Gavigan wins intermediate title for St Malachy’s with last-gasp free

St Malachy's 1-9 Milltownpass 0-11

It was very much a case of déjà vu in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday afternoon as an enthralling Westmeath intermediate football championship final ended with Morgan Gavigan replicating his semi-final heroics against Tubberclair by converting a last-gasp placed ball to edge St Malachy’s past Milltownpass.

The new champions bridged a ten-year gap in truly dramatic fashion. A minimum of three minutes’ added-time had been called with the sides on level terms, and in the third of these Milltownpass’ Shane Corcoran – ironically, the respective number 11s shared the same name – was deemed to have touched the ball on the ground. Gavigan duly defied the miserable conditions to coolly dissect the posts. After the ensuing kick-out, the referee blew the final whistle to the unbridled delight of the winners and bitter disappointment of the losers.

A large crowd was in attendance despite the inclement weather to hear Grace Nic Domhnaill from The Downs singing Amhrán na bhFiann prior to the throw-in of this eagerly-awaited decider which saw team mates from the 1995 All-Ireland minor champions wearing the bainisteoir bibs of their adopted clubs – Kenny McKinley (St Loman’s, Mullingar, in charge of St Malachy’s) and David Martin (Maryland, managing Milltownpass)

Liam Brennan teed up his fellow-corner forward Brandon Kelly who fisted the game’s opening score after 80 seconds, but David Lynch equalised from a tricky free taken from his hands just over a minute later. A swirling breeze was favouring the Dysart-based outfit and they pounced for an unanswered 1-1 by the eighth minute, via a Morgan Gavigan free (from the ground) and a fine goal from midfielder Johnny Bermingham (after good approach work by Jack Gallagher and the impressive Corcoran).

Brennan soon converted a free from the ground at the other end before his colleague Liam O’Reilly scuffed a decent chance of a soccer-style goal. Niall O’Brien availed of a superb delivery from Lynch to slot over a 13th-minute ‘mark’, but Evan Gorman cancelled this out with a very good left-footed free conversion for the men in white and black.

Wides ensued at both ends, but Milltownpass had the deficit down to the bare minimum by the 26th minute courtesy of a point apiece from the boots of Shane Corcoran (who was twice involved in the score) and Gorman (who just squeezed the ball on target from a needlessly-conceded free). Lynch doubled his tally from frees in the 29th minute, leaving St Malachy’s ahead by 1-4 to 0-5 at the interval.

The lively Shane Corcoran was almost in on goal for the men in red and black within 20 seconds of the resumption of play. The losers were on level terms with 33 minutes on the clock via points from O’Reilly (a great score under pressure) and Gorman (a free). However, the champions-elect moved into a useful three-point lead by the 42nd minute, the ever-threatening Corcoran being fouled for a free which Lynch converted, before adding a quality brace from play himself to put St Malachy’s ahead by 1-7 to 0-7 approaching the end of the third quarter.

A routine free from Brennan and a fabulous angled point by Kelly left just a point between two evenly-matched sides. Great work by Corcoran teed up sub Darren Ruane who shot weakly for the winners before Lynch converted a tricky free to double his side’s lead in the 49th minute. Milltownpass spurned a couple of good point-scoring opportunities, but they eventually got their shooting boots on towards the end of normal time with a point each from Gavin Glennon (after a one-two with Corcoran) and Kelly (a wonderful individual effort).

A replay looked certain until the last-gasp drama which saw Gavigan emerge as the St Malachy’s hero with his ice-cool free conversion. Moments after the final whistle, Barry Nea red-carded Milltownpass’ corner back Alan Farrell.

When calm was restored, it was fittingly Morgan Gavigan who received the Peter Geraghty Cup from Frank Mescall, the chairman of the Westmeath County Board.

Scorers – St Malachy’s: D Lynch 0-4 (4f), J Bermingham 1-0, S Corcoran, M Gavigan (2f) 0-2 each, N O’Brien 0-1 (m). Milltownpass: E Gorman (3f), B Kelly 0-3 each, L Brennan 0-2 (2f), L O’Reilly, G Glennon, S Corcoran 0-1 each.

St Malachy’s: Alan Mangan; Eoin Kiernan, Aaron Glennon, Naoise McKenna; David Lynch, Peter Murphy, Aonghus Clarke; Shane Clavin, Johnny Bermingham; Cian Gavigan, Shane Corcoran, Morgan Gavigan; Jack Gallagher, Niall O’Brien, David Maloney. Subs used: Darren Ruane for C Gavigan (40) Conor Murphy for Gallagher (54).

Milltownpass: Ruiarí Coyne; Michael McCormack, Niall Manning, Alan Farrell; Liam O’Reilly, Noel O’Reilly, Gavin Glennon; Sam Duncan, Shane Flanagan; Liam Gorman, Shane Corcoran, Tony Loftus; Liam Brennan, Evan Gorman, Brandon Kelly. Sub used: David Manning for N Manning (h-t).

Ref: Barry Nea (Killucan).