Tierney holds his nerve to earn gallant Oughterard a second chance

Oughterard 0-14

THE final few moments of the Galway intermediate football final are all a bit of a blur. But here’s what we know.

Just on the stroke of the final minute of normal time, Seán Denvir – a second-half revelation for Mícheál Breathnach – set-up teammate Ruadhán Ó Curraoin for his fifth point of the day, and his team’s fourteenth.

After an incredible 30-minutes rollercoaster of football, that shot fired Na Breathnaigh into a one-point lead as the clock ticked into the two-minutes injury time that was signalled.

Then came high drama. Oughterard midfielder Enda Tierney took a pot-shot at the posts from distance but his attempt at a leveller dropped just short into the hands of Mícheál Breathnach’s ‘keeper, Rónán Ó Beoláin. All over . . . or so we thought!

Ó Beoláin was dispossessed – probably illegally – as he came out with the ball. From the turnover, Oughterard’s Patrick Walsh gathered possession and headed for goal, with a number of men in white shirts scrambling back.

Walsh hit the deck, and most onlookers agreed that he was fouled . . . the only decision to be made was whether it was a free-in or a penalty. Again, or so we thought!

Referee Máirtín Flaherty, who was solid overall, wisely consulted for a lengthy period with two umpires, and came up with a sort of Irish solution to an Irish problem – he threw the ball in to re-start the game!

Oh to be privy to that conversation but we can only assume that Flaherty was told that Walsh was indeed fouled, but so too was Ó Beoláin earlier, and a hop-ball was the fairest outcome.

Oughterard would have felt justifiable anger if that’s where it ended, but play went on, and despite Fiontán Ó Curraoin winning the throw-in, somehow Mícheál Breathnach coughed-up possession, a costly turnover that gave their North Connemara rivals one last chance.

From the ensuing play, attacker Niall Lee earned a free about 43 metres out and up stepped Matthew Tierney, Oughterard’s talisman, who displayed nerves of steel aged just 19 to convert the last kick of the game in the fifth minute of injury time.

Matthew Tierney, Oughterard’s main threat throughout, proved the hero of the hour, as his class shone through in what was an unbelievably pressure-filled kick off the ground.

Most observers would agree stalemate was the fairest result, and there was huge relief around Salthill when he landed it because Tommy Finnerty’s charges would have rightly felt hard done by on the ‘penalty’ call if they’d lost this one.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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