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 GAA.ie 16th February 2004 | |||
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Newtownshandrum 1-16 O'Loughlin Gaels 0-19
Cork star Ben O'Connor rescued the All-Ireland Club ambitions of Munster champions Newtownshandrum with an injury-time free to secure a replay date with Kilkenny's O'Loughlin Gaels.
The date and venue for the replay has been set for Thurles on Saturday evening next, and both teams will look to recover as much from the exertions of a club hurling game that will surely go down as one of the greatest in recent history.
The Cork champions were looking good in the second half before O'Loughlin Gaels launched a dramatic come back to go 0-19 to 1-15 in front with minutes left to the end of normal time. But injury time, Newtownshandrum were awarded a free from almost 50 yards out from the goal. Ben O'Connor, who was a doubt for the game until late in the week, took his time before striking over the bar.
Gaels led the game 0-6 to 0-4 midway through the first half but a goal from full forward Dan O'Riordan put them in front for the first time. Goalkeeper Kieran Cleere failed to gather a high ball dropping into the square, and O'Riordan was well placed to send the breaking ball into the back of the net.
From then on, Gaels were on the back foot and went in at the break 1-10 to 0-9 down. Matters failed to improve for them in the third quarter of the game, as Newtownshandrum held them off at 1-14 to 0-10.
However, successive frees saw the Leinster men come to within a goal and them move 0-19 to 1-15 ahead before O'Connor equalised.
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