Injury-time point rescues St Patrick's

Niall Mooney's injury-time point not only rescued a draw for St Patrick's from their SFC game with Navan O'Mahonys at Donore on Saturday night, but it also kept the Stamullen men's Keegan Cup dreams alive as defeat would have relegated them to fourth in the group and sent them out of the race. Mooney's late, late point earned St Patrick's second spot and they will face Summerhill in the last eight, while O'Mahonys top group A and will face the winners of the preliminary quarter-final between Blackhall Gaels and Dunshaughlin. Had St Patrick's lost out it would have been harsh on the east Meath side because they fully merited their draw against an O'Mahonys side that was severely weakened with Mark Brennan, Kevin Reilly, Stephen MacGabhann and the Bray brothers, Stephen and David, all out through injury. O'Mahonys still managed to put some fine moves together and they may feel aggrieved at being held to a draw as St Patrick's equaliser came from a player who probably shouldn't have been on the field after he escaped a red card following a dangerous challenge on Lee Russell in the first-half. The tackle was out of context of the game and certainly not in Mooney's character. Both sides contributed to a tough, uncompromising, but fair contest that kept the large crowd warm late into the autumn evening. Such a tight game was unforeseen after the early exchanges as O'Mahonys picked off St Patrick's at will with frees from Henry Finnegan and Jake Regan that were added to by points from play from Mark Ward and Finnegan as the champions opened up a 0-4 to 0-0 lead after just 10 minutes. After eventually finding their feet and with Barry Campbell enjoying an excellent outing and causing O'Mahonys all sorts of problems St Patrick's clawed their way back into the game. Campbell's free kick-started their recovery on 14 minutes and by the 20th minute they were just a point behind following great scores by Mooney and Campbell. Four minutes later Mooney was lucky not to see red as referee Brendan Darby opted to issue a yellow card for his late challenge on Russell. St Patrick's took full advantage of their let-off and went in front for the first, and only, time when Campbell (free) and Niall Whearty pointed. With four minutes of first-half injury-time remaining there was still plenty of scores and it was O'Mahonys who were in the ascendancy. Ross Geraghty and the outstanding Paddy Smyth pointed before Finian Everard levelled the contest again, but Shane McKeigue secured a 0-7 to 0-6 interval lead for Sean Kelly's side with a superb point after a great pass from his brother Niall. The third-quarter was a drab affair with Smyth and Daithi Whyte trading a point apiece, but then the contest came alive again in the final 15 minutes. Smyth was in magnificent form and pointed either side of a fine Andy Reilly score to leave O'Mahonys 0-10 to 0-8 to the good. With Whyte exerting more of an influence around the middle St Patrick's clawed their way back into the game with a brace of Campbell frees restoring parity for the fourth time. Yet again it was the sublime Smyth that looked to have won it for O'Mahonys in the last minute, but St Patrick's proved they are a resolute bunch and sealed their quarter-final spot against Summerhill when Mooney grabbed a superb equaliser in the darkness of night. Navan O'Mahonys - D O'Toole; S O'Toole, N McKeigue, D Moran; G O'Brien, S Crosby, C McGuinness; B Regan, M Ward (0-1); L Russell, R Geraghty (0-1), H Finnegan (0-2, one free); J Regan (0-1, free), S McKeigue (0-1), P Smyth (0-5). Subs - D Maguire for J Regan 44 mins, C Reilly for Moran 50m. St Patrick's - S Byrne; N Russell, D Hagan, A Reilly (0-1); R Kearns, K Whearty, A Mooney; C Sullivan, C Calvey; R Russell, N Mooney (0-2), J P Ryan; B Campbell (0-5, four frees), D Whyte (0-1), N Whearty (0-1). Subs - F Everard (0-1) for K Whearty 15 mins, M Hagan for R Russell 42m, R Russell for Ryan, 54m. Refere - Brendan Darby (Ballinabrackey).