Football

Down duo to the fore as New York snatch historic Connacht SFC win over Leitrim in the Bronx

Michael Cunningham of New York saves a penalty taken by Paul Keaney of Leitrim during the Connacht GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between New York and Leitrim at Gaelic Park in New York Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Michael Cunningham of New York saves a penalty taken by Paul Keaney of Leitrim during the Connacht GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between New York and Leitrim at Gaelic Park in New York Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Connacht Senior Football Championship quarter-final: New York 0-15 Leitrim 0-15 (aet) (New York win 2-0 on penalties)

New York have scored a sensational first ever win in the Connacht SFC with a penalty shoot-out victory over Leitrim at Gaelic Park on Saturday night.

Down duo Niall Madine and goalkeeper Michael Cunningham were instrumental in the tense shootout with Madine being the first to find the net after Leitrim’s Paul Keaney and Keith Beirne had both missed their kicks, as had home players Tiernan Mathers and Killian Butler.

Cunningham pulled off some heroics the New York goals, saving Keaney’s kick but it was homegrown hero Mikey Brosnan who has handed the opportunity to seal the win after further misses from Leitrim’s Shane Quinn and Evan Sweeney.

Brosnan took that opportunity, smashing the ball to the net to clinch a first ever win in their 24-year involvement in Championship football.

The dramatic shoot-out followed a tightly contest match, with the sides locked together at 0-13 to 0-13 at full-time after New York had led by a single point at half-time, 0-7 to 0-6.

Each team only managed two points each in extra-time, to send the game to penalties and an historic outcome.

New York are managed by Johnny McGeeney of Culloville, who will now face fellow south Armagh man in the Connacht semi-finals as the Exiles take on Tony McEntee's Sligo.