Ulster SHC Final/Dunloy 2-14 Dungiven 2-8:The final scoreline hides the true story of yesterday's cracking Ulster hurling final at Casement Park. It was only in injury-time that the Antrim champions shook off the gutsy Derrymen.
In three minutes of overtime Dunloy blasted home a goal and two points to close the door on the brave underdogs, for whom man-of-the-match Kevin Hinphey shone in midfield.
On the hour just one point separated the sides at 1-12 to 2-8 but teenager Paul Shields hit a telling goal on 62 minutes before Damian McMullan and Paddy Richmond added late points.
"We could never get our game really going today," said winning captain Greg O'Kane. "This was our fourth Sunday in a row to play tough championship matches and we were a bit leg- weary. That's not to take any credit from Dungiven - we expected they would be hard to overcome and they were."
The sides were level five times as the lead changed hands on several occasions. However, Dunloy's greater experience and staying power won the day.
With the teams tied at 0-6 each after 25 minutes, Derry champions Dungiven hit a shock goal when Paddy McCloskey whipped the ball to the Dunloy net. Two points from sharpshooter O'Kane narrowed the gap to the minimum at half-time.
Twelve minutes after the restart, it was Dunloy 0-10 Dungiven 1-6 when Geoffrey McGonigle was hauled down in the square and he fired the resulting penalty past his cousin Gareth McGhee in the Dunloy goal.
Two more frees from O'Kane levelled the game once more while Paddy McCloskey missed a golden goal chance for Dungiven.
At the other end midfielder Shields sent Paddy Richmond through for a Dunloy goal, answered by two points from sub Kevin Hinphey before that injury-time Dunloy onslaught finally subdued Dungiven's challenge.
In the intermediate final Keady of Armagh defeated Leitrim of Down, 1-15 to 0-6.
DUNLOY: G McGee; K Martin, J McKeague, M McClements; M Molloy, D McMullan (0-1), S Mullan; M Curry, P Shields (1-2); L Richmond (0-1), C McGuckian (0-1), C Cunning; A Elliott, G O'Kane (0-7, six frees), P Richmond (1-2). Subs: D Quinn for Elliott (50 mins), Colm Cunning for Conor Cunning (57 mins).
DUNGIVEN: J Donaghy; R Kealey, B Kelly, E McKeever; E Farren, A McCloskey, M Craig; L Hinphey, Kevin Hinphey (0-3); F McGuigan, C McKeever, C McCloskey; P McCloskey (1-1), G McGonigle (1-3, pen goal, three frees), P Kelly (0-1). Subs: Kieran Hinphey for C McCloskey (55 mins).
Referee: D Magee (Down).
