By Charlie Collins
St Eunans 0-21 v 0-21 Swatragh (Eunans win 5-4 on penalties)
This Ulster Junior hurling championship clash in Dungannon turned out to be a real thriller as the Derry side came from four behind at half-time to take a very late lead of 0-14 to 0-13, but Daire O Maoileidigh’s fifth point for Eunans sent the game to extra-time, 0-14 apiece.
When it finished 0-21 apiece after extra-time the game went to the dreaded penalty shootout with the Letterkenny team winning out 5-4 in sudden death.
Three points each from O Maoileidigh and team captain Sean McVeigh helped the Letterkenny men to a 0-10 to 0-06 lead at the break, ten wides did not help Swatragh’s cause in the first-half.
However with St.Eunans finding score’s difficult to get in the second-half the Derry side were able to get back on terms and go ahead late in the game before Daire O Maoileidigh’s late point sent it to extra-time 0-14 points apiece.
Kevin Kealy’s second point put Eunans ahead again but they suffered a setback when Cormac Finn received a red card but as the teams exchanged points, Eunans led again at 0–18 to 0-17, but back came Swatragh again and we reached 0-19 points apiece as this was proving to be a real thriller.
Daire O Maoileidigh added his ninth and tenth points but the Swatragh men matched all he could as it finished 0-21 to 0-21 and we went to a penalty shootout.
Both teams scored four and missed one penalty to send this incredible game to sudden-death, it really added to the drama as if we hadn’t had enough already. When the Derry men missed their first in sudden death up stepped Cathal O Brien to hammer the ball to the net to give St.Eunans the victory and a place in the Ulster Junior Championship Final.
Daire O Maoileidigh top scored with 0-10 points and got good support from Sean McVeigh 0-03, Cathal O Brien 0-03 and Kevin Kealy 0-02.
St Eunan’s through to Ulster Junior Hurling Final after penalty thriller was last modified: November 12th, 2023 by