Late Drama in Division 3 Final

Clare 3-07 Leitrim 1-12 

Clare clinched the Suzuki NFL Division 3 title after a frantic
final sixty seconds in Pairc Chiarain Athlone on Sunday afternoon.
As the clock ticked in the final minutes Clare led by a single
point. Then came a Leitrim goal from Clare Owens that looked to
have sent the title West. However on what was an absorbing weekend
of action there was to be one more twist. The action swung straight
to the other end and after great play from player of the match
Aine Kelly the ball broke to Tammy Hehir who fired to the roof
of the net to clinch the glory for the Banner.

Leitrim opened brightly and after 13mins they led by four points
from Ann Marie Cox (2), Sinead Quinn and Sinead McLoughlin. Clare
opened their account on 14mins when Aine Kelly sent to the Leitrim
net. Clare Owens hit point number five for the Westerners with
nine minutes of the opening period remaining. The remainder of
the half belonged to the eventual winners. Myra Daly pointed five
minutes from the break and three minutes later Marie Kelly hammered
to the net. The final say went to captain Majella Griffin with
a free to give the Banner the interval lead of 2-02 to 0-05.

The second half was to be frantic and full of excitement with
more twists and turns than a corkscrew. At the end of the third
quarter the sides were back on level terms with Leitrim hitting
points from Cox, McLoughlin, Eimear McGlade and Quinn while Clare
had one from Marie Kelly. Both Niamh Keane and Siobhan Mollahan
exchanged points to keep them on level terms with just over ten
minutes remaining. Aine Kelly fired over two quick points to edge
Clare in front but back came Leitrim with an Ann Marie Cox free.
Majella Griffin and Cox exchanged points to leave it a one point
game with time running low.

What was to follow nobody would have predicted. Leitrim piled
forward looking for the equaliser. Eimear McGlade’s attempted
shot was partially blocked and the ball broke kindly for Owens
to drill the ball to the net. Fifty nine seconds remained when
the ball nestled in the Clare net. Surely that was that but not
so as immediately the play swung to the other end and Hehir pounced
to fire to the net for a Clare winner. The hooter sounded seconds
later and the title was on its way south in what will go down
as one of the most exciting finishes in living history.

Clare: E O’Driscoll, S Eustace, E Morrissey, C Talty, G Lynch,
L Kelly, S Kelly, L Henchy, N Keane (0-01), M Kelly (1-01), M
Griffin (0-02,f), M Considine, O Lucas, M Daly (0-01), A Kelly
(1-04) Subs: T Hehir (1-00)

Leitrim: L Loughlin, C Creegan, S Brennan, M Stenson, S Kerrigan,
M McKeon, T Mylott, M Quinn, E McGlade (0-01), N Flaughnan, S
McLoughlin (0-02), A Conlon, A M Cox (0-05, 4f), S Quinn (0-02),
C Owens (1-01) Subs: S Mollahan (0-01), L Brennan

Report by Alan Gunn