Pal pip Leighlinbridge to Junior 'A' final place after dramatic finale
Palatine's Peter Lynch, Luke Byrne and Oran O'Boyle celebrate Palatine's late goal against Leighlinbridge. Photo: Pat Ahern
A late, late goal from Oran O’Boyle followed by a Thomas Sheehan point stole the most unlikeliest of victories for Palatine in this Junior Football A Championship semi-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
Leighlinbridge could have been as much as six points clear at half-time as the eventual winners went ahead on three minutes thanks to a converted 45 by Conor Buggy.
The All-Blacks hit back with points from Ciaran Nolan and Aidan Lillis. Both would score two points each before the interval.
Buggy added to his early score with a Palatine free and another 45 with Peter Lynch their only other scorer in the opening thirty minutes. Leighlinbridge did enough to take a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage to the interval. Lee Conran and Rob O’Byrne also raised a white flag each.
The second half looked to be heading to a predictable conclusion as Aidan Lillis, Rob O’Byrne and Fiach O’Toole scored six points between them.
With just over five minutes Conor Buggy took a pass from Marc Mulhall and found the net at the scoreboard end of the ground. The same player added a point to leave three in it.
Palatine had their opponents on the rack now and when Mulhall did well to keep a stray shot in play, he quickly dispatched it into the edge of the small square. There were at least three Palatine players on the right but an outstretched foot guided the ball just over the line. Afterwards his team mates credited O’Boyle with the final touch.
From the kick-out Palatine gained possession and Thomas Sheehan took his chance from inside the arc. The ball sailed over the crossbar to give his side the most unlikeliest of victories.
C Buggy 1-5 (2-45s f), O O’Boyle 1-0, T Sheehan, P Lynch 0-1 each.
, A Lillis 0-4, F O’Toole 0-3, R O’Byrne, C Nolan 0-2 each, L Conran 0-1.
Sean Buggy; John Byrne, Conor Lawlor, Ewan Breen; Adam Seger, Luke Campion, John Hendricken; Conor Buggy, Marc Mulhall; Luke Byrne, Oran O’Boyle, Thomas Sheehan; Dylan Farrell, Lee Gordon, Peter Lynch.
Subs: Cillian Moore for Gordon (h/t), Cian Fitzpatrick for Seger (55).
Chris Kearney; Ros Dermody, Kacper Gniedziejko, PJ Haugney; Joey Byrne, Cathal Brennan, Ciaran Nolan; Liam Brennan, Aedan Byrne; Cian Brennan, Lee Conran, Fiach O’Toole; Rob O’Byrne, Aidan Nolan, Aidan Lillis.
Subs: Josh Kearney for O’Byrne (39), Alfie Barcoe for Brennan (52), Val Fleming for A Nolan (58), Mark Brennan for C Nolan (59).
Sean McCormack (Fighting Cocks)
