Sport

Lee makes timely interventions

NUI Galway 1-12 Galway-Mayo IT 1-10: Galway's victorious All-Ireland minor winning captain John Lee hit the crucial scores as…

Fri Jan 28 2005 - 00:00

NUI Galway 1-12 Galway-Mayo IT 1-10: Galway's victorious All-Ireland minor winning captain John Lee hit the crucial scores as NUI, Galway, captured the Knockairport.com Connacht hurling title at Dangan yesterday.

The wing back forced the game into extra-time when he equalised with a superb effort into the wind just when it seemed that their student rivals were about to prevail.

Then in extra-time a long-range effort from Lee ended up in the net four minutes from time to seal the title for his side against a wasteful GMIT side who shot 17 wides throughout the game.

NUIG led by 0-5 to 0-4 at half-time thanks to some great hurling from Gerry O'Grady, Tony Óg Regan, Cathal Lafferty and Tony Scroope. But GMIT rallied in the second-half thanks to the efforts of Ger Loughnane's son Barry at wing back, midfielder Michael O'Donnell and forwards Dylan Hayden and Barry Hanley.

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A goal from Hanley five minutes from time seemed set to decide the issue before Lee surged forward to level the game.

GMIT led by 1-9 to 0-11 at the interval in extra-time, and after Regan and O'Donnell exchanged points, the crucial score came when Kevin Hayes provided enough of a distraction on the edge of the square for Lee's speculative effort to end up in the net and claim the title.

NUIG: P Dullaghan; J Lynch, D O'Brien, G O'Grady (0-1); J Lee (1-1), T Óg Regan (0-4, three 65s, one free), P O'Flynn; D Clancy, D Kelly; K Hayes, C Lafferty (0-2), T O'Donovan; B Connolly, D Egan, T Scroope (0-4, three frees). Subs: K Neylon for Egan (15 mins), L Geraghty for Lynch (32 mins), J Culkin for Connolly (44 mins), P Reilly for O'Donovan (45 mins), F Coone for Lafferty (58 mins), Lafferty for O'Flynn (66 mins).

GMIT: S O'Connor; C Burke, F Tierney, N Rogers; D Collins, S Kavanagh (0-1, free), B Loughnane; N Earls (0-2, one free), M O'Donnell (0-2); T Kavanagh, K Huban, D Hayden (0-3); D Garvey, C Burke, B Hanley (1-2, 0-1 free). Subs: P Reilly for O'Donovan (45 mins), J Kelly for Garvey (45 mins), S McCormack for T Kavanagh (76 mins).

Referee: M Bindon (Clarenbridge).