Killoe Emmet Og 0-12 Longford Slashers 0-11
A fisted point from Ronan McGoldrick saw Emmet Og crowned Longford senior football champions for the first time since 2015, in front of a crowd of over 3,500 at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.
The excellent Daniel Mimnagh found McGoldrick in the dying seconds of the game and he made no mistake fisting the ball over the bar. Slashers had fought gallantly and a pointed free from Andrew Kelly in the second minute of time drew the game level with two more additional minutes remaining.
It was a cagey opening between these two great rivals. In a tight first half Emmet Og were ahead by two points, on two occasions. Mark Hughes opened the scoring in the sixth minute but a pointed free from Kelly drew Slashers level.
Killoe first went two ahead in the 11th minute but Slashers replied with three points in a row to put them in front in the 24th minute. Mimnagh had a goal chance that went wide in the 25th minute. He levelled matters one minute later before a fine Simon Kiernan point gave them the lead going in at the break.
In what was an entertaining second half Killoe took a three point lead but Slashers replied with a '45 from goalkeeper Colm Farrell and a well struck free from Robbie Clarke. Cian Farrelly and Kelly (free) traded points before Killoe again edged in front by two.
Two fine frees from Kelly and Farrell drew Slashers level in the 57th minute. On 60 minutes Mimnagh gave Killoe the lead but there was still time for drama when another Kelly free squared things up in the second minute of stoppage time.
But then Mimnagh found McGoldrick and he calmly converted the crucial winning score to help Killoe claim their 12th Longford SFC title.
Emmet Og: S Fitzpatrick; L Hughes, P McCormack, G Hughes; N Farrelly, M Quinn, R Moffett; R McGoldrick (0-2), S Kiernan (0-1); D McGoldrick (0-1, S McCormack (0-3, 0-1 free), D Mimnagh (0-3); M Hughes (0-1), E Keogh, C Farrelly (0-1). Subs: C Dooner for Hughes (40 mins); P Thompson for Kiernan, E Clare for D McGoldrick (both 55'); J Donnelly for Keogh (57').
Longford Slashers: C Farrell (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 45'); R Kenny, B Gilleran, P Duggan; S Clarke, D Brady, G Flynn; P Foy (0-1), A Dalton; A Kelly (0-5, all frees), R Clarke, C Clarke; R Clarke (0-3, 0-1 free), N Mulligan, R O'Connell. Subs: P Lynn for Mulligan (37 mins); C Kavanagh for O'Connell (40'); D O'Donnell for R Clarke (59'); D O'Brien for Foy (60'); B Walsh for C Clarke (60+4').
Referee: P Maguire (St. Mary’s)
Éire Óg 1-16 Palatine 0-5
Carlow football champions Éire Óg crushed challengers Palatine by a 14 point margin to complete a three-in-a-row of SFC titles at Netwatch Cullen Park, before an attendance of 2,500.
With Jordan Morrissey outstanding in midfield the champions took complete charge of the game from the start. Full forward Derek Hayden drove a 10th minute penalty wide of the Palatine goal but on 28 minutes Reece Denieffe dinked a lovely ball over Palatiane goalkeeper Criag Kearney for the game's only goal. Éire Óg led 1-7 to 0-3 at the break.
The reigning champions unleashed a blitz of points in the opening minutes of the second half via Cormac Mullins, Rickie Keating from a ‘45, and a Chris Blake free, before Reece Denieffe chipped in with a long-range point to put his side 1-11 to 0-3 in front on 37 minutes. From there they never looked back.
Éire Óg: R Keating (0-1, 45); R Mahon, M Fitzgerald, B Kavanagh; J Lowry, M Furey, P McElligott; J Morrissey (0-2), R Denieffe (1-1); S Gannon, D O'Brien, E Ruth; C Blake (0-6, 0-4 frees), D Hayden, C Mullins (0-2). Subs: R Dunphy for Hayden (28 mins); N Quinlan (0-4, all frees) for Mullins (42'); C Hulton for Denieffe (45'); E Kelly for Mahon (48'); D Ruth for Blake (53'); A Murphy for O'Brien (54').
Palatine: C Kearney; D Fitzpatrick, S Reilly, A Murphy; C O'Doherty, C Lawlor, D Reid (0-1); J Brennan (0-1), J Kane; T Kenny, S O'Neill, H Kenny; C Crowley (0-1), N Reid, A Kehoe (0-2, 0-1 free). Subs: C Reynolds for O'Neill (39 mins); C O'Neill for J Kienny (39'); G Healy for D Reid (44').
Referee: P Murphy (Fenagh).
Tuam Stars 3-11 Maigh Cuilinn 1-12
Jamie Murphy scored two goals as Tuam Stars advanced to the Galway SFC final with a comeback win over Maigh Cuilinn at Pearse Stadium.
All-Ireland holders Corofin lie in wait after Tuam turned over a five-point half-time deficit with Murphy and Ben O’Connell raising the green flags.
Maigh Cuilinn held a 1-6 to 1-2 half-time lead. Two points each from Peter Cooke and Mark Lydon had them in command.
Murphy found the net in the 27th minute but that was cancelled out by Niall Walsh. Then Murphy scored his second goal in the 36th minute and Michael Mannion gave Tuam their first lead six minutes later. O’Connell sealed it.
Tuam Stars: J Trayers; B Mashengele, A Tierney, B O'Donnell; G O'Donnell (0-1), D O'Rourke, A O'Connell; S Kelly, P Collins; C Rhatigan (0-1), J Murphy (2-1, 0-1 frees), N Henry (0-2); B Mannion (0-1, 0-1 frees), M Mannion (0-3), B O'Connell (1-2). Subs: R O'Connor for A O'Connell (30 mins), G O'Connell for M Mannion (58).
Maigh Cuilinn: A Power; T Gilson, M Donoghue, D Lee; A Claffey, D Wynne, G Bradshaw (0-1); M Lydon (0-2), P Cooke (0-5, 0-5 frees); E Noone, C Bohan, N Mulcahy; P Kelly, N Walsh (1-0), D Conneely (0-4). Subs: M Patton for Lee (47 mins), B Faherty for Mulcahy (53), E Kenny for Walsh (58), P Lydon for Noone (58).
Referee: Frank Kinneen.
