Navan O’Mahony’s 0-16 Kildalkey 0-15

There was no supporters leaving Páirc Tailteann early as Navan O’Mahony’s secured their place in the IHC semi-final after a battle with Kildalkey that went down to the wire. 

Kildalkey got off to a lightning quick start, with a point after fifteen seconds. O’Mahony’s first score of the game came courtesy of a Jack Walsh free after Finn Malone was fouled through on goal.

Two early goal opportunities for Kildalkey were denied when Ben McEntagart forced the Kildalkey forward over the end line and an impressive clearance from Evan Cully. Over the next twelve minutes, Kildalkey took the lead with three points from placed balls (two frees and a 65). 

Midway through the half, Paddy Dillon took an impressive point with a gut-bursting run through the middle of the park. Kildalkey responded quickly with two points, one from play and one from a free. In the 22nd minute, Walsh converted a free. A minute later, Walsh won a high ball to set up Sam Formosa for an impressive score from play.

A few minutes later, Finn Malone won a pass from Jack Flynn and, although blocked on his first attempt, won the loose ball and split the posts. The sides then exchanged two points each, with Walsh the scorer for O’Mahony’s on both occasions. Approaching half time, the impressive Evan Cully found Cormac O’Shea with a pass who slotted the ball to Jack Flynn for a point. Kildalkey responded with a point and it looked like the sides would be going in level until Malone scored a point to give the Brews Hill side the lead at half time.

Navan O’Mahony’s 0-09 Kildalkey 0-08

Walsh extended the lead to two points after ninety seconds with a free. After six minutes, however, the sides were level once again after two Kildalkey points (one from play and one free.)

Cully leapt into the air for a textbook catch, passing to the impressive Jack McConnell who set up fellow midfielder Dillon for a good team score to restore the lead for O’Mahony’s. Three minutes later, Walsh extended this with a pointed free.

With nine minutes remaining, the sides were level once again after the ever resurgent Kildalkey had restored the sides to level peggings. In the twenty-fourth minute, Walsh gave his side a narrow lead with a free, but this wasn’t to last as Kildalkey soon equalised with an impressive score from play. 

As the game was in the balance, O’Mahony’s were served with crucial clearances from McEntagart, Finn McNally and Cully. A twenty-sixth minute block from Cormac Keyes could be used as a perfect example of a tackle in hurling and proved key for his side.

With two minutes remaining, Walsh left his side with a single point advantage going into injury time. A minute additional time had been played when Kildalkey pointed from play and extra time looked to be a real possibility. O’Mahony’s could have looked for no better man than Walsh to be standing over a 34th minute free from 50 yards, which proved to be the winning of the game when the final whistle blew thirty seconds later and O’Mahony’s progressed to play Rathmolyon in the semi-final.

Navan O’Mahony’s: John Foley, Evan Cully, Ben McEntagart, Finn McNally, Mark Usher, Cormac Keyes, Cormac O’Shea, Jack McConnell, Paddy Dillon (0-02), Jack Flynn (0-01), Sam Formosa (0-01), Jack Walsh (0-10), Finn Malone (0-02), Shane McCarthy, Tom Condon

Conor O’Dwyer for McCarthy, Sean McDermott for Condon, Dermot McKenna for Dillon

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