Navan O’Mahony’s 0-15 Curraha 0-14

Relief was the dominant emotion for those of a blue and white persuasion when referee Ciaran Flynn’s whistle sounded at the end of Thursday night’s IFC relegation play-off in Dunganny.

Within three minutes, Curraha had taken a two-point lead. Five minutes elapsed before O’Mahony’s opened the scoring with a free from Robbie Keelaghan, moved into the thirteen yard line for dissent. A very impressive score from Conor Finnegan a minute later drew the sides level.

Curraha edged ahead again with a 45 before Keelaghan, standing over a two-point free, gave O’Mahony’s the lead for the first time on the thirteen minute mark. This wasn’t to last long however and within 80 seconds, Curraha had pointed twice to see the advantage reversed.

Both sides added another score in the following five minutes, with Finnegan fisting the point from some distance for O’Mahony’s. A goal opportunity for Mallon was denied by strong defence from Curraha. Another score from the south Meath side left them with a two-point advantage.

With five minutes remaining, Cormac Nugent reduced the gap to the bare minimum before Aodhan Mallon got the equaliser as injury time approached. Oisin O’Brien added his name to the score-sheet as the clock was ticking down on the half, giving the narrowest of advantages to the Brews Hill side at the interval.

Navan O’Mahony’s 0-08 Curraha 0-07

Four minutes into the second half, Duggie Dillon put two between the sides with a well-taken point. At the opposite end of the pitch, Curraha converted a two-point free to leave it level once again. Seven minutes later, O’Brien was denied another goal-scoring opportunity when the ball was cleared from the goal-line. The resulting play ended in a free, which Keelaghan converted.

As in the pattern of the match, the lead didn’t last long and the sides were level after a Curraha effort from play three minutes later. Shortly afterwards, it was the South Meath team that had the advantage again.

Keelaghan stood up when needed at this stage, kicking the all-important score which was to give O’Mahony’s the lead they would hold onto until the final whistle, an impressive two-pointer from play. Another Nugent score, this time from Eoghan, left two in it again. 

O’Mahony’s were unable to push on however, and minutes later the bare minimum was between the sides. A Keelaghan free and a good play from the Nugent brothers ending in Cormac splitting the posts meant three points separated the sides in injury time.

After a Curraha free was brought forward for dissent, they converted it as a two-pointer from the edge of the arc and left O’Mahony’s supporters crying out for the final whistle. Another Curraha free was kicked short as they tried to work out a score but Mike O’Reilly and Paddy Dillon combined to deliver the ball, and by extension Navan O’Mahony’s status in the competition, to safety. 

Navan O'Mahonys: Jamie O'Reilly, Darragh Murphy, Paddy Dillon, Sean Betson, Eoghan Nugent (0-1), Mike O'Reilly, Darragh Maguire, Aodhan Mallon (0-1), Conor Finnegan (0-2), David Dillon (0-1), Oisin O'Brien (0-1), Ivo Fitzherbert, Niall Higgins, Cormac Nugent (0-2), Robbie Keelaghan (0-7, 1 2P, 1 2PF,3F )

Shane Maguire for Finnegan, Ronan Clarke for O'Brien, Conor Brady for Higgins

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