Club Championship (Round 1)
Legion 2-14
Dingle 2-14 (AET)

YOUNGSTER Finbarr Murphy was the hero in Derreen on Sunday last as he earned Legion a replay with the very last kick of the game.

Murphy had only been introduced in extra time and was yet to get his hands on the ball when his side were awarded a free around 45 yards from goal. There were more experienced free-takers on the pitch but Murphy insisted upon taking it. He duly converted with his first and only touch and Legion live to fight another day.

It was a really competitive game that ebbed and flowed and in the end a draw was probably a fair result.

Legion got off to the perfect start when James O’Donoghue found the back of the net early on but his Kerry teammate Paul Geaney cancelled it out moments later with a goal of his own.

Conor Geaney got the game’s first point with a free before Tom Moriarty equalised and Legion went on to kick the next three scores, Donal Lyne, O’Donoghue and Conor Keane all finding the target to give Legion an early three-point lead.

Paul Geaney, who was shadowed by Danny Sheahan for the duration, was on top form and kicked three unanswered points to close the gap. When Tomás Sheehy opened his account with a well-taken score in the 22nd minute, Dingle were ahead.

Two more from Geaney, both with his “weaker” left foot, pushed the lead out to three and James O’Donoghue kicked the last point of the half to make it 1-5 to 1-7 at the break.

There was a strange lull at the beginning of the second period as both sides failed to register a score for 13 minutes, but the game burst back into life when Sheehy stole in for the third goal of the day.

A brace from Conor Keane and another O’Donoghue free narrowed the gap to three with ten minutes to play, but you felt Legion might need a goal if they were to get anything out of this one.

They were handed a golden opportunity when Danny Sheahan went on an uncharacteristic foray forward before being hauled down inside the area. Up stepped James O’Donoghue to fire beyond Gavin Curran in the Dingle goal and tie things up.

In a frantic final spell, Paul Geaney restored Dingle’s lead, Conor Keane equalised, Tom Moriarty put Legion ahead and Geaney brought Dingle level once more.

Legion thought they won it when Danny Sheahan broke forward again and punted over an inspirational stoppage time point, but there was time for one final twist.

Deep into additional time, Dingle broke forward and were given what was, in my admittedly biased opinion, a very, very soft free. From there they worked it well to Mikey Geaney who kicked a superb point to send the game to extra time.

The visitors put themselves in a great position by outscoring Legion 0-2 to 0-0 in the opening period of extra time, but Legion fought back well and points from Denis Sheahan and James O’Donoghue levelled the game for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Lads were out on their feet at this stage and Paul Geaney must have felt that he had clinched the victory for Dingle when he kicked a massive point with just a couple of minutes to play. It was a typically classy score that brought his tally for the day to 1-9 (1-6 from play). It sounds strange but Danny Sheahan actually did well on him. Geaney is basically unmarkable.

With 83 minutes on the clock it looked for all the world as though Legion were on their way out of the Club Championship but they managed to win a free 45 yards out to the left of the posts.

Murphy confidently took the ball, placed it on the ground and split the uprights with a superb kick that had ten yards to spare.

It was no more than Legion deserved as they put in another impressive shift. Sunday’s replay in Páirc an Ághasaigh will be a big test but they should take heart from this result, coming as it does against one of the premier club teams in the county.

Legion scorers: James O’Donoghue (2-4, 1 pen, 0-2f), Conor Keane (0-4, 0-2f), Tom Moriarty (0-2), Denis Sheahan (0-1), Donal Lyne (0-1), Danny Sheahan (0-1) and Finbarr Murphy (0-1f).

Dingle scorers: Paul Geaney (1-9, 0-3f), Tomás Sheehy (1-1), Conor Geaney (0-2), Mikey Geaney (0-1) and Matthew Flaherty (0-1).
 

 
Above: Legion's James O'Donoghue places his penalty beyond the reach of Dingle keeper Gavin Curran. O'Donoghue finished with 2-4. Pic: Eamonn Keogh.