Seán MacCumhaills rose from the dead with just under two minutes to go to clinch their spot in the Ulster Junior Hurling Club Championship Final.
Seán MacCumhaills 2-13 Liatroim 2-11
Goal hero for the day David White was on hand to finish off a neat run by Martin O’Reilly to net the all-important goal and team captain Lee Henderson added a vital insurance point at the very end to seal the game.
The start of the game tells a very different story as it was the Down side Liatroim who were more clinical at the start and were always ahead in this fixture up until the 23rd minute when MacCumhaills levelled before going on to clinch some vital scores to edge ahead.
[adrotate group=”52″]Del Laverty was called into action to deny a Liatroim goal on more than one occasion and points from Gerard Gilmore and Henderson had MacCumhaills in touching distance but Liatroim won possession and netted.
Another goal chance was on the cards for the Down side but great pressuring from Anthony Patton forced the corner forward into opting for a point instead.
An exquisite pass from Gilmore found White who found just enough space to hammer home his first.
[adrotate group=”53″]All the hard work and determination paid off and MacCumhaills were level on 23 minutes via a Henderson free and then went on and took the lead a minute later through Gilmore.
Liatroim started to claw the game back and MacCumhaills were rocked when Liatroim pulled level for the first time since the closing minutes of the first half when they netted their second goal.
MacCumhaills broke a 12-minute scoring drought when Conor Griffin was fouled and Henderson brought the game back to a one point game three minutes from time.
[adrotate group=”81″]Another point from a free had the Down side back to two ahead but with it all at stake MacCumhaills were not to be found wanting in endeavour and belief.
Martin O’Reilly won possession and darted in on the Liatroim backline and offloaded to White, who found the composure required to hit his second goal.
The game was sealed shortly after when Patton won a vital free high up the pitch and Henderson guided the sliotar between the posts to bring an end to a nail-biting game.
[adrotate group=”38″]Seán MacCumhaills: Dylan Laverty, Anthony Patton, Jamesie Donnelly, Michael Lillis, Barney McMenamin, Gavin Browne, Conor Griffin, Paddy Hannigan, Lee Henderson (0-10, 8f, 1 ‘65), Barry McGranaghan, Conor Gallagher, David White (2-0), Gerard Gilmore (0-3), Andrew Barron, Martin O’Reilly. Subs: Aaron McAuley for Barron, Kyle Tourish for McGranaghan.
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