Navan O’Mahony’s 1-10 Boardsmill 0-12

A nail-biting finish saw Navan O’Mahony’s secure second place in Group A of the IHC and consequently, a semi-final place. The sides were close throughout the game and it came down to the final seconds.

The first score of the game came within sixty seconds when Darragh Connell converted a free to give Navan O’Mahony’s an early lead. Six minutes passed without score before Boardsmill hit a free and a point from play in quick succession to edge ahead.

A high ball into the square fell to the ground and, as it looked like the Boardsmill player had flicked it up, it was grabbed by Shane McCarthy who kicked it to the net. A point from play from Paddy Dillon two minutes later extended the lead to three points.

The next five minutes saw the sides exchange points, with Boardsmill pointing from a free and Cormac Keyes responding in kind, followed quickly by a Boardsmill point from play. Connell split the points with a free in the seventeenth minute.

Ten minutes passed without score until Boardsmill added two in quick succession. Two scores came in injury time with a 65 from Cormac Keyes and a Boardsmill point from play to leave the bare minimum between the sides at the break.

Navan O’Mahony’s 1-05
Boardsmill 0-07

It wasn’t a high scoring first half and this didn’t change in the second, although Navan O’Mahony’s were again quick off the mark to score with a point from play from Dillon. This was followed within sixty seconds by a point from Conor O’Dwyer before Keyes extended the lead to four, the largest gap between the sides at any stage in the game. 

With four between the sides, Boardsmill kicked on to score three points in as many minutes, making it a one-point game again. Another scoreless period midway through the half meant that Navan O’Mahony’s were still clinging to the lead, which was eventually extended by a Keyes 65 in the 20th minute.

Boardsmill still had a lot to play for however and soon had the scoreboard level with seven minutes remaining. With both sides battling to save their season, scores were not easy to come by. A number of dangerous looking balls were driven to safety by Dillon, Jack Walsh and Mark Usher, while Ben McEntagart, Evan Cully and Finn McNally made some crucial interceptions at the right times.

A 28th minute free from Keyes gave Navan O’Mahony’s the lead they would need to hold onto till the end. What seemed like the most dangerous ball was cleared by the combined effort of the three Jacks – Walsh cleared the lines to safety while Flynn and McConnell were there to sweep up the breaking ball with Flynn keeping the ball going towards the Boardsmill goals. 

The relief was evident on the faces of Navan O’Mahony’s players and supporters alike as they look forward to their first semi final since 2017. 

Navan O'Mahony’s: John Foley, Evan Cully, Ben McEntagart, Finn McNally, Darragh Connell, Jack Walsh, Mark Usher, Paddy Dillon, Ciaran McGuinness, Conor O’Dwyer, Jack Flynn, Cormac Keyes, Sean McDermott, Shane McCarthy, Finn Malone

Subs: Jack McConnell for Malone, Colm O’Toole for McDermott

Tweet

Most Read Stories