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03rd Jun 2019

The absolute scenes in Dingle as last kick of the game sends An Ghaeltacht wild

Niall McIntyre

An Gaeltacht 0-12 Cill Chartha 0-11

A score worthy of winning any game.

A last gasp stunner from Seamus O Muircheartaigh brought the house down in west Kerry as hosts An Ghaeltacht took the 2019 Comortas Na Gaeltachta by a single point.

Having led the game for large periods, Donegal side Kilcar will feel hard done by but the Kerry side’s superior fitness told in extra-time as they began to dominate this game from the hour mark onwards.

The sides weren’t half up for it from the word go. A Kilcar man and then a Gaeltacht man were laid out with shoulders inside the first 30 seconds of the game. Welcome to the wild west.

You wouldn’t think both of these teams played through extra-time just yesterday as well.

Mark McHugh began the game like its 2012. He kicks three of the game’s first four points, two of them coming from open play. Lining out in midfield, the home defence can’t cope with his driving, purposeful runs straight as a dye down the middle. His finishing did the runs justice too.

Five up with nothing in response. 15 minutes in and Kilcar are cruising. In hindsight, the extra-time is showing up in the An Ghaeltacht legs.

As despite being roared on by the home crowd, Dara Ó Cinnéide’s side were sluggish and a little bit sloppy. In fairness, the rain and west of Ireland wind doesn’t lend itself too kindly to liquid football.

But eventually, they began to play themselves back into it. A couple of frees from their full forward dragged them back into it. They’d have the breeze in the second.

Tomás Ó Sé with his driving runs and pace comes into the game. Brian Ó Beaglaoich likewise. With Mark McHugh fading, Micheal Hegarty, that wily old genius keeps Kilcar alive while Maitiú Mac Léinn is on fire up front. All they’ve to do is get the ball into him, his unwavering right boot levels it up to force extra-time.

In extra-time, they slugged it out. It would take a piece of genius to win it. That was exactly what it was.

What a comortas.

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