Andersonstown Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship, Group Two
Sarsfield's 1-19 St Paul's 3-14
STEPHEN Rooney drilled a last-gasp free to the net to snatch victory for St Paul's over neighbours, Sarsfield's, in Group Two of the Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship on Wednesday.
When the impressive Niall McKenna found the net at the other end to put seven between them on 55 minutes, it seemed this game was over but there was no quit in this youthful St Paul's side who refused to go away and their fighting spirit was rewarded with a victory that seemed so improbable shortly before.
McKenna looked like it would be his performance to grab the attention as he was in fine form on the night, landing some excellent scores as he and county team-mate Daniel McKernan linked up on a number of occasions.
As it was, the visitors, with a host of players who have just graduated into the senior ranks, would come away with their first points of the competition ahead of their final game against Creggan on Saturday, with Sarsfield's now knowing there is no margin for error in their final games against Glenravel and Glenariffe is they are to keep their hopes of a semi-final place alive.
St Paul's were first off the mark as Mark Munce split the posts just 35 seconds in, but a double from Oisin Coleman - the second a superb effort from an angle on the right - gave the hosts their first lead of the evening.
Conall Finnegan would respond in kind with two of his own and then on eight minutes, Stephen Rooney burst out from the back, passed out to Thomas Duff whose long delivery broke to Lorcan Phillips and despite being in traffic on the left of goal, squeezed a shot into the net at the near post.
Enter Niall McKenna for Sarsfield's as the county star began to exert his influence with four points on the spin between play and frees as the sides were level.
Lorcan Phillips celebrates scoring the first goal of the game
St Paul's enjoyed another bright spell with three of their own through Daire Stevenson and a Caolan Crossan brace, his second from play after a tidy pick-up to move 1-6 to 0-6 up after 18 minutes.
But they would fail to add to their tally until first-half injury-time as Sarsfield's rattled off the next seven without reply, McKenna again to the fore with Ryan O'Neill, Garry Lennon and Coleman assisting.
The visitors would trim the gap back, however, with Munce and Crossan finding their range in stoppage time as Sarsfield's went in at the break leading 0-13 to 1-8.
Sarsfield's would begin the second half brightly with four quick points, but there was no quit in this St Paul's team as they worked their way back into it with three of their own through Mark Munce, Dáire Stevenson and Crossan.
The scores had dried up at the other end with shots going astray, but Donal McKernan ended a barren 12 minutes with a point on the turn and then on 55 it seemed it was game over as McKenna gathered and shot low to the net, putting his team 1-18 to 1-11 ahead.
But again, the visitors rallied and grabbed a lifeline immediately after when Crossan's long free dropped and it seemed to be Stevenson with the touch to the net.
Thomas Duff added a great score after a good run along the left flank and with the game now in stoppage time, Crossan popped over two fees to leave the minimum in it.
Caolan McKernan bursts out of the Sarsfield's defence
A Niall McKenna free in reply seemed to be the one to steady Sarsfield's, but there was still time for that late drama as in the seventh minute of stoppage time, St Paul's won a free just outside the 20. Rooney came up to take responsibility and despite a packed penalty area, managed to drill hit shot low to the net to snatch a dramatic win with the final poc of the ball and bank his team's first points of the competition.
The other game in the group saw Glenariffe score a 3-20 to 0-15 win at home to Glenravel, while in Group One, there was a 2-19 to 2-12 win for Cushendun over Tír na nÓg and Carey defeated Glenarm 3-25 to 4-11.
SARSFELD'S: G McKernan; B McGibbon, J Daniels, M McCavanagh; J Cunningham, C McKernan, E McCartan; K McKernan (0-1 free), Daniel McKernan; D Smyth, N McKenna (1-11, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65), R O'Neill (0-1); Donal McKernan (0-1), G Lennon (0-2), O Coleman (0-3).
Subs: R McAreavey for R O'Neill (42), D Coleman for B McGibbon (47), A McGarrigle for O Coleman (56), R McKenna for J Cunningham (56)
ST PAUL'S: C Murray; C Gallagher, F Sewell, T Auld; T Duff (0-1), S Rooney (1-0 free), L Walsh; M Munce (0-3), C Finnegan (0-2); D Stevenson (1-2), C Crossan (0-6, 4 frees), D Chapman; S Munce, L Phillips (1-0), B Burns.
Subs: C Duffy for C Gallagher (HT), A Carey for C Finnegan (42), D McGreevy for B Burns (59)
REFEREE: Darren McKeown (St Gall's)
