Liam Collins scored a sensational stoppage time winner as Cappataggle came from behind to beat Sarsfields in the Galway SHC quarter final.
Leading by seven points with twenty minutes to go, Sarsfields looked destined for the last four but Cappy turned the result in their favour, scoring the last five points of the game.
Liam Collins put them in front five minutes into injury time with a moment of class, raising a huge roar from the Cappataggle supporters in Kenny Park.
The east Galway club have never made it to a Galway senior hurling final in their entire history but they have endured heartbreak in recent times.
They qualified for four semi-finals in a row between 2017 and 2020, losing them all in tight and heartbreaking circumstances.
Many of the stalwarts of that team have moved on such as Paul Claffey and Damien Joyce, but they're back now, led by likes of brothers Niall and Liam Collins and Jarlath and Donal Mannion.
2020 Galway minor star Collins showed brilliant composure to put them in front late on but credit must also go to their backs for the pressure they put on the Sarsfields attackers.
The drama of knockout Championship hurling illustrated perfectly in the closing minutes as @cappataggle defeated @SarsfieldsGAA.
📺Stream 👉https://t.co/Dv4DBGSJ9d@wiistream_ | @Galway_GAA pic.twitter.com/BgnEd37kL2
— StreamSport.ie (@StreamsportI) October 5, 2024
Sarsfields had possession deep into stoppage time as you'll see above but Ian Fox was out-numbered almost seven to one as the Cappy defenders forced him to cough up possession.
Darragh Dolan played the ball up the field and while Collins was out-numbered four-to-one, he casually broke the ball into space before running on to it. He turned inside before swinging over his fifth point from play, raising the roof off the stand.
Late points from James Egan and Lewis Coughlan also played a crucial role in the comeback.
They backed it up with another from the resulting puck-out to seal a 0-22 to 1-17 victory, sending them through to the last four once again.
They will be joined there by Clarinbridge who had a convincing 0-15 to 0-10 win over Tommy Larkins earlier in the day. St Thomas-Turloughmore and Loughrea-Castlegar contest Sunday's quarter finals.
Collins was the star of Galway's All-Ireland minor winning team of 2021, scoring 2-7 in their semi-final victory over Limerick before backing it up with 1-7 in the final against Kilkenny.
He was subsequently named the minor player of the year and won a Leinster under-20 with Galway that year. Henry Shefflin brought him into the senior fold in 2023, bringing him on as a sub in that year's All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick.
An CÚL sin a d'aimsigh Laoch na hImeartha, Liam Collins do @Galway_GAA 🥵👌🤩
Liam Collins' goal 3 minutes in to added time 😱🥳@ElectricIreland @GAA_BEO #GAAThisIsMajor #GAA #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/NXGc588bYQ
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 10, 2021
He's been in brilliant form for his club again this year, and may play a key role for Galway under new manager Micheal Donoghue this year.
