Three see red as OMP strike late

Three red cards, almost a dozen of the yellow variety and four goals which included a 94th minute equaliser all combined to give the OMP Utd and Navan Cosmos players, officials and supporters plenty to talk about after this thrill-a-minute Meath & District League Div 1 clash at the MDL on Sunday morning. The game was hardly a minute old when Navan Cosmos were looking for a red card after OMP's Greg Halpin clattered into Laurence Ivors, but referee John Regan brandished yellow. It would prove to be a costly caution for the talented OMP full-back who picked up another yellow midway through the second-half at a time when the side were level on the scoreboard (1-1) and on the pitch with 10-a-side. Both sides created chances in what was a free-flowing game with the wind spoiling the tactics at times. The early chances were equally divided with OMP 'keeper Sean McDonagh saving from Stephen Ivors and his opposite number, Sean Gilsenan saving well from Michael Brennan (pictured). Some meaty challenges kept the momentum going and also augured well for the sideline experts who had predicted at kick-off that there would be two red cards. Predicting is never easy as this correspondent was reminded by an OMP official at the end with a well-timed "you got you prediction wrong in the Chronicle" comment. The first red card arrived at the mid-point of the opening half when Cosmos lost Jason McDonagh to a second yellow card. Cosmos then took the lead a minute later when Conor Walsh's free was finished to the net by Sean Keating, but the 10 men still faced an uphill task. OMP turned the screws with Brennan causing a lot of problems and Halpin's pace also exposing deficiencies on the Cosmos flank. Despite enjoying a slender lead, Cosmos officials were not happy and consistent complaints about the referee's decisions prompted central defender Mark Nicholls plea for quiet. "It's all coming from you on the line, relax," said Nicholls. However, just when Cosmos looked like they might go in at the interval in front, OMP were awarded a penalty which provoked the officials out of relaxed mode. Brennan converted for OMP. It was 10-a-side early in the second-half when Joey Rogers waded into a situation that didn't concern him - the referee sorted it out and no one complained. With about 25 minutes remaining the referee issued that second yellow card to Halpin. Advantage Cosmos at that stage and they duly hit the front when Laurence Ivors finished to the net with 11 minutes remaining. Instead of battening down the hatches, Cosmos were undone by a battling OMP rally in the closing stages and after Barry Carlton hit the crossbar from a corner on 90 minutes, the leveller arrived with almost the last kick of the game. Cosmos gave away a needless free when OMP defender John Rogers was impeded in his own half. From the resultant long punt forward Cosmos failed to clear and as the ball bobbled around in the penalty area, Brennan found a gap and rifled to the net. Overall, it was probably a fair result and leaves Cosmos in charge of their own destiny seven points behind leaders OMP with four games in hand. Navan Cosmos - S Gilsenan; D McGovern, J McDonagh, S Ivors, S Moran, M Nicholls, C Gilsenan, S Conaty, L Ivors, S Keating, C Walsh. Subs - M McCabe for Walsh 72 mins, P Bartley for S Ivors 83m, W Murtagh for Conaty 88m. OMP Utd - S McDonagh; John Rogers, G Halpin, D Corcoran, B O'Donnell, B Carlton, Joey Rogers, N McMahon, M Brennan, E Donoghue, A Kearney. Subs - G McDonagh for Kearney 65 mins, D McElroy for Corcoran 87m. Referee - John Regan (Meath Branch ISRS).