THEY needed extra-time to get there, but Éire Óg have booked their spot in the McCarthy Insurance Group Senior A Football Championship final, eventually winning 2-16 to 1-16.

The Ovens men had to dig deep to emerge from their epic semi-final with Cill na Martra at Coachford on Saturday.

Éire Óg looked in big trouble in normal time, trailing by eight points, 1-13 to 0-8, with ten minutes left. 

They needed a miracle. And it happened.

Late goals from subs Matt Brady and Johnny Galvin in a 2-2 scoring burst saw Éire Óg reel off an unanswered 2-2 that levelled the game and sent it to extra-time, 1-13 to 2-10. In a huge test of character, Eoin Fehily’s men stood up.

When these two teams met at the same stage of the competition last season, Cill na Martra won by four points, but Éire Óg were determined to reverse that result. In extra-time, they did.

The teams were still level at half time in extra-time, 1-16 to 2-13, before the Ovens men hit three points in a row in the second half – from Oisín O’Shea, Daniel Goulding and Johnny Galvin – to seal their place in the final against Kanturk.

For Cill na Martra, it was heartbreak, having been in such a strong position in the second half. They had made what looked like a decisive move in the second half after the teams were level at the break, 0-5 apiece.

Tadhg Ó Corcora, Maidhci Ó Duinnin, Sean Ó Foirreídh, Daniel Ó Duinnin and Shane Ó Duinnin were all on target for Cill na Martra with Jack Murphy, Jerome Kelleher, Daniel Goulding (two-pointer) and Colm Clifford replying for Éire Óg.

After the teams swapped one score apiece at the start of the second half, Cill na Martra made their move, hitting three two-pointers in a row to move 0-13 to 0-6 ahead. Sean Ó Foirreídh, Maidhci Ó Duinnin and goalkeeper Micheál Ó Deasuna all found the target from range. 

Daniel Goulding pulled two points back, from frees, but Éire Óg were in trouble, even more so when Maidhci Ó Duinnin goaled for Cill na Martra to push their advantage out to 1-13 to 0-8 with ten minutes left.

Then came the Éire Óg comeback, kicked off with points from Brian Thompson and Goulding before the late goals from Brady and Galvin to take this game to extra-time. There, the winners never trailed again, kicking for home in the second half to advance to the county final.

Scorers - Éire Óg: J Galvin 1-3; D Goulding 0-6 (4f, 2ptf); J Murphy, C Clifford 0-2 each; J Kelleher, B Thompson, O O’Shea 0-1 each. Cill na Martra: M Ó Deasuna 0-4 (2pt, 2ptf); C Ó Duinnin 1-0; S Ó Fóirréidh (2pt), M Ó Duinnin (2pt) 0-3 each; T Ó Corcora, D Ó Duinnin, S Ó Duinnin (f) 0-2 each.

Éire Óg: C Kelly; C Murphy, M Corkery, J Mullins; D McCarthy, C McGoldrick, B Thompson; M Griffin, C O’Callaghan; C Clifford, D Clifford, J Kelleher; D Goulding, O O’Shea, J Murphy. Subs: R O’Toole for J Kelleher (43), J Galvin for M Griffin (46), M Brady for D McCarthy (57), E O’Shea snr for M Corkery (70).

Cill na Martra: M Ó Deasuna; C Ó Croinin, T Ó Corcora; J Ó Loingsigh; D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh, A Ó Duinnin; D Mac Lochlainn, G Ó Goillidhe; A Ó Cuana, C Ó Duinnin, P Ó h-Ealaithe; M Ó Duinnin, D Ó Duinnin, S Ó Duinnin. Subs: C Ó Fóirréidh for A Ó Duinnin (37), D Ó h-Urdail for M Ó Duinnin (51), A Ó h-Uidhir for A Ó Cuana (60), E Ó Loingsigh for G Ó Goillidhe (77), A Ó Duinnin for T Ó Corcora (80).

Referee: C Murphy (Glanworth).