Daingean Uí Chúis 1-18 St Finbarr’s 0-20
A dramatic finish to the AIB Munster Senior Club Football Championship final saw Daingean Uí Chúis claim a maiden title after Conor Geaney fired over a two-point score at the death to defeat St Finbarr’s at Semple Stadium.
Time was up when the corner-forward curled the ball over the bar from a free, and that completed a comeback that saw the Kerry side overcome a seven-point deficit at the beginning of the second half.
The full-time result ends a remarkable year that saw Daingean Uí Chúis end a 77-wait to lift the Bishop Moynihan Cup, and this sets up a meeting with Ballyboden St Enda’s in the All-Ireland semi-finals on the first weekend of January.
St Finbarr’s will be left holding their heads after going into the break with a healthy 0-14 to 1-06 advantage and an inspired Steven Sherlock, with the forward finishing the afternoon with 0-16 in his personal record book, including six orange flags.
A Paul Geaney goal in the 15th minute helped Daingean Uí Chúis stay within touching distance by making it 0-08 to 1-04, and Mark O’Connor levelled things shortly after.
Daingean Uí Chúis captain Paul Geaney with the cup
The Blues finished the opening half with a flourish, with Brian Hayes getting his first of the game and Sherlock kicked his fourth two-pointer, this one from play. The forward got one more before the break, in addition to raising a white flag from play, which gave the Cork champions all the momentum when the referee blew the short whistle.
Daingean Uí Chúis came back out and Dylan Geaney scored twice in quick succession, just before St Finbarr’s rattled off 0-04, a haul that included another Sherlock two-pointer, this one from a free.
That meant it was 0-18 to 1-08 in favour of the Cork side after 37 minutes, and that was the moment when things shifted over the border and towards south-west Kerry.
A Conor Geaney free started the comeback, followed quickly by Dylan Geaney two-pointer. Tom O’Sullivan continued this streak from his position at corner-back, and Hayes replied with what turned out to be St Finbarr’s final score in the 49th minute.
St Finbarr’s Sam Ryan tackled by Conor Geaney and Paul Geaney
Dylan Geaney kept things ticking over, to reduce the gap down by one, and the forward followed this up with an orange flag from a free that made it 0-20 to 1-16 as the referee signalled three minutes of added time.
St Finbarr’s had chances, as they tried to turn a prolonged spell in possession into an insurance score.
However, there was a dramatic and controversial twist.
As Finbarr’s sought to play keep-ball, Ian Maguire was penalised for over-carrying under severe pressure and then the ball was contentiously marched up 50 metres after Dylan Quinn was deemed to have delayed the free by picking up the loose ball.
This left a kickable free just outside the arc, Conor Geaney floating it over the bar to edge the Kerry champions in front with no time remaining.
The forward’s name was immortalised in his home parish, just as the celebrations by the supporters that made the three hour journey to Thurles were getting underway.
Daingean Uí Chúis: Gavin Curran; Brian O’Connor, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Tom O’Sullivan (0-2); Aidan O’Connor, Conor Flannery, Patrick O’Connor; Mark O’Connor (0-1), Billy O’Connor; Tadhg Browne, Paul Geaney (1-2, 1f), Dylan Geaney (0-9, 2 2pt, 2f); Conor Geaney (0-4, 2f, 1 2pt from free), Matthew Flaherty, Niall Geaney.
Subs: Ned Ryan for B O’Connor (40), Mikey Geaney for Browne (48), Cathal Bambury for Flaherty (59).
St Finbarr’s: Darragh Newman; Billy Hennessy, Luke Hannigan (0-1), Sam Ryan; Enda Dennehy, Alan O’Connor, Ciarán Doolan; Ian Maguire, Brian Hayes (0-2); William Buckley, Steven Sherlock (0-16, 6 2pts, 4 2pts from frees), Conor Dennehy; John Wiggington Barrett (0-1), Ethan Twomey, Ricky Barrett.
Subs: Eoin McGreevey for Barrett (40); Cillian Myres Murray for Twomey (55); Dylan Quinn for Wiggington Barrett (55).
Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare)