Flanagan free-kick fires Killeigh into final
Offaly side advance after extra time
A dramatic ending in a pulsating cup tie saw Killeigh despatch Premier league opposition St Peter’s with a last minute free-kick from Dara Flanagan in McCarthy Park, Athlone.
CCFL U19 Counties Cup semi-final
Killeigh 4
St Peter’s 3 (AET)
That was the conclusion of a highly dramatic final five minutes when Killeigh, reduced to 10-men for much of the second half and extra-time, conceded a penalty with the game poised at 3-3.
However, Michael McAndrew denied Sean Whittaker to get down low to save spectacularly and set up a most unlikely comeback.
Minutes later, Killeigh broke down the field and Robert Burns was fouled for a free well outside the penalty box.
Dara Flanagan stepped up after almost 110 minutes of football and unleashed a pile-driver into the bottom corner to spark delirious celebrations for Killeigh.
It had been an end-to-end and highly entertaining game. St. Peter’s, operating in a division above Killeigh, had been one up after a penalty was converted by Whittaker in the first 45 minutes of a very evenly balanced contest.
Killeigh responded well in the second half and Flanagan equalised early in that half. It got better for Killeigh when a superb through ball from Burns was finished to the net by Fionn Malone.
However, Killeigh had their backs to the wall after that when the excellent Cormac O’Grady was sent off for a second yellow card.
They couldn’t hold out in ordinary time as substitute Junior Miranda powered a header from a corner to the back of the net to draw level at 2-2.
Killeigh managed to take the game to extra time but it was looking like a cup exit when Tadgh Heavin got on the end of a cross to head a third goal for St Peter's in that first half of extra time to put St Peter’s 3-2 up.
Killeigh had been denied a goal when Lucas O’Meara latched onto a through ball to finish to the net in that first half of extra time. It was ruled out for offside, much to the consternation of the Killeigh bench who felt he had expertly timed his run and was behind the defence when the ball was played.
In the final 10 minutes of extra-time, O’Meara was taken down in a one-on-one situation to be further denied another opportunity.
He was not to be denied a third time though and finished brilliantly from the right wing with seven minutes remaining to set up a grandstand final few minutes.
Killeigh now await the winners of the top two Premier league sides, Edenderry and Tullamore, after a remarkable cup run with every tie played away from home.
They also have a CCFL Division 1 League Final decider against Birr in Gallen on Saturday evening to look forward to in what has been a memorable season so far.
Killeigh FC U19s: Michael McAndrew, Cormac O’Grady, Matt Cleary, Sean Dunne, AJ Daly, Oisin Carroll, Diarmuid Power, Michael Gilligan, Dara Flanagan, Cian Multaney-Kelly, Fionn Malone, Willie Cronly, Robert Burns, Lucas O’Meara, Tiago Smith, Mark Thornton, Jamie Mulpeter, Michael Dunne.