Moore the hero as champions Athy complete remarkable comeback
Niall Kelly (Athy) tries to hold off the challenge from Sallins defender Paul Farrelly Photo: James Lawlor
Sean Moore's 60th-minute winner gave Athy a dramatic victory over Sallins as the county champions came from eight points down at half-time to inflict a second successive late championship heartbreak on the newly promoted side.
Last year's Intermediate champions played with a strong wind at their backs in the opening half and made full use of it, producing a scintillating display with the excellent Colm Dalton leading the charge.
Dalton struck 1-4 from play before the break, his goal arriving in the 10th minute after a perfectly weighted pass from Daragh Mangan opened up the Athy defence.
Cian Grimes was also in superb form early on, landing two two-pointers inside the opening 11 minutes. His fifth score of the contest came from a 25th-minute '45 after what may have proved a match-defining save by Athy goalkeeper James Roycroft, who brilliantly turned Emmet Ralph's effort around the post.
That score left Sallins 1-11 to 0-4 in front, but Athy responded with three unanswered points before Dalton glided past Padraic Spillane to add the final score of the half, sending Sallins into the interval with a commanding 1-12 to 0-7 lead.
Athy knew they required a significant improvement after the restart and made the perfect beginning when Paudí Behan found the net from close range after being picked out by Ronan Kelly.
Ten minutes passed before the next score, a Niall Kelly free, and Athy gradually began to reel in their opponents. Cian Keaveny and Kelly both added points as the gap continued to shrink.
Sallins did not register their first score of the second half until the 50th minute when Grimes converted a free, but Kevin Feely immediately responded with a superb two-pointer to keep Athy's momentum alive.
The closing stages were frantic. Keaveny fisted Athy level with five minutes remaining, although Sallins felt hard done by after Athy had been awarded a free in midfield during the build-up when it appeared Mangan had secured possession with an impressive catch.
To their credit, Sallins brushed off that disappointment and moved back in front through Dalton with four minutes to play.
Athy received a slice of fortune shortly afterwards when Sallins goalkeeper Matthew Farrelly allowed a routine ball to slip over the endline. From the resulting '45, Sean Moore calmly converted the equaliser.
The game hung in the balance entering stoppage time and it was Moore who stepped forward once more, splitting the posts with the decisive score in the 60th minute.
Only two minutes of additional time were played, and Sallins had one final opportunity to rescue a draw, but Dalton's late effort drifted well wide.
It was another cruel finish for Sallins, but Athy showed all the resilience and belief that champions are famed for as they completed a remarkable comeback victory.
James Roycroft; Darren Lawler, Mark Hyland, Michael Spillane, Brian Maher, Padraic Spillane, Sean Moore 0-2 (1 '45); Kevin Feely 0-3 (1tp), David Hyland; Calum Keaveny 0-2, Paudí Behan 1-0, James McGrath, Ronan Kelly 0-3, Ben Purcell, Niall Kelly 0-3 (2fs). Subs: Barry Kelly for Maher, 26; Cian Keaveny 0-2 for Purcell, 37; Cathal McCarron for McGrath, 47; Conor Doyle for Calum Keaveny, 60.
Matthew Farrelly; Ruairi O'Domhnaill, Aaron Carney, Darren Keane, Sean O'Domhnaill, Paul Farrelly 0-1, Glen McEvoy; Daragh Mangan, Lorcan McKenna; Cian Grimes 0-6 (2tp, 1 '45, 1f), Colm Dalton 1-5, Luke Killian, Stephen Kelly, Emmet Ralph, James Dalton 0-2. Subs: Ferdia O'Domhnaill for Ralph, 51; Conor Dalton for Carney, 54.
Ryan Moran.
