I think most people would agree that last Sunday’s All Ireland Senior Football semi final between Kerry and Mayo was the most exciting game of the football championship so far this year.
Mayo played all of the second half with 14 men and came from five points down to lead by five only to be denied a place in a third successive final.
Kieran O’Leary showed the importance of having good options off the bench when he kicked a superb equalising point in injury time.
It was a great score and certainly worthy of levelling up any game but it wasn’t the best I’ve seen. So that got me thinking about some of the best equalising scores in injury time down the years.
A couple of points in recent All Ireland hurling finals spring to mind. Who could forget the 2012 final between Kilkenny and Galway when Joe Canning was given the task of trying to send the final to a replay for the first time since 1959.
Canning had scored 1-8 in the game but the injury time free was probably all he would be remembered for if he had missed it. Canning showed why he is considered one of the best players in the country when he held his nerve to send it over the bar and give the fans another day out.
As good as that was from Canning I think you’ll find it hard to beat the Maurice Fitzgerald point in 2001.
Kerry trailed Dublin by a point at Semple Stadium in their All-Ireland Football Quarter-Final and the Kingdom had looked in control until a couple of quick fire goals from the Dubs.
Fitzgerald only came on for Kerry in the final ten minutes and in truth barely got a touch of the ball but that didn’t stop him stepping up to take on a sideline ball from just inside the 45.
Most other players would have looked for someone short to try and engineer a point but Fitzgerald was a bit different from most.
I watched that game in an Irish bar in Philadelphia and we were all shaking our heads in disbelief when he did this.
The two points above are just two that come to mind but feel free to share any other injury time equalisers.
Twitter: @philegantodayfm
