Injury-time goal sends Killeshin past Arles-Killeen

After a dramatic conclusion in O'Moore Park this afternoon, an injury-time goal from Gavin Brennan snatched the result from right under Arles-Killeen's noses to see Killeshin advance to the next round of the Laois Senior Football Championship.

Killeshin 1 - 13

Arles-Killeen 0 - 15

Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship Round 2 Winners

Arles-Killeen were four points up with five minutes to go, but a rallying Killeshin revival saw them steal the result in injury-time with a Gavin Brennan goal.

Arles-Killeen took the lead inside the opening minute when Paul Kingston notched his first to ease them ahead, but it wasn't to last long as Killeshin wiped the slate clean with Eoin Lowry playing a one-two with Pat Doyle before dissecting the posts.

Killeshin corner-back Jeremy Mahon roamed forward to land a booming score to edge them into the lead, but next two points went Arles-Killeen's way with a Donie Kingston free closely followed by Sean O'Shea's first to see Hugh Kenny's men retake the lead eight minutes in.

Eoin Lowry's first of the day brought Killeshin level, and then Arles-Killeen lost Brendan O'Shea to a black card a quarter of an hour in. 

Killeshin scored the next two through Michael Doran and a close range Eoin Lowry free as we entered the final ten minutes of the half. 

Points from Pat Doyle and Lowry were returned by a Paul Kingston brace alongside an Ian Scully single as Killeshin took a narrow one-point lead into the half-time break, 0-7 to 0-6.

Arles-Killeen hit the opening two points of the half through Paul Kingston and Sean O'Shea, but the next three went Killeshin's way with Ross Bolger, Lowry and Cathal Brennan with a dinger from the outside of his right to give them a two-point lead - but they were then reduced to fourteen men when substitute Mark McDermott picked two yellow card in under a minute to see the line.

Momentum swayed in Arles-Killeen's favour as they went on to kick the next five points unanswered. Donie Kingston helped himself to three points while Paul Kingston and Shane Julian also hit the target as Killeen took a three point lead approaching the final ten minutes.

Killeshin briefly closed the gap to two through Michael Doran's second, but Arles-Killeen increased their cushion to four through Ian Scully and Sean O'Shea as the game looked to be theirs to lose with five minute to go.

Killeshin went in search of a way back and a brace of points from Eoin Lowry sent them into injury-time needing to overturn a ed two point deficit. Eoin Lowry laid the ball off to Gavin Brennan and the big midfielder's low shot blazed past Paul McDonald for what would be the winning goal as Killeshin held on to snatch the victory.

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*See Tuesday's Leinster Express Sport for full coverage

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ARLES-KILLEEN

Scorers: Donie Kingston (0-2 frees), Sean O’Shea and Paul Kingston 0-4 each, Ian Scully 0-2, Shane Julian 0-1. 

Team: Paul McDonald; Brian Kennedy, Joe Mulhare, James Mahon; Shane Julian, Niall O'Rourke, Enda O'Rourke; Donie Kingston, Paul Kingston; John Mahon, Donie Brennan, Conor Keightley; Brendan O'Shea, Sean O'Shea, Ian Scully. Subs: Dermot Julian for B O’Shea (BC, 16 mins), Jason Enright for Kennedy (35 mins), Cathal Moran O’Brien for Mahon (43 mins), Aidan O'Rourke for D Brennan (57 mins).

KILLESHIN

Scorers: Eoin Lowry 0-7 (0-3 frees), Gavin Brennan 1-0, Michael Doran 0-2, Jeremy Mahon, Pat Doyle, Ross Bolger and Cathal Brennan 0-1 each.

Team: Shane Coakley; Jeremy Mahon, Kevin Ryan, Keelan Galligan; Pauric Bolton, Stephen Attride, Arnie Mahon; Brian Lowry, Gavin Brennan; Pat Doyle, Michael Doran, David Aston; Eoin Lowry, Cathal Brennan, Ross Bolger. Subs: Mark McDermott for B Lowry (27 mins), Luke Attride for Doyle (45 mins), James Davis for Bolton (50 mins), Fionn Maher for L Attride (55 mins), Pat Doyle for Davis (BC, 64 mins).

REFEREE: Seamus Mulhare (The Heath)