Keehan scores injury-time goal to snatch win for Beagh

Beagh 1-15

Ahascragh/Fohenagh 1-13

Alan Dooley at Loughrea

Teams of character produce the goods when the need is greatest, and while it may have taken an outrageously late goal by Kevin Keehan to propel them to victory, Beagh had produced their best half of hurling of the campaign to sensationally reel in Ahascragh/Fohenagh on Saturday afternoon and leave their opponents rooted to the bottom of Group 1.

Trailing by seven, which could have been far more, at half-time, Beagh scored seven unanswered points to lead by one approaching the hour mark, but plenty of additional time was expected after a stop-start second half. There was time for drama aplenty.

Ahascragh/Fohenagh only needed a draw to escape the relegation play-off and they looked like doing just that when Cathal Mannion, who had a somewhat erratic day with his shooting, fired over two frees in succession that appeared to have saved the day for Kevin Warde’s men, who seemed to tense up when Beagh’s surge came.

There was time for Beagh to conjure up one last opportunity, and it was a controversial one at that, as a Beagh player appeared to handle the sliotar on the ground before a free in was granted 25 yards from the Ahascragh/Fohenagh goal. Keehan stepped up knowing a point was not good enough and duly rocketed a shot inches under the crossbar to spark wild celebrations.

Was it harsh on Ahascragh/Fohenagh? Perhaps, given that they had had a goal mysteriously chalked-off late in the first-half when Ronan Kelly pulled a shot to the net. The goal appeared to have been awarded until an umpire consulted with referee Gerry Donoghue, and a free out was awarded instead. An illegal handpass in the build-up appeared to be the only explanation.

This had come only minutes after Ahascragh/Fohenagh had struck the net when Cathal Mannion drilled a penalty to the net after his brother Padraic had been impeded by Michael Geaghan as he bore down on goal. The goal put Ahascragh/Fohenagh 1-8 to 0-5 in front, but Beagh knew they could have been in a deeper hole.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City  and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.