Oldtown claim league title in dramatic fashion as Kildrum edged out

Oldtown Celtic edged out title rivals Kildrum Tigers in dramatic and indeed controversial fashion as a hotly disputed penalty, awarded four minutes into injury time, decided matters.

Oldtown Celtic 2 Kildrum Tigers 1

On the very last day of the season and with the sides neck and neck at the top of the Saturday League Division 1 table - this clash was effectively a ‘winner takes all’ encounter. 

Having battled back from one down, it looked like Oldtown were going to force the league title race to a play-off decider. But deep into five minutes of added time, referee Dessie McLaughlin made a huge call when he pointed to the spot. 

It looked a soft call from the vantage point of the sideline but Oldtown didn’t care one bit. And with Kevin McGrath ramming home from the spot, it was the Letterkenny men that snatched the win and, with it, the league title. 

Early on, it was Kildrum that looked the more polished and capable outfit. Inside the first quarter of an hour the likes of James McNulty and Kealan Gillen came close with the latter drawing a fine save out of Michael Gibson. 

But with the hosts eventually settling, they also created some excellent opportunities as Kevin McGrath fizzed one just wide of the upright while Sean Cleary almost broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion when his lob from distance just cleared the crossbar. 

Anthony Browne was then unlucky at one end while Jamie McKinney could hardly believe it when Celtic stopper Michael Gibson somehow got down low to his right, just before the break, to somehow paw away an effort that looked destined for the bottom corner of the net. 

Michael Lynch could and perhaps should have put Tigers in front soon after the restart but somehow directed his effort from close range over. But on 52 minutes Kildrum finally took the lead when Gillen got in behind the Oldtown defence before coolly slotting home. 

But on 66 minutes the sides were level when Kevin McGrath’s sublime delivery from the wide left was stabbed home at the back post by the lurking Cleary. With matters seemingly drifting towards a stalemate, there was to be late, late drama. 

Kildrum replacement Aaron O’Donnell and McGrath came together inside the area and with the latter going to ground, the man in the middle immediately signalled for a penalty. It was a cruel ending for Kildrum but for Oldtown, to come out the right end of all that drama surely made their victory that little bit sweeter. 

Oldtown Celtic: Michael Gibson; Shea O'Donnell, Gerard Patton, Mick Hawe, Kyle Gormely; Anthony Browne, Kevin McGrath, Ciaran Gibson, Luke Nelis; Sean Cleary, Joseph Friel.

Subs: Tommy McLaughlin for C Gibson (55), Paddy McLaughlin for Gormley (60), Gio Peoples for Hawe (67), Drew Connolly for O'Donnell (75).

Kildrum Tigers: Chris O'Donnell; Paul McNulty, James McNulty Michael Lynch, Brian Coll; Oisin McFadden, Jamie McKinney, James Mcnulty, Jacob McDaid; Kealan Gillen, Gareth Colhoun.

Subs: Corey McBride Gillen for McNulty (65), Paul O'Leary for Colhoun (76), Michael Ayton for McDaid and Aaron O'Donnell for McFadden (both 85).

Referee: Dessie McLaughlin.