The most dramatic SFC Club Final ever?

[oakleafgael]

Ardboe had both hands on the cup that day and let it slip. McCullagh showed nerves of steel when hitting the penalty.

True and the Ardboe no. 6 doing everything to wind him up. The ref has to push him away a few times at the end. Bad auld shite.

It was nothing compared to the "shite" the ref had to put up with after the game. Funny how the video was edited to not show that.

[GAA_Talk]

I know there's been drama like this before, up and down the country and beyond in the GAA, but it's hard to think of anything that could beat it for drama, intensity and excitement - see here the last 5 mins of the 2009 Tyrone SFC Final : http://tinyurl.com/6cn6rtk and here http://tinyurl.com/6byf3ud

That was an entertaining finish in all fairness. McCullough's 1-6 is some tally for a championship final. what was the final score in that game? seemed to be free flowing enough. And here how did the keeper end up that far out the field at the start of the video?!?!

[spuds]

Was McCullough dropped or left the Tyrone panel the last year or so ?

[oakleafgael]

Was McCullough dropped or left the Tyrone panel the last year or so ?

Left, and is badly missed.

[Any craic]

McCullagh saved Dromore this year too with an equaliser 9 mins into added time against Ardboe the first day. See it on this wee video previewing the final, plus the Horse Devlin tips Dromore to win - http://t.co/GEheBItV

[Gold]

What a tr**p that Ardboe No6 is

[Club Rossa]

Gold,no need for a comment like that.

[trileacman]

I know there's been drama like this before, up and down the country and beyond in the GAA, but it's hard to think of anything that could beat it for drama, intensity and excitement - see here the last 5 mins of the 2009 Tyrone SFC Final : http://tinyurl.com/6cn6rtk and here http://tinyurl.com/6byf3ud

That was an entertaining finish in all fairness. McCullough's 1-6 is some tally for a championship final. what was the final score in that game? seemed to be free flowing enough. And here how did the keeper end up that far out the field at the start of the video?!?!

He followed his big head.

[Norf Tyrone]

What a tr**p that Ardboe No6 is

Very harsh. It was a bit of gamesmanship. Last minute of the County final, I think it's perfectly understandable that he wanted to try and spook McCullough.

[Farneylawd2011]

Last year Monaghan county final replay between Maghercloone v Clontibret.Clontibret were one up .Maghercloone were awarded a penalty in the last minute .Tommy Freeman went up to take it.All Maghercloone fans were ready to jump onto the field.When he missed it there was shock .Another bloddy title for Clontibret that year but not this year !!

[Gold]

What a tr**p that Ardboe No6 is

Very harsh. It was a bit of gamesmanship. Last minute of the County final, I think it's perfectly understandable that he wanted to try and spook McCullough.

On watching it i couldnt believe his antics and that he'd to be pulled away by the ref about 3/4 diff times with no action taken against him. You'd all say the same if it someone did that playing your own team.

But then who knows, back in the day i may have done the same if i ever had the opportunity!

Some energy and drive by Ryan McMenemin in lead up to that penalty, unreal. Their leaders stood up and won the game for them that day

[spectator]

Ciaran McDonald drills a wonder goal from a free through nearly the entire Ballaghadereen team to get a draw in the Mayo Club Final a few years back. It was the last kick of the game between Ballagh and Crossmollina

Any links to it?

Seems it was McDonald's kick but Peader Gardiners fist that directed it in. Shows how the details can be lost in your brain over time. Seems it was the County Final of 2006.

Crossmollina come back was with 14 men.

http://www.deelrovers.com/?sec=displaynews&itemId=178

Still don't know how Ballagh let that one slip, it was devastating at the time ... but it was some ball MacD drilled in from a free at the end of injury time, with the flick on from Gardiner completing the rescue for Cross. Seriously tough one to take for Ballagh at that stage, especially when losing the replay by a goal, but they came back to carry the Moclair Cup back over the border into Ros within two years when beating Charlestown in '08.

Sometimes almost walking on water wasn't even enough when MacD was playing against you 


http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/mhmhidsnql/

Western People   Wednesday, November 01, 2006 :


GAA: Brilliant Ballaghaderreen blow big chance as Cross' get lucky again

Lynch Breaffy House Hotel and Spa County Mayo Senior Football Final

By: Anthony Hennigan at McHale Park, Castlebar


Crossmolina 2-8 Ballaghaderreen 1-11

IF IN search of excitement you can head to the Funfair, for entertainment, the Circus, those fond of drama might head for the Theatre, but for lovers of all three, there are only a minority of places able to deliver on all counts at the one time.

McHale Park entered that latter category on Sunday last, as the famous old ground, witness to many a seismic struggle in its time, was location for the most absorbing of senior club football finals that anyone could have wished for.

