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Killeshin 1-13 Arles-Killeen 0-15
Laois Shopping Centre SFC Round 2
Killeshin are through to the Laois SFC quarter-finals for the third year running following a dramatic victory over Arles-Killeen in O’Moore Park today.
They trailed by four points with eight minutes remaining and were down to 14 men from early in the second half – but they clawed their way back into the game and Gavin Brennan’s brilliant injury time goal proved the winner.
It was a game that swung one way and then the next – with all sorts of drama and multiple cards of every colour.
Sean O’Shea put Arles-Killeen into the lead in the first minute with a nice point from play, though that was instantly cancelled out by county man Eoin Lowry at the other end and then Jeremy Mahon came up from corner-back to fire over an impressive effort.
A Donie Kingston free and another from Sean O’Shea edged Killeen back into the lead but Killeshin got the next three – two from Eoin Lowry (one free) and one from Laois U-20 player Michael Doran.
Ian Scully and Pat Doyle then swapped nice points from play before two in a row from Paul Kingston – who switched in and out from full-forward to midfield with his brother Donie throughout the first half – hit two in a row to bring the sides level coming up to half time.
But a fourth from Eoin Lowry, when there was a slight chance of a goal, sent Killeshin in at the break leading by 0-7 to 0-6.
The second half was packed with sideshows and bits of scraps.
Paul Kingston and Sean O’Shea got the first two points of the half to put Killeen back into the lead but with Ross Bolger, Cathal Brennan and Eoin Lowry (free) hitting the next three for Killeshin it looked as if they might kick on.
But the game turned on its head five minutes into the second hald when Mark McDermott was red-carded for Killeshin after picking up two yellow cards in less than 30 seconds – both for clashes with Shane Julian.
And Killeen were outraged when Killeshin weren’t reduced to 13 moments later when Julian was clobbered with an off-the-ball shoulder by Cathal Brennan.
But from that point on Killeen took over scoring five points in a row to go three clear. Donie Kingston got three of them, Paul Kingston one and Shane Julian the other after a lovely pass from Jason Enright.
Michael Doran pulled one back for Killeshin but that was instantly cancelled out by Ian Scully when he palmed over from close range and Sean O’Shea’s fourth point from play put Killeen four up in the 52nd minute.
Amazingly Killeen wouldn’t score again as Killeshin came roaring back.
Two Lowry points got them back within two, the second as the game entered the four minutes of injury time.
And then they struck for the crucial goal. Lowry brilliantly won possession and chipped a nice pass across to Gavin Brennan coming through the middle.
He backed himself and shot low and hard past Paul McDonald in the Killeen goals.
The Killeshin crowd went crazy and though sub James Davis got a black card for a pull down on Donie Kingston, they held on and won by a point.
They now go straight through to the quarter-finals while Killeen play in Round 3 in two weeks time.
SCORERS – Arles-Killeen: Sean O’Shea 0-4, Donie Kingston 0-4 (three frees), Paul Kingston 0-4, Ian Scully 0-2, Shane Julian 0-1. Killeshin: Eoin Lowry 0-7 (three frees), Gavin Brennan 1-0 , Michael Doran 0-2, Jeremy Mahon 0-1, Pat Doyle 0-1, Cathal Brennan 0-1, Ross Bolger 0-1
ARLES-KILLEEN: Paul McDonald; Brian Kennedy, Joe Mulhare, James Mahon; Shane Julian, Niall O’Rourke, Enda O’Rourke; Donie Kingston, Paul Kingston; John Mahon, Donie Brennan, Conor Keightley; Brendan O’Shea, Sean O’Shea, Ian Scully. Subs: Dermot Julian for B O’Shea (black card – 16), Jason Enright for Kennedy (35), Cathal Moran O’Brien for Mahon (injured – 44)
KILLESHIN: Shane Coakley; Jeremy Mahon, Kevin Ryan, Keelan Galligan; Pauric Bolton, Stephen Attride, Arnie Mahon; Brian Lowry, Gavin Brennan; Pat Doyle, Michael Doran, David Aston; Ross Bolger, Cathal Brennan, Eoin Lowry. Subs: Mark McDermott for B Lowry (injured – 26), Luke Attride for Doyle (45), James Davis for Bolton (51), Fionn Maher for L Attride (injured – 56), Pat Doyle for Davis (black card – 62)
REFEREE: Seamus Mulhare (The Heath)
SEE ALSO – Check out all the Laois SFC coverage here
