And the crowd goes wild...
Ballyduff Upper won the Waterford intermediate hurling title after an edge-of-the-seat thriller with Clashmore Kinsalebeg in Fraher Field, Dungarvan on Sunday. It took an hour and a half of hurling, it took a penalty shootout but it wasn't until sudden death, with darkness descending, and the 15th penalty of the night for these teams finally to be separated.
Andrew Casey, the Ballyduff Upper corner forward, was the hero of the night having nailed two penalties in the shoot-out (including the winning one) as well as scoring 1-3 from open play. Indeed, the lively corner forward just wouldn't accept defeat during a towering individual display with his last gasp 81st minute goal in extra-time also forcing the penalty shoot-out.
The big stage is made for heroes and the corner forward stood tallest in west Waterford.
From the get-go, there was little between the teams with Tadhg De Búrca dominating at centre back for Clashmore/Kinsalebeg. Former county star Brian O'Halloran also impressed for them with five points from open play, but with Mikey Kearney nailing his frees for Ballyduff, and with the Casey cousins Andrew and Kevin on song, the teams went score for score the whole way through.
The Waterford legend Stephen Molumphy looked to have sealed the deal for the eventual winners in normal time, when he sprung from the bench to put them three points clear. But a plucky Clashmore battled back, with De Búrca levelling it up in injury time.
In extra-time, the game ebbed and flowed with De Búrca's side taking the upper hand. But then Casey had his say. 14 penalties were hit, seven were scored and then he made it eight to take Ballyduff to the promised land.
Watch the footage here from Waterford based journalist Tomás McCarthy.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1297808141372010496
Just imagine there was a crowd present!
Elsewhere, Shelmaliers won their second ever Wexford senior hurling title after a 3-18 to 3-11 win over 2018 champions Naomh Eanna. Ross Banville excelled for the Castlebridge club with 1-8.
Meanwhile in Cork, the four-in-a-row seeking Imokilly were dumped out of the championship with a Neil Montgomery inspired UCC defeating the divisional side.
In Tipperary, a free from county minor Conor McKelvey will live long in the memory.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1297816619155107846
In Mayo, Westport's Mark Moran was selling dummies like they were going out of fashion.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1297299469667622912
