Grange snatch Championship win with dramatic late penalty
Shane Cormican from Grange celerates scoring his vital first half goal against Fenagh
A Henry Hegarty penalty deep into injury-time saw Grange take their first win of the Senior Football Championship at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
The first half was a busy affair with both sides playing a quick passing game. Right from the off, Grange threatened and Diarmaid Burrows opted to take an easy point when a goal chance presented itself at the scoreboard end of the ground.
Fenagh made full use of the steady breeze which favoured them. Ian Craddock and Padraig Hynes were involved when Zach O’Hara fisted in at the left hand post for their first goal.
Padraig Hynes scored a second Fenagh goal when Jack Treacy gave him the scoring pass close to the posts. That put his side 2-3 to 0-5 in front but the Grange reply was instant as Shane Cormican touched to the net after the Fenagh defence had been opened.
Just on half time, John Murphy converted an easy Grange free to leave Fenagh 2-7 to 1-7 ahead at the break.
The second half was a repeat of the opening thirty minutes where players committed themselves to attack. Pat Murphy scored a brilliant equalising goal when his shot dipped under the crossbar and into the net. Padraig Hynes pulled the strings for Fenagh and they looked set to go on and win when they went two points clear late on thanks to points from Padraic Kearney.
Grange rallied and John Murphy’s free narrowed their deficit to a single point. Last year’s intermediate champions came again and drew the penalty. Hegarty took on the responsibility and he beat the keeper with a shot to the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Fenagh had one chance to rescue their cause but when they didn’t take possession from the kick-out as their opponents took control and saw out the remaining seconds with relative ease.
H Hegarty 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2-45s 1-2p), J Murphy 0-4 (3fs), S Cormican 1-1, P Murphy 1-0, D Burrows, A Burrows 0-1 each Fenagh: P Hynes 1-4 (3fs), S Murphy 0-4 (1-2p), Z O’Hara 1-0, P Kearney 0-2, J Treacy, C Nolan, I Craddock 0-1 each.
Seamus Hegarty; Matthew Bird, Paddy Nolan, Tom Dillon; Vijay Egharevba, Henry Hegarty, Pat Murphy; Paddy Hickey, Cillian Murphy; Aidan Burrows, Ned Pender, Conor Nolan; Shane Cormican, John Murphy, Darragh Burrows. Subs: James Hickey for Nolan (45), Tadhg Walsh for P Murphy (52), Louis Kilcoyne for S Hegarty (55).
Pat Butler; Darragh Byrne, Jamie McCabe, Mark Dermody; Padraig O’Brien, Ian Craddock, Cormac Nolan; Tommy Bric, Sean Murphy; Cormac Lomax, Colin Byrne, Ben Collier; Jack Treacy, Padraig Hynes, Zach O’Hara. Subs: Ciaran Whelan for Collier (35), Jamie Wall for Nolan (44), Padraic Kearney for O’Hara (52), Eoin McDonagh for C Byrne (58).
Sean McCormack (Fighting Cocks)
