Late goal sees Mills go through

O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-17
Smith O’Brien’s
AS Rory Hickey and his officials left the field at Scariff on Saturday afternoon, they heard the roars of Killaloe men ringing in their ears.

Players and officials of the South-East Clare club were audibly angry about the decision to allow an injury-time goal by Declan Donovan that denied them victory. In their eyes, it had been a square ball but after consulting with his umpires, the referee allowed the score to stand and it was that moment which decided an entertaining game.
Coming out second best was a little hard on Smith O’Brien’s, who fought their way back from a nine-point deficit to take a late lead and who had also suffered the loss of Pat Ahern with a horrific ankle injury. The injury came shortly after 17 minutes and it saw the game delayed by seven minutes.
Smith O’Brien’s started the game quite well and had three of the first four points, with full-forward, Shane O’Brien, looking threatening and showing an ability to bring his colleagues into play when the ball found him.
But the momentum shifted quite quickly and despite the positive Smith O’Brien’s start, for much of the rest of the half it looked like Adrian Flaherty could single-handedly get the scores to propel his side into the quarter-finals.
Flaherty got his sides first point and in the 12th minute, he sent a 21’ to the net, leaving the score at 1-1 to 0-4. They added another four points before their second goal came in the 29th minute, James McMahon finishing after a good run and hand pass from Niall Donovan.
There were more than 10 minutes of injury time played at the end of the opening period and following the second goal, Flaherty rattled off five points, with Liam Walsh having the only reply for Smith O’Brien’s. However, in the closing two minutes points first Pat Vaughan and then O’Brien had points, O’Brien’s score coming when a goal looked possible.
That left the half-time score at 2-10 to 0-9 for the Mills, and they were very definitely in the ascendancy.
The first six points of the second half were evenly divided between the sides and still Smith O’Brien’s didn’t look like they’d challenge strongly for victory.
Ten minutes in, they were given some hope. A free in was awarded to the Killaloe side but dissent from the O’Callaghan’s Mills rearguard saw the ball brought to the 21’. The free was turned into a goal chance and Liam Walsh took advantage, sending a low shot beyond the massed defenders.
That brought the gap to four, and a minor from Seán Conway brought the score to 2-13 to 1-13, with 16 minutes left.
Points from Flaherty and wing-back Brian Donnellan pushed the Mills ahead again but the Killaloe side brought it back to four before sub, Kevin Walsh, started making his presence felt. Three points from him cut the gap back to one, 2-16 to 1-18, before James McMahon replied with one for the Mills.
The Killaloe men had been behind for over half an hour but with less than three and a half minutes left, they took the lead.
Walsh was cutting in from the right but he sent what seemed a harmless delivery into the goalmouth. However, the ball ended up in the net after it was misjudged by John Cooney, and improbably Smith O’Brien’s led by 2-18 to 2-17.
The main twists and turns were still coming and the losers were off target with two attempts, which would have doubled their advantage. At the other side of the field, the Mills won a 65’ but Flaherty dropped it short.
However, there was time for another turn. Conor Cooney had a chance to level it, but his delivery went into the goal mouth and after a scramble, the ball was in the net.
It was the deciding moment of the contest and ultimately it put the Mills into the quarter-finals, despite the intense Killaloe protests.
The winners had good performances from Ger Frost, Brian Donnellan, Conor Cooney and Adrian Flaherty. Smith O’Brien’s were well served by Seamus Gleeson, Shane O’Brien, Seán Conway and Kevin Walsh.

Smith O’Brien’s: Mark McInerney; Michael Flynn, Seamus Gleeson, Brian McInerney; Paul McKeogh, Shane Tuohy, Ian O’Halloran; Pat Ahern, John Cusack; Anthony Sullivan, Pat Vaughan, Seán Conway; Michael Ryan, Shane O’Brien, Liam Walsh.
Subs: Trevor Howard for Pat Ahern (inj), Willie Neary for Brian McInerney and Kevin Walsh for Anthony Sullivan.
Scorers: Liam Walsh (1-4, 1-3f), Kevin Walsh (1-3), Shane O’Brien (0-3), Seán Conway (0-3), Michael Ryan, John Cusack, Anthony Sullivan, Pat Vaughan, Willie Neary (all 0-1).
Wides:7; Frees for:11; 65s: 2
“We’re very disappointed. It was a good second-half performance and some of our players were adamant that the last goal was a square ball but we had enough chances to win it anyway. We’re very grateful to the Mills physio and their officials for their help with the injury,” Brendan Foley, Smith O’Brien’s selector.

O’Callaghan’s Mills: John Cooney; Ger Frost, James Shanahan, Gerry Cooney; Patrick Donnellan, Diarmuid Hehir, Brian Donnellan; Conor Cooney, Kevin McHugh; James McMahon, Declan Donovan, Fergus Donovan; Adrian Flaherty, Adrian Donovan, Niall Donovan.
Subs: Jonathan Lyons for Fergus Donovan, Gary Neville for James Shanahan, Alan Duggan for Kevin McHugh.
Scorers: Adrian Flaherty (1-11, 1-5f), James McMahon 1-1, Declan Donovan (1-0), Conor Cooney (0-2), Adrian Donovan, Fergus Donovan, Brian Donnellan (all 0-1).
Wides: 9; Frees for: 14; ‘65s: 1
“We were well up at half time but we nearly let it slip. We stayed hurling, we got the break and we were relieved. It’s the first time for a good few years that we’ve been in the quarter-finals,” Peter Carmody O’Callaghan’s Mills manager.

Referee: Rory Hickey (Éire Óg).