Louth GAA club | Tones win Kevin Mullen Shield in dramatic fashion
Wolfe Tones 1-16 Clan na Gael 2-12
Wolfe Tones snatched silverware in dramatic fashion when they edged out Clan na Gael by the slimmest of margins in the Louth GAA Powerscreen New England Kevin Mullen Shield final at Páirc Bhoilfe Toin, on Sunday afternoon.
Substitute Cailean Gallagher-Floody became the hero when fisting to the net with the last attack to turn certain defeat into victory. Clan na Gael played with the aid of that wind in the opening half and looked the sharper outfit early on.
Shane Carroll (0-3) and Robbie Curran (0-4) were prominent as the Dundalk men moved into the lead inside nine minutes.
Wolfe Tones, however, settled as points from Patrick Fanning and Ciaran Ellis steadied the home side, though they struggled to fully harness the conditions before the break.
Clan na Gael continued to pick off scores through Curran and Carroll, and despite a late Niall Smith effort, they led by three points at half-time.
The margin that might have been greater but for a handful of missed chances and a goalmouth scramble that came to nothing.
Half time: Wolfe Tones 0-5 Clan na Gael 0-8.
Turning to play with the wind, Wolfe Tones emerged with renewed purpose and within ten minutes of the restart, they had wiped out the deficit. Scores from Ellis, Sam Kelly and Eoghan Brennan brought parity, and suddenly the energy had shifted.
From there, it became a shootout as Brennan (0-5) began to exert serious influence, while David Bolger and K. McLoughlin also chipped in as Tones edged ahead by three.
But just when it looked like the home side were in control, Clan na Gael struck decisively when a well-worked move finished by a substitute yielded their first goal.
Within a minute, Josh Cullen blasted a superb second to the roof of the net and in the blink of an eye, the visitors led by three entering the final quarter.
The response from Wolfe Tones was immediate as Brennan kept the scoreboard ticking, while McLoughlin added a crucial point to narrow the gap.
As the clock ticked into added time, Clan na Gael still held a slender lead and appeared poised to claim the first silverware of the season.
But one last attack went across the square, and substitute Cailean Gallagher-Floody was on hand to palm the ball to the net.
Full time: Wolfe Tones 1-16 Clan na Gael 2-12.
Wolfe Tones: Seán McMahon; Rhys McGovern, Niall Smith (0-1), Shane Leslie; Seán McQuail (0-1); Garrett Cooney, Sam Kelly (0-1); K. McLoughlin (0-2), Mark Healy; Patrick Fanning (0-1), David Bolger (0-2), Seán Flanagan; Ciaran Ellis (0-2), Alan Fanning, Eoghan Brennan (0-5, 3f).
Subs: Cailean Gallagher-Floody (1-0).
Clan na Gael: Seán Smyth; Conor Smyth, Lee O’Carroll, Craig Cullan; Oisin Finn, Gerry Curran, Craig Long; Jack Callan, Shay Coleman; Gavin Gaffey, Shane Carroll (0-3), Robbie Curran (0-4, 3f); Mark Newell (0-1), Billy Smith (0-1), Josh Cullen (1-1).
Referee: Damien Connor (St. Patrick’s).