. Mohill turned over the ball and broke to win a free when Tom Prior was fouled, Luke Murphy tapping over but Beirne was left bloodied on the ground, having to come off temporarily with what looked like a suspected broken nose.
With the sides level and Beirne off the field, the odds looked in Ballinamore’s favour but then came Domhnaill Flynn’s tour de force as Mohill held onto the ball for extended periods of time, probing and drawing Ballinamore over and back across the field before Flynn burst through a gap and was fouled twice.
Beirne may have been off the field but Flynn lobbed over two excellent frees and then Beirne was back on, blood sub Ronan Gordon spending five minutes on the field. Mohill seemed inspired and when Beirne spotted Ryan Bohan in space between the Ballinamore lines, his fisted pass found the corner-back for a good score on 46 minutes.
Three minutes later, Shane Quinn played a one-two with the lively McGuinness for a score that looked as if it might kill off the game, Mohill four up with just over ten minutes left. Credit Ballinamore, they refused to buckle and Paul Moran intercepted a wayward Mohill pass to score with nine to go.
That route to a score would prove vital with less than four minutes to go when the younger Moran raced onto a Shane Quinn pass, hit long to an unmarked Tom Prior in behind the Mohill defence and he made no mistake with a clinical finish.
With bedlam in the stands, Paul Honeyman edged Ballinamore back in front for the first time in 57 minutes with a massive free from out on the wing. Just like last week, Mohill were rocked but instead of driving home their advantage, Ballinamore tried to hold onto the ball but after a period of possession, they lost it out over the sideline.
That gave Mohill a chance and Jordan Reynolds certainly took it, scoring a wonderful point from a ridiculous angle in the bottom right hand corner to tie the scores. Both teams tried to work chances but Ballinamore looked as if they might snatch it when Domhnaill Flynn was turned over.
Ballinamore broke and got the ball out to Tom Prior but he couldn’t get his foot around the shot that drifted wide, Keith Beirne getting booked for an attempted trip as the game headed to extra time.
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All eyes on the ball as a late Ballinamore free is closely watched going wide by the Mohill players and fans behind the goal Picture: Willie Donnellan
There were more yellow cards that points in the first period of extra time, Paul Honeyman and Shane Moran going into the book with Keith Beirne converting a massive 45 yard free to give Mohill a narrow lead.
Halftime in extra-time saw a red card dished out to Mohill manager Eamonn O’Hara while sub Andrew Burns picked up a yellow before Ryan Bohan’s fisted attempt was blocked for a fifty but Mohill hit wide from the subsequent kick.
However, Mohill went two clear but it could have been so much more when sub Donal Duignan combined with the tireless Tadhg Mulligan to set Jack Rowley free, the wing-back fisting over as he failed to spot an unmarked Matthew Murphy across from him in front of the Ballinamore goal.
That left the door open and Ballinamore kicked it down – a long ball into the Mohill area was half-cleared, Tom Prior narrowing the gap to one. Mohill appeared to have repulsed the next attack but an errant pass was intercepted, the ball booted wildly forward where Paul Moran claimed an inspirational mark just just the 50 yard line. Showing nerves of steel, Moran converted to send the game to the first ever penalty shootout in a Leitrim Senior Final.
O’Heslins went first but Peter Reynolds lifted his effort too high, clearing the crossbar in a miss. Keith Beirne dispatched cooly, Paul Honeyman did the same for Ballinamore before Domhnaill Flynn drove home confidently, the power in the shot too much for Darren Maxwell.
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Up next was Paul Moran who beat Padraig Tighe but the ball came up too high, hitting the underside of the bar but bouncing out, giving Mohill a two-goal advantage in the shootout. Shane Quinn drilled home with all the poise of a veteran which meant his opposite number Wayne McKeon had to convert to keep Ballinamore’s dream alive.
McKeon hit powerfully and accurately to the corner, Tighe had no chance. That left Sean Harkin with a chance to win it all for Mohill – the long walk saw Jarkin take his time but there was never any doubt, the wing back drilling home to spark wild Mohill celebrations.
MOHILL
Scorers: Keith Beirne 0-4, 2f; Domhnaill Flynn (2f) & Jordan Reynolds 0-3 each; Keith Keegan 0-2; Shane Quinn, Ryan Bohan, Conor Quinn, Evan Harkin & Jack Rowley 0-1 each
Penalties: Beirne, Flynn, S Quinn, S Harkin
Team: Padraig Tighe, David Mitchell, James Mitchell, Ryan Bohan, Sean Harkin, Shane Quinn, Jack Rowley, Conor Quinn, Domhnaill Flynn, Tadhg Mulligan, Keith Keegan, Evan Harkin, Keith Beirne, Fiachra McGuinness, Jordan Reynolds. Subs: Ronan Gordon for Beirne (39 – blood); Beirne for Gordon (44); Gordon for J Mitchell (52); Matthew Murphy for McGuinness (59); Fiachra McGuinness for Reynolds (71); Donal Duignan for Bohan 74);
BALLINAMORE SEAN O’HESLINS
Scorers: Tom Prior 1-5; Paul Honeyman 0-4, 3f; Paul Moran 0-3, 1M; Luke Murphy 0-2, 1f
Penalties: Honeyman, McKeon
Team: Darren Maxwell, Matthew Murphy, Brian Banks, Patrick Connaughton, Micahel McBrien, Liam Ferguson, Cathal McHugh, Shane Moran, Wayne McKeon, Michael McKiernnan, Paul Moran, Naoise McManus, Luke Murphy, Tom Prior, Paul Honeyman. Subs: Naoise McManus for McKiernan (52); Killian Maguire for K McHugh (62), Peter Reynolds for L Murphy (63); Andrew Burns for M Murphy (65); Shane Murphy for C McHugh (77)
Referee: Michael McGirl