Galway’s Kilkerrin-Clonberne suffered a heartbreaking finish in their efforts to win this year's Connacht ladies' senior club football title on Sunday.
Kilkerrin-Clonberne looked like winning the crown they last captured in 2015 as they held a three-point lead, 2-13 to 2-10, with time fast running out in this final replay in Ballyhaunis.
But Australia-bound Mayo star Cora Staunton, who scored 1-6, lobbed a close-range free to the net for the equalising goal, and with extra-time looming, Amy Dowling sent a low drive beneath Lisa Murphy for the winner.
It was a dramatic end to another titanic struggle - 11 goals scored in the drawn match and six more at on Sunday.
Staunton was yellow-carded late on, the second Carnacon player to be sin-binned after half-time, while Kilkerrin-Clonberne lost captain Louise Ward in the closing stages.
Kilkerrin-Clonberne led by 2-4 to 1-5 at half time with Hannah Noone and Siobhan Divilly netting within a minute of each other in the first half.
Galway led 2-1 to 0-2, but Briana Bruton’s 16th-minute goal hauled Carnacon back into contention.
Carnacon struck the first significant blow of the second half when sub Emma Cosgrave netted to hand them a 2-6 to 2-5 lead in the 33rd minute, but midway through the half, the sides were level at 2-8 apiece. When Carnacon’s Martha Carter was yellow-carded, Kilkerrin-Clonberne moved four points clear, 2-13 to 2-9, with Chloe Miskell shooting a couple of glorious points in their scoring purple patch.
Marie Corbett’s point brought Carnacon to within three before the late double sucker-punch.
Carnacon: M Higgins; S McGing, M Carter, S Larkin; B Bruton, M Corbett, D Hughes; F McHale, M McGing; E Flannery, A Dowling, A Brennan; M Larkin, C Staunton, L Dowling. Sub, E Cosgrave for Larkin (23 ).
Kilkerrin-Clonberne: L Murphy; A McStay Gibbons, S Gormally, S Mee; L Noone, C Dunleavy, C Costello; S Divilly, L Gannon; O Divilly, A Clarke, C Miskell; N Ward, L Ward, H Noone. Sub, C Boyle for McStay Gibbons (30+2 ).
