UL 1-21 NUIG 2-15
Mikey Kiely you must be joking me.
We’ve been saying it all week that a two point lead is the most dangerous lead in hurling but, after yet another late show-down, it appears that nothing is safe anymore.
There were only five minutes left in this Fitzgibbon Cup final when, from 70 metres out, Evan Niland put NUIG five points up and on the road to glory. They looked home and hosed, UL looked down and out but, if we’ve learned anything in a week full of freakish turn-arounds, it’s that no jig is up until the final whistle blows.
UL showed just 48 hours ago that they’ll play until the final whistle regardless but, seconds later, when Cian Lynch was shown a ridiculous straight red card, they were given even more reason to believe. Lynch, to his eternal credit, accepted the decision gracefully because no word of a lie, a more combustible individual would have lost the head.
A free was given against the Limerick maestro who’s only crime was holding onto the sliotar for a second too long. That prompted Bryan O’Mara to try and take it out of his hand and, just after Lynch released it, the Tipperary man ran to retrieve the sliotar. By this stage, Lynch had brought his hurl to the ground as he made shapes about getting back to his feet only for O’Mara’s leading leg to kick through the hurl and send it flying.
On first glance, due to the flying hurl, it may have looked as if Lynch had drew a swing but this categorically was not the case. Linesman Sean Cleere got it wrong though and UL’s dander was up when he called Fergal Horgan over and the red card was dished out.
Never in a million years is that a red card! How is it Cian Lynch's fault that Bryan O'Mara kicked his hurl?pic.twitter.com/OxIBtMD2G4
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 19, 2022
From there, with the previously dominant NUIG under the pump, Gearoid O’Connor slotted two frees, Brian O’Grady scored a boomer and then Ciaran Connolly levelled it up with a rip-roaring point. The Loughmore-Castleiney man had been brilliant all day and was only just pipped for man-of-the-match by his county man Bryan O’Mara.
The pair of them are heading stateside this summer and watching this, it’ll be some tough one for Colm Bonnar to take. That’s for another day though because this was all about Mikey Kiely.
The Waterford forward broke IT Carlow hearts just 48 hours ago when, from a 45 yard free, he rattled the net and shook the Fitzgibbon Cup to its core. The clock was in the red again here when, with the scores level, Dean Mason launched a puck-out and in a different post-code, Kiely leapt into the sky.
It was injury-time. It was Mikey Kiely time.
Mikey Kiely that is unreal. The Waterford man broke IT Carlow hearts on Thursday and 48 hours later, he's done the divil again!pic.twitter.com/49pvy4O3pt
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 19, 2022
The UL boys danced a jig on the line and a couple of yards away, the NUIG men were head-in-hands. Bryan O’Mara summed it up best.
“Mikey will be given the freedom of the city I’d say,’ said the catpain. He snapped the ball as well, he’s not just there for the easy score, he’s an unreal hurler.”
That’s hurling for you.
