O'Mahonys and Na Fianna in a thrilling draw
Na Fianna and Navan O'Mahonys will have to do it all over again in the IHC decider after a thrilling 2-16 apiece draw today in the decider at Páirc Tailteann.
The replay could be slotted in next Saturday in Navan as the IHC champions will play in the Leinster JHC (v Longford) the following weekend (14th October). That would mean next weekend's football would have to be moved to 14th October weekend also.
Barry Slevin had three pointed frees on the board inside seven minutes for Na Fianna in contrast to a brace of wides for Navan O'Mahonys in the same period.
O'Mahonys got off the mark from a Paddy Skehan free in the ninth minute, a score that sandwiched Na Fianna efforts from play by Sean Martin and Diarmuid Bailey.
As O'Mahonys settled into the game, they closed the gap to the minimum through two superbly struck Skehan frees and a well-taken effort from David Quirke.
Dylan Regan's opening contribution from play drew the sides levelin the 20th minute and then O'Mahhonys struck for a super goal when Quirke doubled on a high ball into the square for a 1-5 to 0-5 margin.
O'Mahonys then lost full-back Cormac Reilly to a red card following an off-the-ball tussle and from the resultant free Slevin once more split the posts.
Any thoughts that Na Fianna had of a more comfortable outing against the 14 men were dashed when Mikey Kelly rifled the sliotar to the net after he made the most of a half chance, but the pace quickened and Slevin sent over another placed ball at the other end.
The teams exchanged a brace of points before the break with Skehan (two frees) for O'Mahonys and Slevin and Evan Mullally for Na Fianna.
The Navan men were ahead by 2-7 to 0-9 at the break.
Na Fianna dominated the early second-half exchanges with points from Barry Slevin, Mark Slevin and Bailey, but O'Mahonys countered throughSkehan (two frees) and Kelly with a rasping drive that skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Na Fianna then struck with a two-goal salvo in the space of a minute when David Kirby finished a high ball to the net and then Peter Slevin capitalised when O'Mahonys custodian John Glesson fumbled an attempted clearance.
That posed a few questions for O'Mahonys and they got back on terms (2-13 each) from two Skehan frees and one from play by Jack Walsh with Mark Slevin adding to the Na Fianna tally.
O'Mahonys forged ahead again through Skehan and Walsh, but Na Fianna replied through Sean Martin and Barry Slevin as the clock ticked into three minutes of added time that turned out to be almost seven due to an injury.
Skehan sent over another point, his eighth in total, and it looked like it would win the title for O'Mahonys, but Na Fianna found another score with Barry Slevin earning his side a reprieve.