Killererin in agony as Connacht title left behind them

St. Brigids 2-14Killererin 1-10(After extra-time)

FRANK FARRAGHERiN TUAM STADIUM

THERE’S a lot of fun in sport but there’s a lot of pain too and this week the footballers and people of Killererin will be feeling the ache and heartbreak of defeat in every fibre of mind and body after coming within a kick of the ball of their first Connacht title in 32 years.

As the old saying goes, for every joy there’s a sorrow, and while Killererin will endure a gruelling few weeks of suffering, the footballers of St. Brigids will march on to an All-Ireland semi-final date with the Munster champions after pulling off one of the greatest escapes ever witnessed in Connacht club football.

With just over 30 seconds left on the clock and with Killererin in possession of the ball on the half-way line, dozens of St. Brigid’s supporters were streaming towards the exit gates of Tuam Stadium with their head bowed . . . their fate accepted.

What happened after that will forever be the stuff of legend out Kiltoom way. Killererin’s Tommie Wilson lost possession as he hopped the ball across the half-way line . . . St. Brigids secured a free . . . Frankie Dolan’s perfect delivery was met by the hand of Cathal McHugh . . . and in an instant the cup had been snatched award from the fingertips of Killererin.

Yes the teams were still tied at 1-8 apiece when Frank Flynn sounded the final whistle but psychologically Killererin were in an awful place as they faced into 20 minutes of injury time – the force and momentum of this game had turned the way of the Roscommon champions. They had come back from the dead . . . and they were never going to spurn this second chance of championship life.

It must be said that this was no fluke or freak win for St. Brigids – all through they had given as good as they got, and put together some seamless passages of combination play, but it appeared after an hour of intense jousting as if they had succumbed to the sheer resilience and craft of Killererin.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.