Gallagher's penalty heroics sees Cooley Kickhams advance to Intermediate Final

CTI Business Solutions Intermediate Championship Semi Final

COOLEY KICKHAMS 1-13 HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS 2-10 (AET)

Cooley Kickhams win 3-1 on Penalties

Frantic finish to a frenetic Saturday night’s drama in Clan na Gael Park where Cooley Kickhams prevailed against Hunterstown on penalty kicks long after the neutrals had gone home. Quite simply it was one on of the most memorable of intermediate semi-finals in quite a while.

James O’Reilly found the net after half time and thanks to the excellent Peter Thornton, Cooley were coasting. Six points up in injury time they looked like deserved winners; that was until Ryan Burns somehow conjured up extra time singlehandedly.

Out of nothing, Burns unleashed a stunning left footed shot that Neil Gallagher forced to clip the inside of the post to make it 1-8 to 1-11.

The tie continued and Burns had enough time to play a free kick short and with the return pass, he lofted the ball into the square.

Not the high raking ball you would typically see, but a dangerous ball to defend. It looked like Cooley got away with it when Jason Monaghan punched the ball off the crossbar, but the big midfielder was on hand to flick to the net and make it 1-11 to 2-8. Extra time. Cooley dazed. Hunterstown amazed.

Cooley were right to be stunned as they were much the better side and even with the lead at the finish they left the door ajar for Hunterstown with eight second half wides alone and four balls dropped short.

It was a collapse of gigantic proportions even by their maligned recent standards.

Colm Donnelly's Rovers side were now buzzing and Colm Nally's Cooley still looked confused. They were supposed to be preparing for a final. However, they did well to only concede one point from Tony McKenna in the opening period of extra time.

Burns looked to have won it with a stunning free, but it would be Brian White that would make the patrons march behind the Dunnes stores end for penalties.

Neil Gallagher used all his Dundalk FC experience to fill the goals and made three superb stops that would see his side into the Intermediate final for the second season running.

Next up for them a date with a rejuvenated St Kevin’s side this Sunday in Ardee (Throw in 4PM). After the heartbreak of last year, can they go one better in their search for the Seamus Flood Cup and a highly sought-after place in Senior Football? Only time will tell.

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COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Ronan McBride, Eoin McDaid, Dean McGreehan; James O’Reilly (1-2), Fearghal Malone, Gerry Malone (0-1); Richard Brennan, Darren Marks; Enda O’Neill, Patrick Johnston, Peter Thornton (0-1); Cian Connor (0-3, 0-1 free), Michael Rafferty (0-4, 0-2 frees), Michael Carron.  SUBS: Patrick Hanlon for G Malone (39), Brian White (0-2 frees) for Carron (46), Conor McGuinness for F Malone (58), F Malone for Johnston (ft) Aoghan McGuinness for Brennan (74), Declan Sheelan for O’Neill (80).

HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS: Niall Carrie; Martin Lennon, Patrick Taaffe, Adam O’Reilly; Shane Halpenny, Daithi Carroll (0-1), Alan Landy; Jason Monaghan (1-0), Tony McKenna (0-1); James Rogers, Glen Matthew (0-2), Davy Finn (0-1); Paul Carrie, Ryan Burns (1-5, 0-5 frees), Dean Burns. SUBS: Ryan Ward for Monaghan (42) Cillian Taaffe for Landy (48), Colm Murphy for Rogers (50), Marc Ward for R Ward (58), Monaghan for Halpenny (60), Halpenny for McKenna (HT of extra time), Brendan Lennon for Finn (84).

REF: Aidan Shevlin (Stabannon Parnells)