Sarsfields lucky to survive

In the end they weren't just out of their seats, they were on tiptoe as they craned to catch the latest fault lines in this earthquake of a game. With a twist entirely in keeping with the lurching narrative of the hour Dunloy equalised at the death but still came away from Mullingar feeling like victims of a larceny.

Picture this: With three minutes left Sarsfields saw an attempted point drop back off the post and into the path of Peter Kelly who dispatched to the net giving the Galway men a one-point lead. Ninety seconds later Dunloy opened the western defence yet again, Gregory O'Kane scooting clear through with a man free to his right. With a goal looking like the inevitable and heavilyprecedented outcome Michael Ward hauled O'Kane down from behind.

O'Kane equalised from the free.

Had it ended there it would have been sufficient drama for the day. Yet the sides swapped points again in the shallows of injury time before referee Pat O'Connor whistled up a morally equitable draw. The end was marked by a sharp intake of breath and a standing ovation.

All week there had been a growing feeling that this fixture had the potential for an upset, if not drama. Dunloy were humming with anticipation. Sarsfields were parading an infirmary full of wounded hurling celebrities. In the end they all appeared on the field yesterday in varying stages of convalescence. The most critical ailment transpired to be in the Sarsfields full back line.

Gregory O'Kane and Aidan Donohue began the match just as they finished it, swapping points. The game settled for a few minutes with Jarlath Elliott edging Dunloy in front just before the tremors began.

On seven minutes a long ball from the right wing back position dropped into the Sarsfields box. Gregory O'Kane won it in the air flicked to Alistair Elliott. Goal.

Sarsfields swept down the field. Aidan Donohue lobbed a high ball from 50 yards, Peter Kelly swung one handed at it. Another goal.

Thus it continued. Fine hurling laced with rookie errors and the thrilling momentum of a tight game. Sarsfields had their finest patch of play there in the first quarter, Kelly's goal sparking a run of 2-3 with out reply. The moment best preserved in the memory is Sarsfields' second goal, a flashing shot at the end of an electric solo run from Aidan Donohue, who got away from his marker, Seamus McMullen with an astonishing burst of acceleration. For 10 minutes it looked as if Sarsfields were about to draw on their pedigree and bury Dunloy without ceremony. The Antrim side responded in the manner of the moment, however, with two goals in six minutes as their midfield pairing came to grips with the increased tempo of the game.

Gregory O'Kane netted in the 17th minute. Alaistair Elliott scored his second goal not long afterwards following another long and piercing ball from Seamus McMullan, this year's nominee in the category `Best Performance By a Wing Back Whose Marker Scores 1-10'.

So it continued. Both full back lines looked jittery and unsteady and forwards played with increasing temerity. Dunloy landed a succession of long balls into their inside line which repaid the generosity by scoring 3-4 before the break.

Sarsfields were more varied in their approach and if too many moves broke down at around the 45 metre line Aidan Donohue's touch with frees kept them in the hunt.

The sides got to the break with a point separating them and Peter Kelly wiped out that discrepancy within 10 seconds of the throw-in for the second half.

They wrestled for the lead thereafter, scoring points tit-for-tat for 15 minutes before Dunloy reaped the reward for superior possession with yet another goal. Tony McGrath, now at full forward in a straight swap with Greg O'Kane, finishing a move which involved four short cheeky passes right across the face of the Sarsfields' goal.

That put Dunloy four points clear and looking good.

They derailed themselves again in the following moments, however, conceding 1-3 with only a Nigel Elliott point and a bad Alistair Elliott miss to show in exchange.

Sarsfields introduced their talismanic hero Joe Cooney for the finale and his presence added to the spectacle if not the scoreline. It finished with some regrets on both sides and the attendance of 4,463 setting off to spread the word about a tasty-looking replay.