JFC quarter-final
Pearses1-13 Eire Og 2-9
Stephen Fitzsimmons finished with a personal contribution of 0-7 to inspire Pearses to a one point victory over Eire Og in this Junior Football Championship encounter at Fennell Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Derriaghy side looked to have matters sewn up when they led by three with three minutes of normal time remaining when they lost Gavin Donnelly to a Black card.
It was the Antrim Road side who took advantage however with Fitzsimmons converting two late frees and another from play and his last point, four minutes into time added on would prove the winner.
It was Eire Og who made the early running with points from Caomhan Daykin and Conal Smyth with Aidan Bannon replying for Pearses before Kevin Clarke moved Eire Og 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the 10th minute.
Fitzsimmons responded with his first of the evening but Eire Og were enjoying the better of the exchanges in a typically competitive Junior Football clash with little quarter asked or given.
By half time the Doire Achaidh side had moved 0-6 to 0-4 ahead with Peter James Toal 0-2 and Conor McKenna on target and Fionn Grew and Stephen Fitzsimmons replying for the Antrim Road men.
Fitzsimmons and Grew had Na Piarsaigh back on terms inside four minutes of the second half resuming as Eire Og lost Ryan Clarke to a Black card and the men in Green took advantage as Aidan Bannon pointed them ahead for the first time.
Two more from Stephen Fitzsimmons moved Pearses three ahead by the 12th minute and they seemed to be taking control but Eire Og came storming back with a goal from the returning Kevin Clarke to draw level at the end of the third quarter.
Clarke’s goal seemed to lift the team in White and red as they added points through Mark Graham and Ronan Donnelly to move two in front with 8 minutes remaining but they were rocked back on their heels when Phil Murray replied with a Pearses goal.
Still the Doire Achaidh side looked to have pulled it out of the fire when substitute Dermot Burns replied with a point before a flowing movement from deep in their own half saw Daykin finish to the net
Daykin’s goal moved Eire Og three in front with three minutes remaining and they looked on their way to the semi-final but Pearses staged a late rally, inspired by Fitzsimmons, to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat.
Pearses: 1 Eamon McKenna, 2 Darren O’Neill, 3 Cormac O’Neill, 24 Marcus Kelly, 5 Phillip Gillespie, 6 Aidan Bannon, 7 Aidan McCavana, 8 Thomas McFarlane, 9 Peter Johnston, 10 Nathan Gorman, 11 Stephen Fitzsimmons, 22 Piaras Donaghy, 13 Phil Murray, 14 Fionn Grew, 15 Sean Moreland, 16 Ryan Nugent.
Eire Og: 1 Mark Hamill, 2 Ryan Clarke, 3 Jarlath Devlin, 4 James McClory, 5 Ronan Donnelly, 6 Mark Graham, 7 Conor Erskine, 8 Peter James Toal, 9 Conal Smyth, 10 Stephen Erskine, 11 Kevin Clarke, 12 Gavin Donnelly, 13 Conor McKenna, 14 Caomhan Daykin, 15 Daniel Campbell, 17 Adam McKenna, 18 Christopher Carberry, 19 Dermot Burns, 21 Eanna McNulty,
Referee: Cathal McDermott (Tir na nOg)
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