McKenna's late point dramatically sends Hunterstown through and Irelands out of IFC

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Hunterstown Rovers 0-10 Dundalk Young Irelands 1-7

The dramatic final act more than made up for a somewhat cagey affair between Hunterstown Rovers and Dundalk Young Irelands in Haggardstown on Saturday night.

Rovers again showed their nerve deep into additional time to secure a place in the quarter-finals, this time it was midfielder Tony McKenna who landed the vital score to see Hunterstown top the group ahead of the much-fancied St. Fechin’s.

The game crescendoed into a game of maths, Irelands needing to win by two points to go through. The margins were so tight, a one-point win wasn’t enough on score difference. The junior champions, to their credit, actually worked themselves to that position and were on the brink of going through, before being pegged back and eliminated.

It’s a massive setback for the Dundalk club after such a successful season in the junior grade last year, but Hunterstown are becoming quite the surprise package this season, showing all their grit and quality.

Adrian O’Donoghue’s side looked comfortable in the opening quarter, racing into a three-point to no-score lead. It took Hunterstown 12 minutes to register and it came from county star Ryan Burns’ free. Rovers then settled to fire the next three points in a row, two Glen Mathews efforts bookended by another Burns score to give them the lead. 

Burns’ effort was a goal chance he blazed over the bar and at that stage, with scores, never mind goal chances at a premium, it looked set to prove costly. Mathews ended a fine personal first half to give Rovers a 0-5 to four lead at the break.

The second half was more of the same, only for Kevin Keelan’s goal on the 40th minute to provide the daylight Irelands required and a platform upon which to build a winning burst, but this never materialised.

McKenna struck a vital free along the sideline in response and the game now hinged on the score difference. When Dermot Mone made it 1-7 to 0-8, it looked like the men in green and black would hang on, but Peter Dooley’s team showed serious heart to eek out a draw with another Burns free before McKenna's heroics. 

Jordan O’Donoghue saw red to compound a miserable day for Young Irelands

Hunterstown Rovers: Niall Carrie; Brian Matthews, Patrick Taaffe, Martin Lennon; Muiris O’Sullivan, Richie Taaffe, David Finn; Tony McKenna (0-3, two frees), Marc Ward; Keith Brennan, Brendan Lennon, Glen Matthews (0-3, one free); Paul Carrie, Ryan Burns (0-4, three frees), Alan Landy

Subs: Pádraig Matthews for Landy (6), Dean Burns for B Lennon (42), Euan Woodlock for Brennan (47), Paddy Matthews for M Ward (55)

Dundalk Young Irelands: Fergal Sheekey; Jason Mulligan, Ciarán Murray, Stephen Bellew (0-1); Peter Nixon, Derek Maguire, Shadam Azeeze; Seán McLoughlin, Kevin Keelan (1-0); Cian O Naraigh, Aidan Sheekey (0-1), Cian O’Donoghue; Mark Savage, Dermot Mone (0-2, frees), Jordan O’Donoghue (0-3, two frees)

Subs: Dean Maguire for C O’Donoghue (33), Peter McStravick for O Naraigh (49), Peter McCourt for Bellew (51), Derek Rogers for McLoughlin (55), Jamie Browne for Azeeze (59)

Referee: Stephen Murphy (Naomh Máirtín)