Late Cartin free denies Na Magha as Banagher survive championship scare
Leadon Timber Frame Junior Hurling Championship
What was expected to be a routine victory for Banagher at Owenbeg on Saturday turned out to be anything but as it took a free with the last puck of the game by Darragh Cartin to prevent extra time against Na Magha.
Defeat was tough on the city men who trailed by 10 points after 22 minutes but battled back to close the margin considerably by half time, even if the outcome still looked to be on Banagher’s terms. Inspired by Deaglan Foley, Na Magha gradually reduced the Banagher lead. A goal three minutes into the second half by Aidan Cutliffe reduced Banagher’s seven point lead down to four and opened up the game considerably.
The winning factor for Banagher was a three goal burst between the 16th and 22nd minutes when the Na Magha defence struggled to deal with the high ball played in by the more direct Banagher midfield. It would have been easy for the city side to hoist the white flag but they never wavered.
Na Magha faced the chilling breeze in the first half but had started brightly with Foley, Michael Lynch and Tim Rankin giving them an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead. Newcomer Ryan McGrath reduced the Na Magha lead but on 12 minutes Lynch made the score 0-4 to 0-2.
When Ryan McAdams put the city team 0-5 to 0-2 in front there were hints of a shock but a brace of frees from Liam Eoin Campbell and another McGrath point levelled the game.
Then the aerial bombardment started with Callum O’Kane finishing a Cartin free to the net. A converted Campbell free was followed in by McGrath who hit a ground shot to the net. A brilliant sideline cut from Shane Murphy made the score 2-6 to 0-5 and it got worse for Na Magha two minutes later when Oisin McCloskey finished a Ciaran Lynch cross to the net for a 10 point lead.
The energetic Padraig Nelis, with a fine solo point, lifted the Na Magha spirits but not for long as Ciaran Lynch and McGrath made the score 3-8 to 0-6. The cool head of Foley settled Na Magha’s efforts and his three converted frees left the half time score 3-8 to 0-10.
Cutliffe’s goal on the resumption gave Na Magha a real boost and when Lynch sent over a fine score on 35 minutes it was back to a three point game.
The free taking of Darragh Cartin was central to Banagher’s narrow victory. He pointed two efforts either side of one from Foley and at the three quarter stage another of the corner forward’s frees left the eventual winners 3-11 to 1-12 in front
Another two points from the outstanding Foley left just three between them with 13 minutes remaining.
Callum O’Kane, from a near impossible angle, and Michael Lynch from a free kept the game open to either team before Foley followed the Lynch free to leave it a two point game with five minutes remaining. A defence splitting move finished with a Ryan McAdams point and the Banagher lead was down to one.
When a score was needed Foley was the man. From well over 50m he steadied himself and levelled the game with just one of the three added minutes remaining. With extra time on the horizon O’Kane was needlessly fouled and Darragh Carton sent over the match winning free from the stand side to get Banagher off the hook.
Banagher scorers: Darragh Cartin (0-5,4f’65), Ryan McGrath(1-2), Callum O’Kane (1-1), Oisin McCloskey (1-0), Liam Eoin Campbell (0-3,2f), Shane Murphy (0-1f) and Ciaran Lynch (0-1).
Na Magha scorers: Deaglan Foley (0-11,9f) ,Michael Lynch (0-3,1f) Aidan Cutliffe (1-00), Ryan McAdams (0-2), Tim Rankin and Padraig Nelis (0-1) each.
Banagher: Darrell McDermott, Senan Lockhart, Darragh McCloskey, Cathal O’Kane, Gabriel Farren, Brian Og McGilligan, Shane Murphy, Steafan McCloskey, Cathair McGilligan, Liam Eoin Campbell, Callum O’Kane, Ciaran Lynch, Darragh Cartin, Oisin McCloskey, Ryan McGrath. (Subs) Reece Armstrong for C Lynch and Fiontan McGilligan for L Cambell both (ht). Kian Biggs for R Armstrong (50).
Na Magha: Alan Grant, Lorcan Doherty, Odhran Clenaghan, Aaron Campbell, Oisin Glass, Deaglan Foley, Mark McCloskey, Padraig Nelis, Ruaidhri McLaughlin, Michael Lynch, Bliadhan Glass, Aidan Cutliffe, Fergal Cutliffe Tim Rankin, Ryan McAdams. Subs Brendan Quigley for F Cutliffe (ht), Diarmuid Shiels for L Doherty (inj (40), Fergal Cutliffe for M McCloskey (inj 52).
Referee: Ciaran O’Kane (Swatragh)