SAHC: Anthony Spillane fires Castlelyons past Na Piarsaigh after 26 penalties
Castlelyons' Colm Spillane knocks the sliotar down from Na Piarsaigh's Dayne Lee during the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC Q-F at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
After the best hurling game that will be played this season, Castlelyons overcame Na Piarsaigh in a penalty shootout after a cracker in the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC quarter-final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday night.
The Imokilly side will now face Glen Rovers at the semi-final stage following this classic.
It was an amazing game of hurling, very open in what was a throwback encounter. For sheer endeavour and honesty, it kept the large attendance glued right to the very end of the encounter.
It's impossible to go through everything that happened in this crazy game. It was always destined for extra time, but it looked like Na Piarsaigh had done enough in extra time, but a last-gasp Alan Fenton goal sent the game to penalties. Incredible drama.
When it came to the shootout, last year's PIHC winners just about held their nerve to win after sudden death and after 26 penalties, with Anthony Spillane the hero with the winning penalty after Gordon Joyce missed his penalty for Na Piarsaigh.
It had finished two converted penalties apiece after the initial five takers. Na Piarsaigh netminder Luke Donovan made a superb save to deny Niall O’Leary and move the shootout onto sudden death. Daire Connery, Castlelyons goalkeeper Jack Barry, Ross O’Sullivan and Alan Fenton all scored before Joyce hit his shot wide, but Spillane was unable to win it as his shot was saved by Donovan.
When it came around to Anthony Spillane once again, 10 penalties later, he delivered, sparking wild celebrations from the winning camp as the rain came down. Utter dejection for Na Piarsaigh.
In a fast-paced start with nine points in the opening 10 minutes, Castlelyons settled the better as they led 0-3 to 0-1 after five minutes.
Na Piarsaigh would get their purple patch as the city outfit hit five unanswered points. Luke Sheehan, Ross O’Sullivan with two, Pádraig Guest and Kelvin Forde with the efforts, 0-6 to 0-3 after 10 minutes.
In a game that ebbed and flowed at a breathless pace, Castlelyons would outscore their opposition 1-4 to 0-1 in what turned out to be a crucial period when it came to the end. The goal coming after 14 minutes when the lively David Morrison finished low into the corner of the net, 1-7 to 0-7.
The sides exchanged points before Eoin Maye pushed his side four clear. Craig Hanifin and James Kearney pointed for their sides, before Castlelyons nearly added a second goal six minutes to the break, but Anthony Spillane wasn’t able to generate enough power in his shot to beat Na Piarsaigh netminder Donovan.
Fenton and Keith O’Leary gave the Imokilly side a six-point lead as they deservedly led. A Guest free did reduce the deficit just before the break, 1-12 to 0-10 at half-time.
Na Piarsaigh came out a different side for the new half as Guest converted a free before Luke Sheehan billowed the back of the Castlelyons net after 32 minutes. A great finish. The game turned on its head, as the Fair Hill-based club led thanks to points from Hanifin and another Guest free, 1-13 to 1-12.
Keith O’Leary drew parity before the teams swapped white flags until Shane Forde nudged Na Piarsaigh in front after 42 minutes. In a right ding-dong battle, Anthony Spillane bisected the posts as the teams were deadlocked once more, 1-15 apiece.
The team in black and amber were the better team at this juncture in the game as they hit four of the next five points to lead 1-19 to 1-16 with nine minutes remaining. A Guest 65 pushed his side’s lead out to four before Castlelyons roared back into it. Keith O’Leary hit a point before sub Leon Doocey goaled after 58 minutes, made by Niall O’Leary, level, 2-17 to 1-20.
A pair of Fenton points gave Castlelyons a two-point lead before a Hanifin green flag from close range after 59 minutes gave Na Piarsaigh the advantage again, 2-20 to 2-19. A Fenton effort three minutes into added time sent the game to extra time.
The rain was coming down heavily, which only added to the drama. There was wayward shooting from both sides early in extra time, which was understandable.
The sides traded points before a Guest 65 was quickly cancelled out by an outstanding Keith O’Leary effort, 2-22 apiece at the interval.
This was on the edge of your seat action. Ross O’Sullivan and Guest pushed Na Piarsaigh two ahead in the second period of extra time. A Fenton free cut the gap to a point with six minutes to go. A Kelvin Forde effort gave the city outfit a two-point buffer with two minutes left. A Guest free extended his side’s advantage as we went into added time.
Castlelyons had a close range free right at the death with a goal on the cards, Fenton stepped up and buried it. Penalties.
It made for a tense finish with Castlelyons prevailing. What a game.
A Fenton 1-11 (1-4 f, 0-2 65), K O’Leary 0-5, D Morrison, L Doocey 1-0 each, A Spillane, J Kearney, B Murphy 0-2 each, E Maye 0-1.
P Guest 0-12 (0-8 f, 0-2 65), C Hanifin 1-3, L Sheehan 1-1, R O’Sullivan 0-4, K Forde 0-3, K Moynihan, C Hogan, S Forde 0-1 each.
J Barry; D Spillane, C Barry, O Hallihan; N O’Leary, C Spillane, L Sexton; J Kearney, A Fenton; A O'Sullivan, B Murphy, K O'Leary; E Maye, D Morrison, A Spillane.
C McCarthy for E Maye, L Doocey for L Sexton (both 48), J O'Leary for D Spillane (51), L Sexton for A O’Sullivan (60), B Spillane for D Morrison (69), E Maye for B Murphy, D Spillane for C Barry (both 75).
L Donovan; P Murphy, G Joyce, A Dennehy; D Connery, C Buckley, K Moynihan; C Hanifin, D Lee; S Forde, E Sheehan, L Sheehan; R O’Sullivan, K Forde, P Guest.
C Hogan for E Sheehan (22), G Healy for D Lee (h-t, inj), E Sheehan for A Dennehy (61), SP Cooke for C Hogan (79).
Colm Lyons (Nemo Rangers).
App?
