Ballysaggart (Waterford) 5-12
Creggan Kickhams (Antrim) 2-21 (After extra-time)

An 81st minute goal from Shane Bennett ensured that Ballysaggart lived to fight another day after an entertaining and gripping AIB All-Ireland Club JHC Final at Croke Park tonight.

Bennett was Ballysaggart's hat-trick hero, in a game where the Waterford outfit squandered a 10-point lead in the 33rd minute of normal-time, with Kickhams stealing a march, forcing extra-time, and Ballysaggart firmly riding their luck at the death to force a replay.

Little separated the sides in the opening stages of this game, with the teams level on three occasions inside the opening five minutes.

Stephen Bennett, Ronan Walsh and Daniel Devine claimed Ballysaggart's early scores, with Conor McCann (2) and Oran McCann claiming Kickhams early points.

An eighth minute speculative goal from Stephen Bennett, his 12th of Ballysaggart's campaign, handed the Waterford outfit a 1-3 to 0-3 lead, and pushed them into a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Creggan kept in touch thanks to the efforts of Conor McCann and Kevin RIce, but Shane Bennett delivered his first goal in the 18th minute to push Ballysaggart 2-3 to 0-5 in front.

Creggan began to misfire in front of the posts and registered their sixth wide, before Ballysaggart fired 1-3 of the 1-4 registered in the closing seven minutes of the half, with a Ronan Walsh goal on the stroke of the 30th minute handing them a 3-6 to 0-6 interval advantage.

Ballysaggart moved 10 points clear three minutes after the restart following a Stephen Bennett point, to assume their biggest lead in this game.

But Kickhams went feverishly to work to undo this advantage, registering 1-2 without reply, including a Conor Small goal, over the next six minutes.

Stephen Bennett worked hard to keep Ballysaggart on top, but the McCann duo also caused the Waterford defence huge problems.

Conor McCann bagging a goal from a 50th minute penalty and although Ballysaggart led by 3-10 to 2-12 for the closing eight minutes, the 21-year old UUJ student again stepped up under pressure to convert a free from midfield deep in injury-time to force extra-time.

Creggan stole a march thanks to two Oran McCann points in the first period of extra-time, before Shane Bennett netted for Ballysaggart.

Creggan were reduced to 14 men following the dismissal of midfielder Sam Maguire on a second yellow card, but four points in a row, two either side of the break saw them moved 2-19 to 4-10 in front.

Both teams traded points on two occasions, before Shane Bennett's last minute goal forced a replay.

After the game Conor McCann was awarded the AIB Man of the Match, but the All-Ireland silverware will go into storage for at least another week, with a venue and time for the final to be confirmed on Monday.

BALLYSAGGART: M Meagher; B Ryan, K Fennessy, D Devine (0-1); B Murphy, E O'Brien, C O'Gorman; C Murphy, K Bennett (0-1); Shane Bennett (3-0), D Meagher, K Cashell (0-1); R Walsh (1-2), Stephen Bennett (1-7, 4f), T Bennett. Subs: M Kearney for Walsh (34); S Hale for Kearney (66); S Meagher for T Bennett (70); C Fitzgerald for Devine (78).

CREGGAN KICKHAMS: B Penter; D McCann, A Maguire, D Carey; B Maguire, T McCann, M Johnson; S Maguire, A McKeown; K Rice (0-4), O McCann (0-8, 4f, 1 65), R McCann (0-1); C Small (1-0), J Dougan, C McCann (1-6, 1-0pen, 1f). Subs: J Carey (0-1) for Dougan (27), M Nelson (0-1) for D McCann (36).

REFEREE: Christy Browne (Galway) Tweet

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