Longford GAA: Mullinalaghta relegate Rathcline in dramatic finish

Mullinalaghta St Columba’s . . . 2-16 Rathcline . . . 2-16

A last gasp equalising goal from David McGivney that was brilliantly set-up by a surging Shane Mulligan run kept Mullinalaghta’s senior status survival hopes alive but the draw ended Rathcline’s eight year stay in the Connolly Cup.

The draw plus their last gasp one-point defeat to Carrickedmond means that Rathcline cannot win the relegation group and as a result, they are one of the two teams to be relegated down to Intermediate Football for 2027.

Rathcline knocked over the first two points of the contest at McGann Park on Friday night courtesy of Ben Murphy and it looked like they had gone three up in the fifth minute when an Oran Kenny free that was heading well wide seemed to curl back just inside the uprights, but it was adjudged to have gone wide.

Jayson Matthews replied for Mullinalaghta on seven minutes and they almost scored a goal a minute later only for Emmet Brady’s shot to flash narrowly wide of the far post.

Iarla O’Sullivan with a fisted point and a free converted by Oran Kenny gave the Lanesboro side a three-point cushion with ten minutes gone on the clock.

Matthews reeled off three of the next four points for St Columba’s with Oran Kenny pointing for Rathcline to leave just a point between the teams after seventeen minutes.

Rathcline then went six points clear with a 1-2 blast as an excellent two-pointer from play from Iarla O’Sullivan was quickly followed by a superb goal from Oran Kenny. Shane Kenny gained possession and his powerful run gliding past a couple of opposition players resulted in his pin-point pass to his brother Oran who rifled the ball to the net.

That meant that Rathcline were ahead by 1-7 to 0-4 after twenty-three minutes but the North Longford men battled back to fire over the last four points of the first half through three Aidan McElligott scores and a point from Conan Brady to leave the half-time score, Rathcline 1-7 Mullianalacta St. Columba’s 0-8.

Niall Woods reduced the arrears to the minimum two minutes after the resumption but Rathcline scored their second goal just a minute later to establish a four-point advantage. Ben Murphy’s brilliant run towards goal from the left set-up Garth O’Reilly and he delivered a low diagonal shot to the bottom right corner of the net.

Mickey Harkins side then hit the front with the next 1-2. David McGivney fired over a two-point free and then Gary Rogers' attempted point was brilliantly gathered by Aidan McElligott near the end-line to the left of the goal, he barged his way into a central position and then rattled the Rathcline net from close range.

Bryn Peters levelled matters for Rathcline but points from Aron Earley, Shane Mulligan and Michael Cunningham put Mullinalaghta three points up before Oran Kenny’s two-pointer from play reduced the Rathcline deficit back to a point on forty-five minutes.

The game was level on fifty-three minutes as Donal McElligott and Jayson Matthews pointed for Columba’s while David Rooney fired over a monster two-pointer for Rathcline, which was quickly followed by a Ben Murphy point.

There was late, late injury time drama as Rathcline seemed destined for victory after Oran Kenny fired over a two-point free and then another free to put them three up after a brilliant McGivney two-pointer had been disallowed for a breach.

However, the never say die attitude of Mullinalaghta was demonstrated at the death when Shane Mulligan’s storming run through the Rathcline rearguard resulted in McGivney toe poking home the crucial equalising goal.

MULLINALAGHTA ST COLUMBA’S: Patrick Rogers, Patrick Fox, Niall Woods (0-1), Michael Cunningham (0-1), Shane Mulligan (0-1), Gary Rogers, Conan Brady (0-1), Donal McElligott (0-1), Conor Leonard, Emmet Brady, Cian Mackey, David McGivney (1-2, 1 2-point free), Aidan McElligott (1-3), Jayson Matthews (0-5), Aron Earley (0-1).

Substitute: Patrick Lynch for Earley (2nd half).

RATHCLINE: David Mulvihill, Jakub Kajan, James Carroll, Harry Myhill, Matthew Heneghan, David Rooney (0-2, 2-pointer), Oisin Kenny (0-2, 2-pointer), Shane Kenny, Michael Morrissey, Garth O’Reilly (1-0), Iarla O’Sullivan (0-3, 1 2-pointer, 2 frees), Ryan Carberry, Ben Murphy (0-2), Oran Kenny (1-6, 1 2-point free, 1 free), Bryn Peters (0-1).

Substitutes: Euan Cullen for Carberry, Niall Keane for O’Reilly & Ultan O’Sullivan for Heneghan (all 2nd half).

Referee: David Tiernan (Ardagh Moydow).