Dervan saves the day for Mullagh in pulsating draw

Kilnadeema/Leitrim 0-16

Mullagh 0-16

HURLING supporters last Sunday missed a league final Thurles thriller, but Killimor served up a classic in an end-to-end battle between two evenly matched sides.

Cathal Dervan’s equaliser in the fifth minute of added time after Sean Hardiman was fouled ensured Mullagh a share of the spoils in a game that neither team deserved to lose.

The sides were level 11 times; they traded supremacy 11 times; no inch was spared in their ambitions to succeed; and even Hawk-Eye would have been kept active over various scoring attempts.

Both sides were so eager that the game threw in four minutes before its scheduled 5pm start and Kilnadeema/Leitrim registered their first chance before spectators realised play had commenced. That effort was wide as Des Roche’s team took time to get their accuracy in check and Mullagh took advantage in the opening ten minutes.

Dervan opened the scoring after Davy Glennon was fouled before he added a second on six minutes. Subsequently, Niall and Stephen Cahalan made it 0-4 to 0-0. Dessie O’Brien’s outfit were also guilty of spurned chances, but were ahead against the wind before Mikey Lynch finished a move involving David Tierney and Brian Molloy for Kilnadeema/Leitrim’s first point on 11 minutes.

The sweeper system has become a common theme in this year’s championship with Tierney on song between the two defensive lines. After getting off the mark, they took off with three Molloy frees helping them to the front supported by two great points. Ciaran Connor managed to hold his balance for a super strike from the right while Gary Winters set up Shane Lawless on 23 minutes making it 0-6 to 0-4 in Kilnadeema/Leitrim’s favour.

Challenges were equally intense but the game did finish with injuries to Kilnadeema/Leitrim’s Mark Kelly and Mullagh’s Kevin Briscoe.  That just served to underline, however, the competitive nature of this game which  left nobody in doubt this was championship hurling.

A late challenge on Padraig Kennedy allowed Mullagh a free with Dervan ending a 15 minute drought, while Paddy Hardiman levelled in the 26th minute following good work from Francis Hardiman and Glennon. With Dervan doing the work three minutes later, Finian Coone sent the sliothar over the bar for Mullagh to regain the initiative.

It was shortlived as Lawless supplied Molloy for all-square again but one from play from Dervan gave Mullagh an 0-8 to 0-7 interval lead.

The pace didn’t recede as the second half commenced. 19 seconds in, David Tierney and Lynch combined to give Tom Tierney his first point for Kilnadeema/Leitrim. 38 seconds later, Glennon provided Coone for his second. Molloy had suffered a dip in his free taking so Tom Tierney took the next free and levelled at 0-9 apiece with just three minutes of the half gone.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.