Plunketts Win After Extra Time

Saturday 29.10.2022

All County League

Pomeroy 2-10 Killeeshil 0-12

Pomeroy edged a step closer to a return to senior football when they edged past Killeeshil in an entertaining promotion playoff encounter at Plunkett Park that required extra time to decide.

There was little between the sides throughout and it took a Peter Rafferty goal right at the end of extra time to ensure that the Plunketts came out on top. John McCourt and Ronan McKenna put the hosts into an early two point lead but by the end of the opening quarter the sides were level after Michael O’Neill and Tomas Hoy responded for Killeeshil. Hugh McNamee and O’Neill traded points as did Packie McMullan and Brendan Burns before a well taken score from Frank Burns left Pomeroy 0-5 to 0-4 in front at the interval.

A McMullan free levelled matters on the restart before Ryan Loughran and Hoy exchanged points. Both sets of players were giving it everything in trying weather conditions with Burns and McMullan swapping points from frees. A long ball in from Gary Reilly saw McMullan take an excellent 54^th minute mark which he converted but straight from the next kick out Pomeroy drew level again with a point from midfielder Ronan Duffin. Hoy put the visitors in front a minute into injury time but the drama wasn’t over yet. Loughran levelled matters and it was the home side who had two chances to win it but they failed to take them as it finished 0-9 each to force extra time.

Killeeshil substitute Eoin Neill had the opening score of extra time but in the 7^th minute the first goal of the afternoon arrived when a loose ball fell into the patch of Pomeroy substitute Aidan McKenna and he clinically finished it first time to the net to leave it 1-9 to 0-10 at the changeover.

Killeeshil though were far from finished with McMullan converting an inspirational long range free from out on the right wing and sixty seconds later the sides were level yet again after Neill pointed. It was anybody’s game at this stage but Pomeroy dug deep with Frank Burns edging them back in front before the same player twice exchanged passes with Rafferty before the latter palmed to the net from close range to win the game and set up a clash next weekend with Edendork.