Late drama but the 'Pass hold on

Milltownpass 1-7, St Michael's 1-4

A pulsating and fairly evenly contested Féile football Division 2 final in Cusack Park on Sunday last came down almost to the final play of the ball. With the game in added time, Milltownpass held sway, but St Michael's almost got the goal they needed to level this entertaining match.

Alas it was not to be and the final whistle came to Milltownpass' rescue somewhat. That being said, the victors dominated this game for the largest part but were heavily reliant on captain Dean Kelly who scored six of their seven points on the day and even with a visible injury, was easily the stand-out player in this final. St Michael's, the Ballycomoyle/CFCW combination showed great grit and determination throughout, but found scores hard to come by and that in the end was their Achilles heel. It was Kelly who raised the trophy aloft at the end of a very entertaining game in difficult conditions.

Dean Kelly opened the scoring and indeed had thee excellent points on the board, all from play as Milltownpass lorded the opening exchanges, but all that good work was undone when Lorcan Masterson and Dylan Gaffney combined for Kody McCormack to level with a well-taken goal. Sixty seconds later, though, heroics from Elton O’Leary in the St Michael's goal could still not prevent Liam O’Brien from netting a major for the 'Pass, after Kelly was denied by the crossbar. And when the latter added his fourth point of the game the Black and Whites had regained control.

Masterson was denied by the bottom of the post for a second St Michael’s goal after a terrific solo effort, but Ben Loran pointed a free for Milltownpass and they led by 1-5 to 1-0 at the break.

Kelly added two more to his tally on the restart, both eye-catching scores, and at this stage the game looked up for the combination side, but they knuckled down to their task and with Masterson outstanding at midfield, they began to chip away at the lead. Masterson led the fightback with a wonderful score before two Dylan Gaffney frees had the margin down to four points. Right now the saints had all the momentum and when McCormack scored a beauty from almost on the sideline, it really was game on.

St Michael's were pressing hard with wind advantage and coming home with a wet sail as Milltownpass began to run out of steam. Substitute Harry McCormack looked to have levelled the tie but saw his shot slide just left of the post and at this stage it was 'backs to the wall' stuff for a very beleaguered Milltownpass side that were holding on.

A late free saw the ball hop around in the small square but no one in a St Michael’s shirt could get the all-important touch and how fitting it was that Dean Kelly cleared the lines as it was he who had led his side to a very memorable victory that had the large attendance on their feet up to the final whistle.

Scorers - Milltownpass: Dean Kelly 0-6, Liam O’Brien 1-0, Ben Loran 0-1 (free). St. Michaels: Kody McCormack 1-1, Dylan Gaffney 0-2 frees, Lorcan Masterson 0-1.

Panels - Milltownpass: Sean Mullen, Sean Wright, Shane Gavin, Dylan Gammell, Luke McDonnell, Shane Farrell, Jude Murtagh, Dean Kelly, Jason Moran, Liam O’Brien, David Flood, Brian Donoghue, Tadhg Kenna, Conor Earley, Jamie O’Reilly, Sam Corrigan, Sean Whelan, Stephen Smyth, Ben Loran.

St. Michaels: Elton O’Leary, Luke Briody, Luka Wong, Jack Moran, Oisheen Egan, Conor Williams, Joseph Mulvey, Lorcan Masterson, Cailim Byrne, Kody McCormack, Dylan Gaffney, Will Cassidy, Billy Ginnell, Daniel Boyle, Conor McGrath, Odhran Devine, Kyle Carthy, Adam Fagan, Eoin Smyth, Danny Ginnell, Harry McCormack, Will Keogh.

Referee: Vinny Cox (Rosemount).