Deadlocked at the long whistle, only by Peadar Gardiner's deftly flicked equalising goal in the fourth minute of injury time, champions Crossmolina had somehow hauled themselves back from the brink. And while Maroon clad players hugged openly, part in joy, part in relief, their Ballaghaderreen counterparts sunk to their muddied knees in despair, wondering just how they had allowed what seemed certain victory to slip from their grasp.

While their dream of ending the club's 34 year long wait for a Moclair Cup triumph remains alive for another week at least, one can't help but wonder how a team, so young and relatively inexperienced, will react to the realisation that they failed to apply the rubber stamp having held a three point lead not once, but twice, in second half stoppage time, having earlier owned a five points lead also.

Leading from first score 'til Gardiner's match-leveller, Ballaghaderreen, though rank under-dogs, applied themselves to the daunting task with aplomb. In fact, in the incessant rain, some of their players did everything but walk on water.

No matter that they were faced by tradition, quality and medal-laden opposition, in Barry Regan and cousins, Andy and Derek Moran, Ballagh' boasted three forwards that all day long, simply proved too hot for Cross' to handle.

Likewise, at midfield, Barry Kelly and James Kilcullen refused to respect reputations and enjoyed dominance, albeit aided but not solely due to Crossmolina's half-time loss through injury of Gabriel Walsh.

And in defence, while confronted by players possessing raw explosive scoring power, men such as Stephen Drake, David Kilcullen, Gary Conway and Joe McCann reached new levels of performance.

Combined, the aforementioned enabled Ballaghaderreen to confirm their arrival as a serious force to be reckoned with and yet, on the day, their best exhibition yet still wasn't good enough.

Stretching every last sinew, expending the last ounce of energy, draining every last drop of sweat, playing off instinct and from the heart, Crossmolina managed to grind out a result in much the same fashion as they had done in the semi-final against Ballina Stephenites - except this time they were just thankful to have drawn.

Unable to dictate proceedings and forced to play catch-up throughout, it's a game largely unfamiliar to the Deel Rovers, but their blushes were spared thanks to the magic, the genius, the artistry, call it what you will, of Ciaran McDonald. In deepest injury time, and with his side 1-11 to 1-8 in arrears, Mac (who had kicked all of Crossmolina's four previous points) hammered a 25 metre free into a crowded danger zone, knowing that the slightest of touches could reap a priceless, if highly unlikely, major. Hey Presto. The 'Wizard' pulled it off; his thunderbolt of low trajectory received the faintest of flicks from captain, Peadar Gardiner, and the leather flew past a motionless Ballagh' defence into the back of the net, goalkeeper Ollie Flanagan's resulting kick-out being the last action of a pulsating contest.

Alas for the East Mayo outfit, it could all have been so different. Dispelling any fears that nerves may unhinge their challenge, Frank Kelly's team could have goaled after just 38 seconds.

Winning Joe Dillon's high delivery, Andy Moran held off his marker before unleashing a powerful shot that was only prevented from shaking the net by the outstretched hand of corner-back Jonathan O'Boyle.

Two 45s later, the second of which was played short, Derek Moran dissected the uprights to open the underdogs account, theirs and the game's next score being the first of the day's three goals.

With Cross' hindered by inaccuracy, Ballagh' were to experience no such early difficulty at the opposite end and when Michael Solan fed a fine pass into Barry Regan, the full-forward displayed razor sharp instinct and aware-ness to play in fellow county panel-list Andy Moran, who coolly slotted the ball under the body of goal-keeper, Paul O'Donnell.

Only six minutes on the clock, their supporters were in dream-land, however, a reality check was quickly dished up by Thomas Jordan's team who hit three unanswered points in as many minutes, the first a Ciaran McDonald free and the latter pair both courtesy of Joe Keane, the first of which was the consolation for a Paul McGuin-ness close range shot that was stopped by Flanagan, Gardiner's run and McDonald's pin point pass both being integral components to the build-up of the goal chance.

But harrying and hassling in swarms, and attacking at break neck speed, there was an effective simplicity about much of Ballaghaderreen's best work - so too their next score, Andy Moran and Michael Solan laying up wingback Stephen Drake who launched the ball over the bar from 45 metres with plenty of air still left to spare.

By way of response, Crossmolina's Joe Keane, at this stage the intended target for most of McDonald's deliveries, kicked his third point in a row only for Derek Moran to superbly double his personal tally and for Michael Solan to curl over an almost replica point to that of the aforementioned, leaving the white and green 1-4 to 0-4 in front by the 21st minute.

