Silverbridge 6-5 Culloville 3-12
Silverbridge made a sensational comeback against Culloville to claim championship gold on Sunday afternoon.
11-point down with 15 minutes to go, the Bridge looked dead and buried. But they mustered up the strength from somewhere to produce an incredible final quarter.
Sean Conlon’s move to the forward line was an inspired decision while Anton Duffy was an inspirational figure in the second half. Culloville will be heartbroken, they led the game from the first minute to the 63rd but couldn’t get over the line.
They started best and carried an 8-point lead into the half time interval. Dara Quinn rattled off four first half points to make it 6-1 just before the break.
Half back Niall Dale got the final flick on a ball that dropped dangerously into the square to give Culloville a 1-6 to 0-1 half time lead. Duffy narrowed the gap at the beginning of the second half, but that was matched and bettered by a Quinn brace.
Second half
Silverbridge were handed a huge lifeline when Sean Conlon fired low to the bottom corner, but what was to come still seemed a long shot. Culloville netted straight away through Ryan Duffy, but Anton Duffy offered a pointed response for the Bridge.
The next four scores were all goals, with three going the way of Silverbridge. Charlie Garvey rattled home a three-pointer to put the Blues 11-points ahead. Anton Duffy finished to an empty net for the Bridge, after Conlon’s effort crashed off the crossbar and fell to Duffy’s waiting arms.
Ciaran Reel’s goal-bound shot took a deflection and ended up in the net before Conor McArdle lashed home from the penalty spot. Quinn settled the leaders with a point before Fergal Kieran added his second to open up a four-point gap.
Two Garvey points sandwiched a fifth Silverbridge goal, with Conlon playing through Duffy, who’s soccer style finish narrowed the deficit. McArdle slotted over a free, but Culloville still held a two-point lead in the dying moments of the game.
The final three minutes were astonishing. A long ball in from Duffy sailed over the keepers head and ricocheted off the crossbar. Sean Conlon was on hand to knock the ball in the net and hand Silverbridge the lead for the first time.
Duffy made sure of the victory with another point and the final whistle was music to Silverbridge hears. It was a tough way to lose for Culloville, but for Silverbridge, their never-say-die attitude was rewarded.
Culloville: Thomas Maughan, Jason Campbell, Eoghan Roe O’Neill, Evan Kieran, Niall Dale 1-0, James King, Anthony Gregory, Ciaran Connolly, Fergal Kieran 0-2, Caolan Murray, Taidgh O’Neill, Ryan Duffy 1-0, Odhran Campbell, Dara Quinn 0-7 (3f), Charlie Garvey 1-3. Subs: Conor O’Neill for O. Campbell.
Silverbridge: Eoghan Murphy, Darragh Murphy, Conor Shevlin, Ultan Kelly, Sean Hamill 0-1, Tomas McKeever, Sean Conlon 2-0, Ciaran Reel 1-0, Aaron McArdle, Anton Duffy 2-3 (1f), Michael Traynor, Ruairi Murphy, Oran Connolly, Conor McArdle 1-1 (1pen 1f), Jimmy Campbell. Subs: Ryan McShane for O. Connolly, Tomas McShane for C. Shevlin.
