It took a dramatic extra-time winner from Noel Plunkett for never-say-die Leitrim to come from behind and beat New York in a thrilling Connacht Senior Championship quarter-final at Gaelic Park in The Bronx on Sunday evening.
Benny Guckian’s side looked dead and buried as a high-flying Exiles team – led by Sligo native Vinnie Cadden in goal and Armagh’s Jamie Clarke – pulled three points clear midway through the second half of extra-time.
But with Melvin Gaels’ Darragh Rooney re-introduced from the bench to great effect, Leitrim found another level in the closing minutes to drag themselves level, and take the lead in injury-time.
New York had one last chance to rescue the tie after that, but the effort went wide under pressure from a tigerish Leitrim rearguard, who safeguarded the county’s passage through to a Connacht semi-final against Roscommon in Carrick-on-Shannon in three weeks’ time.
All the best post-match reaction will follow on Oceanfm.ie.