Despite rainfall now leaving what were already tricky conditions even more troublesome, Ballaghaderreen continued to prosper and while Barry Regan saw his 30th minute fisted goal attempt smartly tipped away by Paul O'Donnell, there was still time for Regan to open his own account, thanks to Andy Moran's clever cross-field pass, and for Ciaran McDonald to uncharacteristically kick a 30 metre wide, before the half was called to its conclusion by referee Mel Kenny, who had a sound game throughout.

Winning a fair share of midfield ball, driving from the half-back line and evasive in their attacking movements, Ballaghaderreen were deserving of their four points interval lead, but one felt that there could yet be more to come from Cross'.

Keane and McDonald had been causing problems down the centre but with Stephen Rochford playing from deep and Brian Benson tied up in the corner, there was something slightly one dimensional about the champions forward plan. But the bigger problems were in defence, in the full-back line to be precise, where Regan and Andy Moran were wreaking havoc in the absence of regular number 3, Tom Nallen. For a period after the restart, younger brother James, while having a fair game at midfield, sat in front of the last line to try and quell this threat, but his talents were needed elsewhere as the half started the way the first had finished - Crossmolina missing the target after 20 seconds through Joe Keane and Barry Regan converting the first of his four second half frees for Ballagh'.

Keane, however, redeemed that early miss in emphatic fashion when scoring his second championship goal of the season in the ninth minute. Not availing of the chance to clear the danger, Frank Kelly's team paid a heavy price, and when the ball emerged from a melee of players, it was Stephen Rochford who popped over the pass from which Keane applied the finish.

Two points now being the margin, that was down to one by the 45th minute as a brace of Ciaran McDonald frees bettered Derek Moran's third point of the game.

In the energy sapping conditions, both side's called for fresh legs though in Crossmolina's instance, it was injury (as was the case when Henry McLoughlin replaced Gabriel Walsh at half-time) that forced the withdrawal of Mark Leonard - Enda Lavelle replacing the wing-forward who had, unknowingly at the time, sustained a suspected fractured jaw. Pearce Hanley and David Loftus were introduced for the leaders who, in the aftermath of McLoughlin's 48th minute straight red card dismissal, were able to restore a three points lead, 1-9 to 1-6, thanks to successful efforts by Derek Moran and Barry Regan (free), a narrow wide from the former around that time not looking as if would prove all that costly.

McDonald swung over his fourth point but when following that with a wide only to see Regan, in the 60th minute, add another free to his tally, it looked as if there would be no way back for the Deelsiders, especially when McDonald and Regan exchanged frees again in the 1st and 3rd minutes of an allotted five minutes injury time.

However, with all of Crossmolina's last four scores coming from dead balls, it was obvious that a pattern had developed. At all costs, fouling included, Ballaghaderreen were trying desperately not to concede a second goal, so it was somewhat ironic that it was from yet another indiscretion (over-exuberant tackling) in front of their posts that eventually led to the chance for McDonald to weave his spell by way of his last goal-creating kick.

This draw a bore? Not on your life!

CROSSMOLINA: Paul O'Donnell, Ronan Rochford, Damien Syron, Jonathan O'Boyle, Declan Keating, Damien Mulligan, Peadar Gardiner ( c ), Gabriel Walsh, James Nallen, Paul McGuinness, Ciaran McDonald, Mark Leonard, Stephen Rochford, Joe Keane, Brian Benson.
Subs used: Henry McLoughlin (for Walsh h/t), Enda Lavelle (for Leonard 43).

BALLAGHADERREEN: Ollie Flanagan, Joe McCann, Declan McGarry, Tomás Regan, Stephen Drake, David Kilcullen, Gary Conway ( c ), Barry Kelly, James Kilcullen, Andy Hanley, Joe Dillon, Derek Moran, Andy Moran, Barry Regan, Michael Solan.

Subs used: Pearce Hanley (for A. Hanley 43), David Loftus (for McGarry 45), Barry Solan (for Loftus 56), Maurice O'Gara (for Dillon 60+3).

Referee: Mel Kenny (Westport)

[Milltown Row2]

Killkenny final today, Ballyhale on their way out 2 minutes into injury time (Only 2 minutes allocated) They win a free out on the right, about 35 yards out. Normal day Shefflin would have hit this eyes closed and it would go over. Today was different, wind blowing a gale against him, the rain was incessant, freezing and to top it off, had he missed it they were out.

Steps up takes his usual stance, couple of huffs and strokes the ball over the bar as if it were a sunny day and wind at his back

[Any craic]

Dromore won another Tyrone title today with a late winner, just like 2 years ago, see it here and see Ricey explain that the win was extra special because of recent tragedies that rocked the community - http://tinyurl.com/6cn6rtk