Sensational last gasp victory for Drumree

Drumree are back in senior hurling yet even a Hollywood scriptwriter would have hesitated to come up with the kind of scenario that unfolded towards the end of Sunday's IHC final at Trim. All the drama was condensed into the final few minutes as Drumree made the most improbable of comebacks to snatch victory. There have been better IHC finals in recent times, but few as controversial. The hectic finale was in sharp contrast to what went before. All afternoon the game stumbled from one minute to the next in a type of stop-start mode that mitigated against any kind of quality entertainment. Six minutes of injury-time had elapsed when Drumree launched a last desperate attempt to save the day. They were trailing by two points and looking increasingly desperate when they moved the ball upfield. Half-time substitute Dave Crimmins got the ball to Keith Rooney. His shot was blocked on the edge of the Boardsmill square. Boardsmill left-corner-back Bernard McLoughlin won possession and was powering his way out of defence when, to the surprise of many, referee Gerry Keoghan blew for a foul on the ball. There were strong, very strong, protests from Boardsmill players and supporters. The hue and cry eventually subsided and almost the entire Boardsmill team lined the goals. They were letting nothing past was their motto. Up stepped Drumree full-back Shane Troy to take the free from about 20 metres. With the seconds ticking away he knew he had to go for goal. To the surprise of no-one in the big attendance that's what he did with all power at his disposal. The Boardsmill defence managed to stop the sliotar. It skidded off a stick into the path of Dave Crimmins, he was five metres out and reacted quickly, pulled and the ball ended up in the net, somehow making it's way past a forest of sticks and legs. There was one last effort for Boardsmill, who shot nine wides, to save the day when they were awarded a free on half-way. Niall O'Rourke sent the ball goalwards hoping that the stiff breeze would give it enough and carry it over the bar. The shot had the legs, but not the direction and it went narrowly wide. Seconds later the final whistle blew and Drumree could hardly believe that they had rescued victory from the jaws of defeat - and neither could anyone else. Boardsmill were, in the words of their manager and ex-Drumree player David Troy, "absolutely gutted" with the manner of the defeat. Some of their supporters complained bitterly to the referee about the added minutes and the way in which he gave the match-changing free. Yet, Boardsmill will look back and reflect on chances they had near the end that, if they were converted, would have put them beyond the reach of their tenacious opponents. In the closing stages alone Martin Conway and Niall Weir went close before all the drama unfolded. Maybe because of nerves, neither team was able to find any real fluency and it looked particularly ominous for Drumree when they trailed at half-time by 0-8 to 2-3 with the stiff breeze behind them. Stephen Doyle was Drumree's main scorer in the pedestrian opening half with six points while Brian Coughlan and John Crimmins also split the posts from play. Boardmill always looked more threatening once they got the ball into the forward division. Points from O'Rourke and Niall McLoughlin kept them in the game until the 20th minute when they bagged their first goal. Eric Cribbin played the ball to O'Rourke on the left. He showed great pace to outrun defenders before firing high to the far corner of the net. Almost on the stroke of half-time Boardsmill struck again. O'Rourke played a long ball in for Weir who cut in from the right wing past despairing tackles and slotted home. While Drumree came back with points from Coughlan and Doyle it left Boardsmill in strong position going into the second-half and the wind behind them. Remarkably neither side could conjure up a score until the 47th minute when a Niall McLoughlin shot hit the upright and came out to Stephen Gibbons who pointed. Both sides continued to miss opportunities as the game meandered on. Doyle pointed two frees for Drumree. However, Boardsmill responded well. O'Rourke scored from a '65' while Thomas Leonard despatched an excellent point with two minutes to go. Boardsmill missed good scoring chances yet still looked to have done enough. Then it all went a little crazy as Drumree were awarded that very controversial free. Controversy or not they are back in the senior ranks. SCORERS Drumree - S Doyle 0-8, five frees, one '65'; D Crimmins 1-0; J Crimmins 0-1; B Coughlan 0-1. Boardsmill - N O'Rourke 1-3; N Weir 1-0; S Gibbons 0-1; T Leonard 0-1; N McLoughlin 0-1. THE TEAMS Drumree - R Curley; C Kenny, S Troy, S McGroder; P Walsh, C King, B Coughlan; B Walsh, C Kenny; S Doyle, J Crimmins, D Wallace; F Delaney, C Doyle, L Shanley. Subs - K Rooney for Shanley half-time; D Crimmins for Doyle half-time; J Reilly for Delaney half-time. Boardsmill - S Masterson; P Guy, V Guy, B McLoughlin; R Hatton, D Farrell, J Flood; N McLoughlin, E Cribbin; N O'Rourke, S Gibbons, M Conway; J Pratt, T Leonard, N Weir. Subs - C Flattery for Cribbin 46 mins; S Flood for P Guy 51m. Referee - Gerry Keoghan (Kilmessan).