Last-minute victory for Inagh-Kilnamona

Inagh-Kilnamona 1-11 Tubber 0-13

GER Arthur scored the winning point for Inagh-Kilnamona in the first minute of injury time at Cusack Park on Sunday. After the sides were level on six occasions, few could have argued if the game had ended in a draw, a result that would have left the teams in the same positions at the end of the league series.
Tubber, without ever reaching the heights of their last outing when they defeated champions Cratloe, made the brighter start and took an early lead which they held until five minutes before half-time when Ger Arthur got through for the game’s opening goal.
It was a score which helped his team to level terms at half-time when the score was 1-4 to 0-7.
Tubber were back in front a minute into the second half but three points without reply had Inagh-Kilnamona two clear entering the final quarter.
Sensing danger, Tubber hit back and points from defenders Mark Earley and Patrick O’Connor tied up the game for the fourth time.
Inagh-Kilnamona went two clear again thanks to Ger Arthur and Cathal Lafferty but back came Tubber with Eamonn Taaffe and Gerard O’Connor on target to level yet again. Lafferty and Pat O’Connor then swapped scores before Arthur hit the winning score from a free conceded by Tommy Lee in the first minute of injury time.
It certainly won’t make the list of memorable games in this season’s championship and both sides made a lot of mistakes.
Jamie Davin, Milo Keane and Dermot Gannon did well for the winners while Cathal Lafferty and Ger Arthur finished strongly for a side that went into the tie without the services of Brian and Eamonn Glynn, Tony Carmody and Clare minors, Niall Arthur and Haulie Vaughan, all due to injury.
Mark and Conor Earley, the O’Connors and Clive Earley battled hard for the losers.

Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Damian Lafferty, Jamie Davin, Milo Keane; Colm Pilkington, Ronan O’Looney, David Hegarty; Eoin Vaughan, Shane Griffin; Dermot Gannon, Cathal Lafferty, Gerard Arthur; Conor Tierney, Cathal Griffin, Brian Hehir.
Subs: Damian Hogan for Pilkington (62 minutes).
Scorers: Ger Arthur (1-3), Conor Tierney (0-3), Cathal Lafferty (0-2), Shane Griffin, Dermot Gannon, Eoin Vaughan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 14; wides: 13.
Bookings: None.
“It was a tough hard battle. The lads battled hard. We were down to the wire. We have a serious amount of injuries and we are glad not to be in the relegation battle,” Eugene Foudy, Inagh-Kilnamona manager.

Tubber: Ronan Taaffe; Eoin Ruane, Justin McMahon, Mark Earley; Tommy Lee, Conor Earley, Patrick O’Connor; Clive Earley, Barry O’Connor; Eamonn Taaffe, Shane O’Connor, Darragh O’Connor; Gerard O’Connor, Jack Neylon, David O’Donoghue.
Subs: Nigel O’Donoghue for Neylon (inj 26 minutes); Fergal O’Grady for D O’Connor (47 minutes).
Scorers: Eamonn Taaffe (0-5, 4f); Patrick O’Connor (1f), Barry O’Connor (0-2) each, Shane O’Connor, David O’Donoghue, Gerard O’Connor, Mark Earley (0-1 each).
Frees for: 12; wides: 9.
Bookings: none.
“The game could have gone either way and the goal early on seemed to have decided it. We were going fairly well until that score and we were then catching up. We didn’t have a shot at goal. They got a goal chance and they took it,” Pat O’Connor, Tubber manager.

Referee: Ambrose Heagney, Corofin.