Sallins' All-Ireland dreams ended in gut-wrenching fashion
Joy for An Ghaeltacht but utter devestation for Sallins Photo: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott
Sallins’ dreams of reaching Croke Park for an All-Ireland final were ended in the cruellest of fashions when a two point free by Éanna Ó Conchúir with practically the last kick of the game won the day for An Ghaeltacht at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The rights and wrongs of the awarding of that free kick will be debated in Sallins for years for to come.
Emmet Ralph initially won possession from the An Ghaeltacht kick out as the game moved into injury time at the end of extra time but after being swarmed all round and knocked from his feet the referee awarded a free against Ralph for overcarrying.
The referee barely drew breath before blowing the whistle again, this time to penalise Ralph for not returning the ball to the opponent and the ball brought forward 50 metres, or a rough estimation of what that was.
The ball was placed up 40 metres from goal but rather than take that shot on, Ó Conchúir elected to bring the ball back beyond the arc and kicked a superb match winning two pointer.
It should be said that An Ghaeltacht would have had their own complaints about the referee had they lost as Sallins seemed to have a clear breech of the three up rule just before James Dalton kicked a last gasp equaliser in normal time but that didn’t take the sting out of what happened at the end of extra time.
With both sets of players out on their feet and numerous needing treatment, Sallins were the better side in extra time. After trailing 0-9 to 0-8 at half time, they were down by four on two occasions in the second half but a wonderfully executed move in the 52nd minute ended with Luke Killian teeing up Stephen Kelly for a simple tap in goal.
Sallins were magnificent as they chased the game in the final quarter with the likes of Killian, Daragh Mangan, Cian Grimes, Luke Kelly, the two Ó Domhnaills, and many more pushing their bodies to the limit and then even more again.
Even Colm Dalton was sprung from the bench, desperate to contribute even though nowhere near fit due to a hamstring injury, and although they certainly had a slice of lick with the non-call from the refereeing team, a draw and a shot at extra time was no more than they deserved over the course of the game.
James Dalton put them ahead for just the second time in the game 18 seconds into injury before Tomás Ó Sé equalised.
Sallins continued to cause problems for the An Ghaeltacht defence and Luke Kelly, another started the game with a heavily strapped thigh, gave them the lead again in the dying minutes of the first half of extra time.
That looked set to be the winning scored as the longer the extra time period wore the more Sallins looked in control.
A long spell of possession ended with Darren Keane shooting just wide as the game moved to injury time but there was just about time for the cruellest of finishes as Sallins’ dreams died on the banks of the River Lee.
R Ó Beaglaoich (0-8, tp free, 0-2 frees); É Ó Conchúir (0-4, tp free); A Breathnach (0-2, tp); A Ó Beaglaoich, PJ Mac Láimh, T Ó Sé (BB), S Ó Gairbhí (0-1 each).
L Killian (0-5); L Kelly, J Dalton (0-3 each); S Kelly (1-0); C Grimes (0-2, 0-2 frees); P Farrelly (0-1).
Seán Ó Lúing; Cian Ó Murchú, Peter Paul Sauerland, Adam Mac Amhlaoibh, Pádraig Ó Sé, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich; Aodán Breathnach, Seán Ó Cuinn; Gavin Ó Cinnéide, Ruaidhri Ó Beaglaoich, PJ Mac Láimh, Conn Ó Riagáin, Éanna Ó Conchuir, Seán Ó Gairbhí. SUBS: Conor Ó Corrduibh for Ó Riagáín (HT); Brian Ó Beaglaoich for Mac Amhlaoibh (44); Cathal Ó Beaglaoich for Sauerland (48); Tomás Ó Sé (DC) for Ó Cinnéide (56); Tomás Ó Sé (BB) for R Ó Beaglaoich (63); Diarmuid Ó Séaghdha for Breathnach, Óigí Ó Sé for C Ó Beaglaoich (both 67); Steven Ó Conchúir for Ó Cuinn (71).
Matthew Farrelly; Ruairí Ó Domhnaill, Mark Moynihan, Seán Ó Domhnaill, Luke Kelly, Darren Keane, Glen McEvoy; Daragh Mangan, Paul Farrell; Cian Grimes, Seán Conway, Luke Killian, Stephen Kelly, Emmet Ralph, James Dalton. SUBS: Alan Marshall for Ralph (39); Aaron Carney for Moynihan (40); Colm Dalton for Keane (45); Emmet Ralph for C Dalton (60); Darren Keane for P Farrelly (67); Sean McDonnell for Grimes (73); Lorcan McKenna for Conway (75).
Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).
