O’Dwyers 2-21 Geraldine Moran’s 2-13 (AET)

After a break of 19 years O’Dwyers are back in a county final following a breathless encounter with Geraldine Moran’s in fortress Bremore. O’Dwyers will play St Monica’s in the final of the Junior 1 Football Championship in two weeks’ time, which is a remarkable turnaround from last year when they had to endure a relegation playoff in the same competition.

On a bright sunny morning in front of sparse Covid restricted crowd O’Dwyers played the first half up the hill and into the wind. They got off to a dream start when big Jude O’Sullivan blasted to the net in the opening minute followed by two Liam Prout frees. The Southsider’s were woken from their slumber and then kicked 5 unanswered points to tie the game at the first water break. O’Dwyers managed to edge ahead in the second quarter and held a narrow 1-point advantage approaching half time but they were then hit by Geraldine’s with a breakaway goal right-on half-time whistle to leave the home team two points behind at the break.

The second half was played at an electric pace with both teams trading points before Geraldine Moran’s broke away to score another goal in the 37th minute which put them 3 points ahead. Worse was to come for the home team when Jude O’Sullivan was sent to the sin bin four minutes later and O’Dwyers were pushed right to the brink on 48 minutes when a marvellous point-blank save by Lee Fanning stopped the southside team going 6 points ahead. This seemed to stir a response from the home team with the recently introduced Dylan Foster & the excellent Dylan Andrews driving them forward. At the final water break O’Dwyers were four points down but something had changed. Similar to the meeting of these two back in August O’Dwyers had momentum and were ferociously chasing down every ball. Geraldine’s were on the back foot as their lead started to melt away and their kick-out was put under enormous pressure. The equaliser came in the 36th minute when big Jude curled over a point after tremendous work from Graham Ward. There was still time for more drama when Cormac McDonald the Geraldine’s midfielder was given a straight red for an off the ball altercation and Arron Keenan kicked wide with the last chance of normal time.

Two ten-minute periods of extra time began with Colly O’Reilly kicking a great point from play as O’Dwyers fitness and options on the bench started to tell. They led by one point at half time in extra time but on the restart the home time finally cut loose with points from Liam Prout and Jamie Andrews left Geraldine’s hanging on. The final blow came moments later when Big Jude O’Sullivan intercepted a short kick out before keeping his nerve to curl the ball around the stranded Geraldine’s keeper for an O’Dwyers goal. This was the cue for huge celebrations on the side-line when players and management could finally see a way past a very tough opponent. There was time for further points from Prout, Colly O’Reilly and Jamie Lawlor to give O’Dwyers a famous victory.

Huge respect for Geraldine Moran’s who played an equal part in this fantastic game. Their captain spoke generously and very sportingly to the O’Dwyers panel after the game. Both teams will meet again in next years league but that can wait for now.

We live in interesting times.

O’Dwyers Abu.