An Cheathru Rua 1-9 Ballinagar 0-11 - All-Ireland JFC semi-final reaction

An Cheathru Rua qualified for the AIB All-Ireland Junior Club Football Final in Croke Park on January 25th after two late points saw the Gaeltacht men come from behind to deny Offaly's Ballinagar in a heart-stopping All-Ireland semi-final in King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. The final score was 1-9 to 0-11 in favour of An Cheathru Rua, with the only goal of the game arriving after 11 minutes of the second half through Maitiu O'Domhnaill. That put the Galway men 1-6 to 0-7 up, but Ballinagar battled back to lead by a point, 0-11 to 1-7, with time almost up. Then came the most dramatic of finishes as Carraroe goalkeeper James O'Flathartha landed a brilliant '45 to level matters and then super-sub Paudie Mac Cormaic kicked the winner in stoppage time to send An Cheathru Rua through to an All-Ireland final meeting against either Kilmurray of Cork or Naomh Padraig from Donegal at the end of the month.

Scorers for An Cheathrú Rua: M Ó Domhnaill 1-1, J Ó Flatharta 0-2 (45s), P Mac Donnacha, P Ó Loideáin, F Ó Conghaile, M Ó Briain, F Ó Sé (f) and P Mac Cormaic 0-1 each.

Scorers for Ballinagar: G O'Meara 0-3 (0-2f), R Gallagher 0-2, S Dwane 0-2f, J Beatty 0-2, M Tynan 0-1, A Joyce 0-1.

An Cheathrú Rua: J Ó Flatharta; J Ó Tiarnaigh, I Ó Conchubhair, D Mac Sheónín; E de Paor, C Ó Domhnaill, M Mac Donnacha; S Ó Briain, P Mac Donnacha; P Ó Loideáin, M Ó Domhnaill, F Ó Conghaile; É Mac Cormaic, M Ó Briain, F Ó Sé. Subs: O Ó Lochláinn for Ó Tiarnaigh (41), P Mac Cormaic for É Mac Cormaic (41), C Ó Cualáin for Ó Conchubhair (48), C Ó Domhnaill for Ó Conghaile (54), M de Bhailís for S Ó Briain (57).

Ballinagar: R Kinahan; Jack Gorry, D Finneran, D Crombie; A Joyce, B Malone, A Gorman; A Strong, M Tynan; G O’Meara, C McGuinness, J Sheil; S Dwane, R Gallagher, C Bracken. Subs: S Finneran for Strong (24-HT, temp), J Beatty for Dwane (38), J Ballesty for Sheil (39), E McGuinness for C McGuinness (48), E Gorman for Gorry (60) Ref: E McFeely (Donegal).

After the game, Galway Bay FM commentator Ollie Turner spoke to the winning manager Maghnus Breathnach...

Ollie Turner also spoke to the Galway Bay FM Man of the Match, goalkeeper James O'Flathartha...

To listen back to the match commentary in full with Ollie Turner and Sean O'Domhnaill, click on 'listen back' and 'podcasts' on this website.