Heroic Breathnach’s come so close to pulling off big shock

Russell Rovers (Cork) 1-26

Mícheál Breathnach 1-15

(After extra-time)

IT was a gripping weekend’s club action on all fronts, but no game was as dramatic and indeed as epic as this All-Ireland junior hurling semi-final between heavy favourites Russell Rovers and gallant Mícheál Breathnach.

This was meant to be a formality. No Connacht side has ever reached the All-Ireland junior final, and Mícheál Breathnach aren’t even the best junior side in Galway, or so the stats say, having been beaten in the preliminary quarter-final of the junior A county championship.

It proved to be anything but however, as Mícheál Breathnach produced the performance of their lives to come within seconds of dumping the East Cork side out of the All-Ireland series.

Anyone who followed the junior championship this year knew that it would have taken a near miracle for the Connemara side to advance and they so nearly made it happen with an inspired display throughout.

Trailing by six points entering the final quarter, Breathnach’s race appeared run. They had fought valiantly to trail by two at the break, but their more skilful and technical opponents dominated the third quarter and pushed 0-15 to 0-9 clear whilst playing within themselves, or so it seemed.

They never finished the job though and when Mícheál Breathnach switched Maidhc Ó Conghaile from centre-back into attack, everything changed.

Up until then, all they had to show for their second half endeavours were two Ó Conghaile placed balls but four points from the centre-back upon his move forward (three frees) and one from the outstanding Breandán Ó Conghaile had them back to within one.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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