Last gasp extra time penalty gets Colaiste Choilm out of jail in Offaly derby

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore certainly used up their nine lives as a last gasp penalty goal, right at the end of extra time, secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship in O'Connor Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship round of 16

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 2-7
St Mary's, Edenerry 1-8

The extra time had just drifted into injury time when Ryan Kenny showed nerves of steel to slot home the penalty, awarded for a foul on Cillian Bourke and Colaiste Choilm scraped through by the skin of their teeth.

They were trailing by a point at that stage in an absolutely compelling Offaly derby against St Mary's of Edenderry and staring a devastating defeat in the face. A defeat would have been a disaster for Colaiste Choilm, who were the better side in normal time and should have closed it out. They conceded three late points and that forced extra time, where it really was survival of the fittest, a pure battle of wits.

St Mary's were unlucky to lose in extra time. They were the better side in the second period and it looked like they had done enough to secure at least a penalty shootout but it was Colaiste Choilm who were celebrating at the end.

It was a horrible day for football with rain never letting up for the 80 minutes plus. Scores were at a premium throughout, there were plenty of mistakes but it made for very entertaining viewing and it is a tribute to both sides that they managed to serve up such a game.

It was nip and tuck almost the whole way with very little separating them. Taken in its entirety, Colaiste Choilm just about deserved to win but they would not have had a huge hard luck story if the Edenderry school took it. St Mary's showed tremendous character to get into a winning position and Colaiste Choilm's tackling and fouling was not good enough at times – it was easy to foul in such treacherous conditions but some of the frees they conceded were down to sloppiness.

Every score was hard earned from the throw in. Colaiste Choilm were 0-3 to 0-1 up coming up to half time and both sides had missed goal chances – Eoin Cully took an unnecessary bounce when through for St Mary's and Luke Bourke was unlucky to hit the post for Colaiste Choilm with his snap shot in the 26th minute. The outstanding Sean O'Haire gave St Mary's a 1-1 to 0-3 half time lead with a well taken 28th minute goal.

Cillian Lowry extended their advantage early in the second half with a free but then Colaiste Choilm took over. Cillian Martin gave them back the lead with a stunning 33rd minute goal, firing a rocket to the roof of the net after Cillian Bourke had broken forward. They controlled the game for the next fifteen minutes and led by 1-6 to 1-3 inside the last 10 minutes.

With the winning post in sight, Colaiste Choilm's error count increased. Tired legs were a factor and St Mary's got the closing three points through Sean O'Haire (two frees) and Luke O'Connor to force extra time, 1-6 each. O'Haire's final equaliser from a free way out on the left wing four minutes into time added on was breathtaking.

Both sides were running on fumes in extra time and they both made fierce mistakes. The only point in the first period was a great Niall Furlong score after a St Mary's error.

That gave Colaiste Choilm a 1-7 to 1-6 lead at the break. St Mary's equaliser from Mason Farrell in extra time came after Colaiste Choilm had given the ball away. Mark Whelan's point gave St Mary's the lead and it looked like the worst they would ensure would be a penalty shootout until that late drama – Ryan Kenny was absolutely right to go for the goal and not take the safe option of a point.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Sean O'Haire (St Mary's): Sean O'Haire had a fantastic game for St Mary's. He scored 1-2, 1-1 from play which was a huge contribution from midfield in those conditions. He was the single biggest reason St Mary's were so close to the win. The midfield battle was ferociously fought and Cillian Bourke was Colaiste Choilm's best player – Bourke was immense when Colaiste Choilm got on top in the second half and while he tired in extra time, he got forward to win the late penalty. St Mary's Mason Farrell and Colaiste Choilm's Ter Guinan, Gary Merriman, Jack Daly and Ryan Kenny also caught the eye while Niall Furlong came good for the winners when the pressure was really on.

THE SCORERS

Colaiste Choilm: Ryan Kenny 1-3 (goal from a penalty and 2f), Cillian Martin 1-0, Niall Furlong 0-2 (1f), Luke Bourke and Robbie Gallagher (mark) 0-1 each.

St Mary's: Sean O'Haire 1-2 (1f), Mark Whelan 0-3 (1f), Luke O'Connor, Mason Farrell and Cillian Lowry (f) 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

COLAISTE CHOILM, TULLAMORE: Sean Kavanagh; Brian Malone, Ryan Conway, James Kelly; Jack Daly, Ter Guinan, Gary Merriman; Cillian Martin, Cillian Bourke; Luke Bourke, Niall Furlong, Dan Bourke; Ryan Kenny, Robbie Gallagher, Adam McCarthy. Subs – Patrick Kenna for Malone, inj. (13m), Cian Malone for McCarthy (46m), Eoin Dunne for Merriman (58m), Ben Heffernan for Guinan (60m), Steven Doran for Daly (70m), Gary Merriman for Kelly (77m).

ST MARY'S, EDENDERRY: Eoin Sheehan; Eoin Smith, Ben Whelan, Harry Goulding; Cillian Lowry, Dylan Byrne, Ryan Rainey; Sean O'Haire, Cian Murphy; Jake Mooney, Luke O'Connor, Ryan Grace; Eoin Cully, Mason Farrell, Mark Whelan. Subs -

Referee – Jamie McDonald (Laois).

Footnote: St Mary's brought on a few subs but a mentor didn't identify them afterwards, telling a reporter that there was too many, so apologies for not having them listed.

REFEREE WATCH

Jamie McDonald does a lot of colleges games and he handled this well again. Condtions were a lottery and there were always going to be debatable decisions but he was fair and consistent, doing well to spot some pick ups. He did get one big call wrong, awarding a 14 metre free to Colaiste Choilm early in the second half for a foul on Robbie Gallagher – Gallagher was clearly inside the penalty area and once the whistle was blown for a foul, it should have been a penalty.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Ryan Kenny's penalty goal at the end was the one that mattered.

VENUE WATCH

It was good to see this game going ahead in O'Connor Park and fair play to the County Board for allowing it despite the bad weather conditions. The pitch does need a bit of work but this game was not going to be a problem with it getting a rest this weekend – it is only right that O'Connor Park be available for the really big colleges games involving Offaly schools. The scoreboard was not operated while there was only one umpire at each end, which was far from ideal.

WHAT'S NEXT

Colaiste Choilm go into the quarter-final draw.

STATISTICS

Wides: Colaiste Choilm – 9 (2 in first half, 4 in 2nd half, 1 in 1st half extra time, 2 in 2nd period); St Mary's – 8 (3 in first half, 5 in 2nd half, 0 in 1st period extra time, 0 in 2nd period ).

Yellow cards: Colaiste Choilm – 2 (Cillian Bourke, Cillian Martin); St Mary's – 3 (Cian Murphy, Harry Goulding, Eoin Smith).

Black cards: Colaiste Choilm – 0; St Mary's - 0

Red cards: 0