Mannok SFC Group B Round 2
Kinawley 1-15 Erne Gaels 1-15
DYLAN Boyle kicked a late equaliser to earn a massive draw for Kinawley as they kept their Senior Championship hopes alive with a valiant and impressive performance at Patrick McManus Park on Sunday.
Heading into the game, the odds were heavily stacked against the Boru’s and they needed to get at least a draw against champions Erne Gaels or else they would fail to make the knockout stages.
Dom Corrigan’s charges embraced the challenge, putting in one of the best performances of their season to stage a remarkable comeback against the Belleek side, setting up a huge clash against Ederney.
Both sides made some significant changes before throw-in, with Kinawley putting marquee forward Tiarnan McKenna into goals, and he had a major impact on the game for the Boru’s.
Erne Gaels got off to a dream start with Seamus Ryder netting almost immediately after some good work from Aogan Kelm and Odhran Johston who surged down the pitch.
Dan McCann then quickly followed it up to put the Belleek side into a four point advantage.
Kinawley began to grow into the game with Sean McManus pointing a close-range free, before Boyle kicked his first of the encounter, to reduce the Erne Gaels advantage to two.
McKenna was then quickly called into action when he saved a goalbound shot from Aogan Kelm.
The first half was end to end with Boyle cutting the deficit to one, before Barry McCann kicked a two point free for Erne Gaels.
McKenna’s kicking prowess was then on display when the Kinawley netminder kicked two monstrous two-point frees to level the game with 15 minutes played.
Seamus Ryder and Donnacha Morris then traded scores for their sides.
Kinawley continued to dominate and wing forward Paidi Drumm landed a two-pointer from play to put his side three up.
Minutes later, Drumm struck for goal. Ruairi Corrigan coolly picked out the Boru’s number 10, who smashed the ball high into the roof of the Erne Gaels net to put the home side five ahead.
Just before the break, Tommy McCaffrey landed a free for Erne Gaels to leave Kinawley four in front at the half-time interval, much to the relief of the Patrick McManus Park faithful.
After the restart, Kinawley looked sharper with McKenna kicking over a free to put Dom Corrigan’s charges five in front.
Erne Gaels came roaring back though, hitting a range of scores through Aogan Kelm, McCann, Ryder and a two-point effort from Lyons from play, with 38 minutes played.
Both sides then rang the changes, with county player Ultán Kelm introduced into the fray for Erne Gaels, for his first appearance of the season.
With confidence flowing, Erne Gaels surged ahead, a two pointer from Ryder and Ultán Kelm putting Declan Bonner’s charges into a three point lead, with 15 minutes left to play.
Boyle and Aogan Kelm then traded scores, before Ruairi Corrigan weaved his way through the Belleek defence, with his effort clipping the bottom of the right post and bouncing out of play.
Corrigan, whose influence was growing in the game, then fisted over to leave one between the sides, as the encounter entered injury time. Ryder had a chance to seal the result for Erne Gaels, but his free-kick from outside the arc dropped short where it was collected by McKenna in goals.
Tempers frayed on the sideline, with Kinawley selector Terence Reynolds and Erne Gaels coach Ciaran Smith both shown red cards by referee Barry Monaghan.
Both sides had chances late on, but it was Boyle who proved to be the hero for the Boru’s with a late score, angling over with his right boot.
It all comes down to the last game now, with Kinawley taking on Ederney in the third round, while Erne Gaels face a difficult challenge against Teemore in two weeks’ time.
Teams & Scorers
Kinawley: Tiernan McKenna (0-05, 2 x 2pf, 1f), Daniel McGovern, Dara Cathcart, Liam Owens, Paidi Drumm (1-02, 1 x 2p), Patrick McGovern, Caolan Brennan, Paul Breen, Ciaran Breen, Donal Owens, Ben Corrigan, Dylan Boyle (0-04, 2f), Ruairi Corrigan (0-01), Sean McManus (0-01, 1f), Tom Keenan. Subs: Donnacha Morris (0-01) for B Corrigan (10), Colman Corrigan for S McManus (50).
Erne Gaels: Brian Ryder, Paul Ward, Jack McCann, Ultan O’Reilly, Oisin Kelm, Ryan Lyons (0-02, 1 x 2p), Odhran Johnston, Michael Óg McGarrigle, Brian Mullin (0-01), Dan McCann (0-02), Thomas McCaffrey (0-01, 1f), Aogan Kelm (0-02), Martin Gilfeddar, Seamus Ryder (1-04, 1 x 2pf), Barry McCann (0-02, 2f). Subs: Ultan Kelm (0-01) for B McCann (40).
Referee: Barry Monaghan (Irvinestown)