Relieved Ferbane get out of jail as gutted Clara miss great chance

A MIGHTILY relieved Ferbane scraped into the semi-finals of the Offaly Senior Football Championship with a dramatic one point win in O'Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Ferbane 2-16

Clara 2-15

In an extraordinary, nerve tingling game of football, Ferbane were staring a devastating exit in the face when they trailed by two points two minutes into injury time. It looked like they were beaten but they then snatched three points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The result was desperate hard luck on a very brave Clara and Ferbane were quite blessed to get away with the win, even if they might have been marginally the better side over the hour plus.

The game turned on a moment that Clara will look back on with regret. Sub Barry Egan should have gathered the ball over on the stand sideline in the 62nd minute and with numbers forward, Clara may have inflicted damage. Instead Egan delayed fatally, the ball crept out over the sideline and Ferbane swept forward for Cian Johnson to reduce arrears to the minimum with a point. A minute later Kevin Nugent fired over an excellent equaliser from distance and with 63 minutes played, it looked like extra time.

Instead another minute was played, Ferbane attacked again and Cian Johnson won a free well out on the left sideline. It was from a difficult angle but Shane Nally came forward and floated over a delightful winner off the ground. The final whistle went from the resultant kickout and Clara had no time to respond.

It was a sensational end to the game of the championship and Clara were within a hair's breath of producing the shock of the season. They showed great bravery to come back from the dead in the second half and their performance merited extra time at least.

Having said that, there was a long time when Ferbane were in cruise control. They had finished powerfully in the first half to lead by 2-8 to 0-8 in the second half and they had the measure of Clara for the third quarter. Pa Smith had got an early second half point for Clara and they were very unfortunate when Josh Fleming rattled the crossbar moments later – at the other end, Cian Johnson missed a great goal chance for Ferbane, drawing a good save from Joey Deehan.

Cormac Delaney's free made it a four point game but then Ferbane got going again. They got three on the trot to lead by 2-11 to 0-10 after 40 minutes and Clara did look a beaten docket.

The game changed as Ferbane conceded two shocking defensive goals. The first came from Pa Smith in the 42nd minute when Michael Wren and Conor Butler got their wires crossed as they went to gather the ball. That goal alone didn't mean a whole lot but Cormac Delaney added a point and in the 46th minute, Ferbane conceded another soft goal. This time Adam Nugent didn't claim a half blocked shot from Graham Guilfoyle and Marcas Dalton, who got a red card rescinded to play, punched to the net.

Suddenly it was a draw match, 2-11 each and Clara smelt blood. Josh Fleming had a bad wide from a mark – he should have took another few seconds before shooting - while Graham Guilfoyle almost got in for a goal and could have had a penalty as Ferbane defenders rushed him. However, Clara were all over them and piled forward relentlessly. Cormac Delaney, outstanding in the second half, got a free to put them ahead in the 52nd minute and Guilfoyle put them two ahead.

Bernard Corcoran's fine point settled Ferbane's frayed nerves but Clara came again. Delaney fired over a sensational point and Matthew Mitchell also got an excellent score to put them three ahead, 2-15 to 2-12 with four minutes left. Victory was within touching distance but they couldn't sustain it and Ferbane to their credit showed great character with that late rally.

Cian Johnson's performance was hugely influential for Ferbane in the first half. When most of his team mates were struggling to get up to the pace of the game and to match Clara's intensity, he kept them in it.

After an quick Ross Brady free, he got a brilliant goal after one minute 45 seconds, nipping inside the Clara covering and finishing with his old confidence. He also won the first three frees for Ferbane's first three points and only for him, they could have been in trouble.

Clara were excellent in the first 20 minutes. Playing their best football of the year, they took the game to Ferbane, clearly relishing the challenge of being underdogs. Ross Brady got four frees, a couple of them tricky ones and fine points from play from Josh Fleming and Graham Guilfoyle helped them to a fully deserved 0-8 to 1-3 lead after 20 minutes.

