Dunshaughlin win windy battle to secure Keegan Cup

In the space of seven minutes towards the end of Sunday's captivating SFC final at Pairc Tailteann Mathew Costello went from 'villain' to hero as Dunshaughlin saw off Wolfe Tones by 2-7 to 1-8.

Clinging on to a 1-5 to 0-6 lead with just eight minutes remaining Dunshaughlin were awarded a relieving free from defence. Costello took responsibility, but as Storm Ashley blew her worst the Dunshaughlin man's clearing kick fell into the waiting arms of a surprised Cian Ward who raced through unchallenged and buried a goal to give Wolfe Tones the lead for just the second time.

Costello must have wished for the ground to swallow him up. However after all he has endured this year, kicking a ball away in error would not weigh heavily on him. Instead of wallowing in his error Costello drove on, like the magnificent leader he is.

Saran O Fionnagain extended Wolfe Tones' lead with a comfortably stroked point and with the wind at their backs there only looked like one winner.

However Dunshaughlin have been a through a lot as a club in the past couple of years and their hunger and determination to claw their way back into the game never waned.

Fursey Blake was an inspired substitution by Richie Kealy. Within 90 seconds of falling two points adrift Blake kicked a superb point into the teeth of the gale-force wind to leave the minimum between the sides.

Wolfe Tones continued to press. Blake shut down Stephen Sheppard when he had half a sniff at goals, Dunshaughlin defended heroically and pressed forward when they could.

With 50 seconds of the hour left they got their reward.

John McDonagh took a pot shot at landing an equaliser, but against such a strong wind the shot was never on. However, Dunshaughlin, and Costello, refused to give it up as a lost cause.

As the shot held up in the wind the ball broke into the square and who was there to pounce on the loose ball? Who else only the indomitable Mathew Costello.

As others around celebrated wildly Costello raced back into position. The job wasn't done.

Four minutes of injury time were announced. Dunshaughlin managed the game superbly. Niall Byrne was once again outstanding. To a man Dunshaughlin defended magnificently, just as Wolfe Tones had done when they faced into the wind in the opening half.

When Dunshaughlin won a free with just 30 seconds of the four minutes of injury time remaining, it was Costello who yet again assumed the responsibility and he converted the kick - a simple one on any other day, but one that needed total concentration as Sunday's storm blew.

Wolfe Tones needed a goal. They had one last chance to drop the ball into the square, but Dan O'Neill's kick was caught by the wind and sailed over the bar, the resultant kick out sparked wild Dunshaughlin celebrations.

Such an outcome looked unlikely at half-time.

Playing with the gale-force wind at their backs Dunshaughlin led by just 1-3 to 0-3 at the break. Their running game was superbly disrupted by Wolfe Tones outstanding defence.

Dunshaughlin struggled to cope with the conditions, they also looked nervous. They kicked seven wides in the opening period as Wolfe Tones hassled and harried them with Shane Glynn magnificent.

It wasn't a game for the football purists, the conditions made sure of that, but it was an intriguing contest, a battle of wills and wits.

A sneaky foul off the ball led to an easy opening point for Wolfe Tones as Thomas O'Reilly converted the free.

Nervous Dunshaughlin kicked wide after wide, but in the eighth minute Ruairi Kinsella linked up with Ciaran McCarrick before firing a brilliant goal - surely that would settle the nerves?

It didn't.

Dunshaughlin didn't score again for another 17 minutes. In that spell O'Reilly (free) and O Fionnagain drove over points to draw Wolfe Tones level.

Paddy Martin shouted 'slow slow, quick quick' from the sideline - their tactic was working a treat.

Luke Mitchell converted a free after a rare error by Glynn and in the 28th minute Conor Duke lofted over a simple score as Dunshaughlin went route one.

Moments later Kinsella secured the 1-3 to 0-3 interval lead - but there was a sense it mightn't be enough against the wind.

It took Kinsella just 44 seconds to extend Dunshaughlin's lead as Costello's powerful run from the throw-in was halted on the 20 metre line.

Wolfe Tones struggled to breakdown Dunshaughlin's disciplined and well marshalled rearguard.

It took them until the 36th minute before O Fionnagain added to their first-half tally and a minute later O'Reilly landed a 48-metre free to make it 0-5 to 1-4.

After Conor Gray dropped a Dunshaughlin effort short Wolfe Tones countered with O'Reilly converting a free to close the gap to the minimum with 21 minutes remaining.

Dunshaughlin continued to create chances. McDonagh hit the upright before Costello landed a 25-metre free from in front of the posts to restore his side's two-point cushion.

Then all the late drama unfolded with Costello the central character in the brilliant closing 10 or 15 minutes as Dunshaughlin were crowned champions again for the first time since 2002.

Dunshaughlin - Tim O'Sullivan; Niall Byrne, Daryll McKenna, Ben Duggan; Ciaran McCarrick, Jared Rushe, Adam Kealy; Charlie O'Connor, Conor Gray; David Fildes, Ruairi Kinsella (1-2 one free), Conor Duke (0-1); Aaron Murphy, Mathew Costello (1-2 two frees), Luke Mitchell (0-1 free). Subs - John McDonagh for Mitchell half-time, Fursey Blake (0-1) for McKenna 47m, Fiach Hartigan for Fildes 55m, Neil Byrne for Murphy 57m, Ferhus Toolan for Duggan 62m.

Wolfe Tones - Ciaran O Gallachoir; Conor Sheppard, Shane Glynn, Adrian Crawford; Dan O'Neill (0-1 free), Adam O'Neill, Niall O'Reilly; Alan Callaghan, Sean Penny; Caolan Ward, Saran O Fionnagain (0-3), Thomas O'Reilly (0-4 frees); Brughach O Fionnagain, Fiachra Ward, Oisin Martin. Subs - Cian Ward (1-0) for Callaghan 44m, Stephen Sheppard for Crawford 51m.

Referee - Patrick Coyle (Curraha).