Heartbreak for fabulous Fullen Gaels in Croke Park thriller

                                  Thomastown (Kilkenny) 2-17                                                                                                Fullen Gaels (Warwickshire) 2-14

By Larry Cooney at Croke Park

Fullen Gaels came within a last-gasp goal-line save of causing a real sensation before eventually going down by three points to Kilkenny champions – Thomastown at a rain-sodden Croke Park last Sunday afternoon.

The rank outsiders from Manchester, who were the first club outside Ireland to be appearing in an All-Ireland (JHC) Club final, had battled their way back from a seven-point deficit at the end of the third quarter and looked set to take a pulsating contest into extra-time.                                                                    

Fullen Gaels substitute Alan O’Neill even had a glorious opportunity to score what would have been an equalising goal until teenage deputy goal-keeper Darragh McGarry saved his goalbound effort and scrambled the ball to safety almost on the stroke of full-time. Many will remember the same young boy, who is a son of former Kilkenny goal-keeper James McGarry, from the 2007 All-Ireland.                         

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