Flynn's injury-time goal clinches crucial draw for Johnstownbridge
Luke Flynn kicks a score for JTB despite the best efforts of Clane's Harry ONeill. Photo: James Lawlor.
Substitute, Connor Flynn found the back of the net three minutes into stoppage time to snatch a dramatic draw for Johnstownbridge in what was a breathtaking finish to their Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship opener against Clane in Manguard Park on Friday night.
A superb two-point free by Shane O’Sullivan just seconds beforehand looked to have propelled Clane over the line, but Aidan Dunne’s side refused to throw in the towel, surging forward in the following attack as Flynn held his nerve to find the target when the ball came to him some 15 yards from goal.
It was an enthralling end to a battle that had swung back and forth throughout, Clane taking at two-point lead (1-6 to 0-7) into the half-time break, only to find themselves trailing by as much ten minutes into the second half.
A Cian O’Donoghue goal did nudge them back in front on 43 minutes and they managed to extend that advantage to three with five minutes to go, but the tenacity of Johnstownbridge was rewarded as late points from Shane and Daniel Flynn, couple with Connor Flynn’s injury-time strike, helped secure a share of the spoils.
It was not until five minutes into proceedings that the deadlock was broken, half back, Shane Flynn firing over the first of his three opening-half points for Johnstownbridge only to see Sam Reilly cancel that out four minutes later.
Daniel Flynn edged Dunne’s side back in front and they doubled that advantage when Shane Flynn produced a nice turn and strike, but Clane hit back quickly with a goal on 13 minutes, Harry O’Neill and Sam McCormack combining to work the ball up to Adam Fitzpatrick who fisted it across to Shane O’Sullivan, and he applied the finishing touch.
Johnstownbridge reduced their arrears by way of a superb point from Luke O’Connor, but Clane responded with interest, as both Sam Reilly and Daragh Mullahy fired over in quick succession.
The match was again squared when Paul Cribbin converted a free and Luke Flynn split the posts from play, yet it was Clane who headed in at the recess with a slender two-point cushion thanks to an Adam Fitzpatrick brace that book-ended a point from O’Sullivan.
And it was Sean Mealiffe’s side who drew first blood in the second half after Fitzpatrick weaved his way beyond several tackles to shoot over and push Clane’s lead out to three.
Yet a six-minute purple patch in which they chalked up five points without response, including an excellent double by Darragh Sloane, saw Johnstownbridge turn the tables on their opponents to move two points ahead.
But just when it looked as if Clane might be losing their grip on this tie, up popped Cian O’Donoghue to rifle home their second goal after he latched on to a neat ball from McCormack.
That major, together with another point from Fitzpatrick, re-establish Clane’s two-point lead which was increased to three when O’Sullivan’s strike cleared the crossbar with five minutes of regulation time remaining.
Their opponents, however, kept themselves in contention, as Shane and Daniel Flynn both pointed either side of a shot from the latter that flew right across the face of the Clane goal.
Clane clung on to the narrowest of leads and it looked like they might well have bagged the points when O’Sullivan landed his free from beyond the arc on 62 minutes.
But Johnstownbridge had other ideas and swarmed forward from the resulting kick-out, substitute Connor Flynn receiving the ball just to the left of goal and unleashing a strike that found its way to the net to level the tie.
Cian Burke, Harry O’Neill, Shane McCormack, Hugh Prendergast, Calum Doran, Cian O’Donoghue 1-0 , Cian Shanahan, Daragh Mullahy 0-1, Sam McCormack, Dan Colbert, Adam Fitzpatrick 0-4, Sam Reilly 0-2, Eoin Twohig, Brian McLoughlin 0-1 (f), Shane O’Sullivan 1-4 (1tpf).
Sean Tighe for Colbert (44), Cormac Vizzard for Reilly (49), Shane O’Connor for Twohig (56) and Sean Christansen for Mullahy (64).
Eoin Sheehan, Ian McKeon, Tomas Von Engelbrechten, Sean McKeon, Luke O’Connor 0-1, Keith Cribbin, Shane Flynn 0-4, Joey Higgins 0-1, Luke Flynn 0-1, Darragh Sloane 0-3 (tp), Sam Doran, Cathal McNally, Dean Kelly, Daniel Flynn 0-3, Paul Cribbin 0-2 (2f).
Aaron McNally for McKeon (45), Kelvin McNally for Higgins (52), Ronan Scanlon for Sloane (53) and Connor Flynn 1-0 for McNally (60).
Fergus Devereux.
