Roy of the Rovers stuff at Croke Park

Ballysaggart and Kickhams Creggan will have to do it all over again after the All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling final ended in a draw after extra time in Croke Park.

The northern side forced the game to extra time when they put over a stoppage time free at the end of the hour, but in extra time it was the Waterford side that needed a dramatic late score to ensure that the two sides will have to do it all over again.

At the break in normal time things were looking extremely good for the Waterford and Munster Champions as they held a nine points lead, one which they further stretched at the start of the second half, but for much of that second half they had to play second fiddle to a Kickhams Creggan side that refused to throw in the towel despite been so far behind.

The sides in the opening five minutes evenly shared six points.

Shane Bennett following some good work by Darren Meagher pointed inside twenty seconds of the game starting.

Conor McCann responded almost straight away for the Ulster side but Ronan Walsh soon had Ballysaggart back in front.

Conor McCann with his second of the game levelled matters once more which was followed with efforts from Daniel Devine and Oran McCann.

Ballysaggart stole a march on their opponents when Stephen Bennett deceived everyone when standing over a free after a foul on Ronan Walsh, Paul Flynn like he planted the ball in the net to give his side a 1-3 to 0-4 advantage on nine minutes.

Conor McCann and Kevin Rice pointed for the Ulster side to leave one between the sides before Ballysaggart hit their second major score of the game, this time Shane Bennett finished to the net after he was set up by Ronan Walsh.

Ballysaggart were somewhat unlucky not to have added a third goal soon after Shane Bennett had beaten Brendan Penter, Ronan Walsh putting the ball in the net but it was ruled out as he was deemed to have entered the small square before the ball.

Shane Bennett put over a hat-trick of points before Kevin Rice hit his sides only score of the second quarter of this game.

Ballysaggart were to enter the dressing rooms on a high at the break after they rattled the Kickhams Creggan net for the third time when a Stephen Bennett free deceived everyone and went to the net off the stick of one of the Kickhams Creggan defenders.

Leading 3-6 to 0-6 when the sides took to the field for the second half, it did not look good for the Antrim Club when Stephen Bennett put over the first score of the second half.

However, if that score did anything it ignited the Antrim and Ulster Champions.

Oran McCann pointed before a Kevin Rice shot was not properly dealt with by Matty Meagher in the Ballysaggart goal and Conor Small was on hand to put the ball in the Ballysaggart net.

Oran McCann and Stephen Bennett swapped scores before Oran and Conor McCann landed points to leave Kickhams Creggan trailing 3-8 to 1-10 at the end of the third quarter.

Oran McCann and Stephen Bennett again swapped scores before the Ballysaggart defence fouled Conor Small and Galway official Christy Browne had no hesitation in extending his arms outright indicating a penalty which Conor McCann riffled past the Ballysaggart three man wall with ten minutes of the game still to play.

Ronan Walsh put two points between the sides when he put over his second of the game, but Ballysaggart were to experience a nervy ending.

Substitute Matthew Nelson pointed with seven minutes to go and while the Antrim and Ulster Champions attacked the Ballysaggart goal in the time that remained, it looked as though Ballysaggart would hold out for a win, but a free from Conor McCann close to the half way mark on the field in added time at the end of the hour sailed over the head of the Ballysaggart defence to send the game to extra time.

How Ballysaggart would react was not going to be interesting to see.

They at one point in the second half held a ten point lead which was wiped out.

They started the second half by falling behind for the first time when Oran McCann put over a brace of points, but they were not long in front as Shane Bennett hit his second goal of the game to give his side a 4-10 to 2-15 in front which was followed by the dismissal of Sam McGuire for the Ulster side.

The pendulum now seemed to be swinging back in Ballysaggart’s favour. They were a point up and had a numerical advantage. However from time to time playing with a numerical advantage might not be the advantage that some thing it is.

Before the break in extra time, Oran and Conor McCann put over points for their side which gave them a 2-17 to 4-10 advantage at the turn around in extra time.

Kickhams Creggan continued to be the better of the sides at the start of the second half as James Carey and Ruarai McCann put over points to give them a 2-19 to 4-10 advantage.

Ken Cashell and Kevin Rice swapped scores before Kieran Bennett and Kevin Rice with his fourth of the game swapped scores to keep the Ulster Champions three points to the good with time ticking down fast.

However, no game is over till the final whistle and Ballysaggart despite been behind, just like Kickhams Creggan at the start of second time in normal time refused to throw in the towel.

Kieran Bennett one of the unsung hero’s of this side with seconds remaining in normal time in extra time knowing a point was no good to his side sent in a high ball around the Kickhams Creggan goals and younger brother Shane was on hand to finish to the net to level the game 5-12 to 2-21.

In the time that remained from Brendan Penter’s restart the Ulster side attacked the Ballysaggart defence. Twice they tried to breach it and twice they failed as Ballysaggart held out for a share of the spoils.

No doubt Ballysaggart will be disappointed that they lost the ten point lead that they had early in the second half, but they will also be elated to have got the goal they did at the end of extra time.

The game was from start to finish was a cracker. The writers of the Roy of the Rovers comic strip or of the Billy Boot’s Comic Strip which many read in the past, could hardly have come up with a better finish than what happened at Croke Park.

No details of the replay are know yet, but it is sure to attract another bumper crowd.

Both sides will feel that they have what it takes to win. Who will win however? It has to be the side that learns the most from this game. The thing is however, which side did learn most.

BALLYSAGGART: Matty Meagher; Bobby Ryan, Kieran Fennessy, Daniel Devine; Barry Murphy, Eugene O’Brien, Cailean O’Gorman; Christy Murphy, Kieran Bennett; Shane Bennett, Darren Meagher, Kenneth Cashell; Ronan Walsh, Stephen Bennett, Tom Bennett.

Subs: Michael Kearney for Fennessy (34); Stephen Hale for Kearney (66); Colin Kearney for T Bennett 70 mins; Cathal Fitzgerald for Devine 78 mins.

Scorers: Stephen Bennett 2-7 (2-5f), Shane Bennett 3-0, R Walsh 0-2, D Devine 0-1, K Bennett 0-1, K Cashell 0-1.

CREGGAN KICKHAMS: Brendan Penter; Declan McCann, Aidan Maguire, Donal Carey; Brendan Maguire, Thomas McCann, Martin Johnson; Sam Maguire, Aidan McKeown; Kevin Rice, Oran McCann, Ruairi McCann; Conor Small, James Dougan, Conor McCann.

Subs: James Carey for Dougan (27), Matthew Nelson for D McCann (36).

Scorers: Conor McCann 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Oran McCann 0-8 (4f, 1 ’65), Kevin Rice 0-4, Conor Small 1-0, J Carey 0-1, Ruairi McCann 0-1, Matthew Nelson 0-1.

Referee: Christy Browne (Galway)