Brought to you in association with Centra #WeAreHurling
And barely an eyelid was batted.
Wexford were leading by a point but this was dodgy territory. One point up with only five minutes left, any slip is game, set and match.
Conor Cooney is straight through on goal. Somehow he’s found himself with 20 yards of space in front and behind and John Hanburry, the unlikeliest of defence splitters puts it on a glistening plate for him.
A golden opportunity beckons.
Wexford eyes are closing. This could well be curtains for this game as their season hangs on the faintest of knife threads. It’s Cooney against Fanning.
The St Thomas’ man lives for these type of chances and they usually end up hung in the top corner. He bores down on the goalkeeper, winds up to drill it home and every yellow belly in a windy Salthill is already resigned.
But it’s not over yet. Cooney goes to let rip and a zooming yellow body hurls himself towards the white jersey. The ball drops to the ground, you can here that fresh clip of ash on ash.
It’s a textbook hook, it’s Jack O’Connor. He’s injured himself in the process but he’s just saved his county’s life.
The Wexford sub who should have been starting hadn’t just spotted the danger, he’d hounded it down like a man possessed. And then once he got there he jumped straight out in front of it. Conor Cooney is denied and the ball is gone up the other end of the field.
Those are the minuscule types of margins upon which these games are won and lost. Wexford got out with the draw, possibly should have won but they would without a doubt have lost if it wasn’t for the contribution of their St Martin’s sub.
Heroic stuff. JJ Delaney-esque stuff.
Cooney catches the ball. O’Connor is at least 20 yards off but he has the angle and the pace.
An injury worthwhile.
Moments later, Jack O’Connor also caught the ball over John Hanbury’s head to set up the late goal chance for Cathal Dunbar.
Cathal Dunbar has a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and fires it at goal, instead of taking the point, but he misses so we're all tied here in stoppage time.
GAL 0-16 WEX 0-16#WeAreHurling @CentraIRL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 26, 2019
That’s an impact made.
