Ballygunner suffered heartbreak in a cliffhanger of an All-Ireland Club SHC Semi-final in Laois Hire O' Moore Park, Portlaoise last night.
The Waterford and Munster champions were knocked out following an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat where Galway's St. Thomas' won 4-2 with Evan Duggan proving to be the hero..
Pauric Mahony and Stephen O' Keeffe goaded for the Gunners in the shoot-out but Dessie Hutchinson and Billy O' Keeffe were denied by Gerald Kelly as the Galway outfit defied the odds after a pulsating contest..
This will go down as the game of the season, one for the ages which had everything as both sides brought enormous energy to the table.
In a frantic opening half James Regan netted the games first goal after two minutes but Ballygunner responded with two green flags of their own with blistering finished from the dynamic duo of Patrick Fitzgerald and Dessie Hutchinson..
Conor Cooney (who ended with 14 points) was deadly accurate from placed balls while David Burke was inspirational throughout, Thomas' were 1-10 to 2-5 ahead at the break having played with the breeze..
The 2nd-half ebbed and flowed with no quarter given or asked from either side, Conor Sheahan looked to have won it for the Gunners only for Cooney to nail a last gasp free to force extra-time (2-15 to 1-18 at the end of normal time)..
Ballygunner edged three in front in the first period of extra-time with Patrick Fitzgerald and Pauric Mahony (two frees on target)..
St. Thomas' hit the front deep in injury time when Èanna Burke swung over a fine score but Billy O' Keeffe did something similar at the other end equalising with the last puck of the game, penalties ensued, a cruel way to lose a game but this will be a remembered as an all time classic between two terrific teams...
BALLYGUNNER SCORERS; Pauric Mahony 0-7, Dessie Hutchinson and Patrick Fitzgerald 1-4 each, Peter Hogan, Paddy Leavey, Stephen O' Keeffe, Conor Sheahan, Billy O' Keeffe 0-1 each
