Leitrim 2-23 Lancashire 2-22 (after extra time)
Lancashire suffered their second successive defeat in the Lory Meagher cup decider as Leitrim captured the title for the first time with a dramatic extra-time victory.
The Westerners had struck the first blow on 17 minutes after the sliotar had bounced high in front of Lancashire ’keeper Ronan McAteer, with Com Moreton on hand to tap the loose ball into the net.
However the exiles bounced back two minutes before the break when Bandon hurler Ronan Crowley fired into the roof of the net to reduce Leitrim’s lead to one.
Leitrim would close out the half with points from Moreton and Clemente Cunfiffe to lead 1-10 to 1-7, but by 52nd minute Lancashire had drawn level with a point from far out from wing back Trevor Lee, igniting their comeback.
Lancashire drove on from there and with Crowley growing more influential as the half wore on, they had moved into a four point lead with three minutes to go.
However, with victory within their grasp, Lancashire were left stunned when in the fifth minute of injury time Leitrim centreback James Glancy collected a cross field ball before drilling a terrific shot past the keeper.
That left it at 2-16 to 1-19, and the match tied. Leitrim corner forward Gavan O’Hagan fired over two frees to open up a three-point lead at the end of the first period.
A foul on Cunniffe with with a minute to go in the final additional period would then see a penalty awarded, which O'Hagan converted, before Patrick Duggan popped up with a late goal for Lancashire.
Leitrim: D Molloy; P Earley, D McGovern, N McLoughlin; E Moreton (0-1), J Glancy (1-0), F Earley; L Moreton (0-1), K McDermott (0-1); A Byrne (0-2), C Moreton (1-4), B Murray (0-1); G O'Hagan (0-09, six frees, 0-1 pen), C Cunniffe (0-3), C O'Donovan. Subs: S Goldrick for Byrne; D Ryan for P Earley (61); Z Moradi (0-1) for McDermott (62); K McGrath for McLoughlin (70); McDermott for F Earley (86).
Lancashire: R McAteer; S Maloney, C Larkin, L Knocker; D Power, G Jacob, T Lee (0-2); C Doherty, T Maher (0-2); JJ Dunphy (0-1), D Maskey, D Crowley (0-4); Edmond Kenny (0-2), J Cleere, R Crowley (1-9, four frees). Subs: C Duggan (0-1) for Maskey (41); O McMahon for Knocker (59); Patrick Duggan (1-1) for Maher (64); E Kelly for Power (70); S Dunne for D Crowley (70+5); S Wallace for Cleere (76); Maher for Dunphy (81), Cleere for Doherty (86).
Referee: Kevin Brady (Louth)