It could have been better for them as Cormac Delaney's shot for a point in the 17th minute, dropped short, bounced off the cross bar and also hit the post before being cleared – it was very close to being across the line and a look at the footage of the incident will be interesting.

Clara were clearly the better team up to the 20th minute but then Ferbane found their A game. Cathal Flynn finished very well for a very good 22nd minute goal with Jack Clancy giving the final pass. Suddenly Ferbane went on a spree and Clara were gasping for air. Joe Maher, Johnson, Leon Fox, Paddy Clancy and Kevin Nugent pointed to give them a 2-8 to 0-8 half time lead and they had one foot in the semi-final.

On the day, Michael Wren, despite not covering himself in glory for the first Clara goal, Leon Fox, Kevin Nugent, Cian Johnson and Joe Maher were instrumental in Ferbane surviving. Clara won't want plaudits and being patted on the back but they can be so proud of the way they played. Marcas Dalton, Carl Stewart, Ross Brady, Graham Guilfoyle, Pa Smith and Cormac Delaney drove them to within a fraction of a famous win but in the long term, this performance may change a lot of things for Clara who are just back out of senior “B” football.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cian Johnson (Ferbane): It was not a flawless performance by Johnson but it was great to see him back in-form after a long battle with injury. He got 1-3 and was a major factor in Ferbane winning. He started and finished powerfully and could have scored at least another goal and a point – his work rate could be higher when he doesn't win the ball but Johnson is showing signs of getting his best game back.

THE SCORERS

Ferbane: Cian Johnson 1-3, Joe Maher 0-6 (4f), Cathal Flynn 1-0, Kevin Nugent 0-2, Leon Fox, Shane Nally (f), Paddy Clancy, Darragh Flynn and Bernard Corcoran 0-1 each.

Clara: Pa Smith 1-2, Ross Brady (4f) and Cormac Delaney (2f) 0-4 each, Graham Guilfoyle 0-2, Carl Stewart, Matthew Mitchell, Josh Fleming 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

FERBANE: Adam Nugent; Michael Wren, Conor Butler, Jack Egan; Shane Nally, Leon Fox, David Nally; Kevin Nugent, Kieran McManus; Paddy Clancy, Jack Clancy, Cathal Flynn; Cian Johnson, Joe Maher, Darragh Flynn. Subs – Bernard Corcoran for Darragh Flynn (48m), Sean Flynn for Clancy (53m).

CLARA: Joey Deehan; Alan Gavin, John Ledwith, Lorcan Hiney; Carl Stewart, Marcas Dalton, Lee Tierney; Ed Cullen, Ross Brady; Seamus O'Brien, Cormac Delaney, Adam Kelly; Josh Fleming, Graham Guilfoyle, Pa Smith. Subs – Cathal O'Meara for Hiney (36m), Matthew Mitchell for Cullen (39m), Barry Egan for O'Brien (44m), David Fleming for Smith (55m), Alex Egan for Stewart (58m).

Referee – Eamon O'Connor (Ballycommon).

REFEREE WATCH

Eamon O'Connor was a busy man in a close, hard hitting game of football. Both sides will have quibbled with some decisions and Clara felt Graham Guilfoyle should have got a second half penalty, though Ferbane would not have been happy if it was given – it was one of those 50-50 calls that can go either way. There were debatable decisions but he was fair and these balanced out.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Shane Nally's winning free broke Clara's hearts.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park was in excellent condition and the game was hosted perfectly.

TALKING POINT

Clara's Marcas Dalton did very well to get his red card rescinded after being sent off against Rhode. Dalton is a young, very good, very clean player and his flick back on Conor McNamee was in no way malicious or designed to injure a player but it was still a big, debatable call to overturn the red card.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ferbane will play Rhode or Tullamore in the semi-finals.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ferbane – 6 (1 in first half); Clara – 6 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ferbane – 0; Clara - 1 (Alan Gavin).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.