'One for the memory bank,” Leitrim Gaels' final winning goal scorer
James Shanley described his last-minute effort to secure Leitrim Gaels' win in the nervy final moments in Kiltubrid.
“One for the memory bank,” is how James Shanley described his last-minute effort to secure Leitrim Gaels' win in the tense final moments in Kiltubrid.
The game was a bit of a journey for the team, who went a man down before half-time and then five points down with five minutes to go, when Allen Gaels scored their second goal.
The Gaels kept plugging, and a 2-pointer from Brian Goldrick and a point from Shane Finn put them back in touching distance.
It was the twenty-year-old Shanley who was quickest to react and rifled the ball into the back of the Allen Gaels' net.
“We were looking at the scoreboard; we were two points down, so we didn't know whether to go for a two-pointer or go for the juggler and go for the goal. “
Fionnn Curley made the penetrating run through the Allen Gaels defence and got a shot on goal late on.
“I was expecting him to go for goal. He put the head down, and I saw the boot going, and it was going as hard as it could anyway and luckily enough hit off the keeper's face I think and I was there and I just seen the ball bounce and I just thought I'll give it a go and that was it.”
Up until that point, the young man had put on a stellar performance working around the middle of the field and knocking over four points in the game.
With the senior champions gearing up to defend their title and the Championship about to begin, this was a good win for them to get, according to Shanley.
“We won the senior county championship, and then we lost the junior B, which was a bit of a sickener to be honest after the year we had, but sure look, this is probably the best start of the year getting a junior B league under the belt and only a couple of weeks out from the championship now, so it's a good way to go into it.”