JACFC Div 1: O'Mahony's second-half comeback falls short

Ciaran Wickham Navan O'Mahony's

Navan O’Mahony’s 2-17
Ratoath 2-21

Navan O’Mahony’s were beaten by Ratoath in a high-scoring final group game of the JACFC Div 1, finishing on the wrong side of a 2-21 to 2-17 scoreline after a second-half comeback fell just short.

Ratoath made a flying start and built a sizeable lead in the opening half, with O’Mahony’s struggling to contain their attacking threat. Jack McConnell and Eoin Joyce got O’Mahony’s on the scoresheet, while Jack Bellamy added a two-pointer before finding the net shortly before half-time.

With a twelve point deficit to overcome in the second half, it was always going to be an uphill battle for O’Mahony’s. A brilliant spell saw the visitors hit 1-08 without reply, with Tiarnan Black, Joyce and Bellamy all contributing before Joyce found the net to bring the gap back to just five points.

Despite the strong comeback, Ratoath steadied themselves in the closing stages and added a number of scores to keep O’Mahony’s at arm’s length. A late two-pointer from Bellamy wasn’t enough and Ratoath claimed the points on offer, leaving O’Mahony’s in a relegation play-off, having been narrowly defeated in the three group games.

Navan O’Mahony’s: Niall Devlin, Diarmuid O Bric, Craig Nolan, Ian Matthews, Kilian Clarke-Doggett, Dean Halpin, Kian McGee, Hugo Fitzherbert, Evan Cully, Ciaran Wickham, Eoin Joyce (1-05,1 F), Hugh Clarke-Carolan, Jack McConnell (0-03), Jack Bellamy (1-07, 3 2PF) , Tiarnán Black (0-02)

Subs: Andy Leech for O Bric, Darren Clarke for Black, Cormac Ward for Matthews, Darragh McGuinness for Fitzherbert