Antrim’s Orlaith Prenter scored a late free to send the All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Final to a replay after a thrilling 1-13 to 1-13 draw with Fermanagh at Croke Park.
Helped by Maria O’Neill’s first-half goal, Antrim led by four with 12 minutes left.
But Fermanagh hit back to level through Eimear Smyth’s penalty and an Erin Tierney score.
Smyth’s score put the Erne County ahead before Prenter’s free forced a replay.
The replay will take place on Saturday, 13 August with a time and venue yet to be confirmed.
Antrim started sluggishly to trail 0-10 to 0-3 in last year’s final defeat by Wicklow, and while Fermanagh kicked the first two scores, the Saffrons reeled off four in a row to lead early on at headquarters.
Maria O’Neill passed up a goal chance with Antrim two up when her shot was saved by Fermanagh keeper Roisin Gleeson, and while the outstanding Fermanagh forward Blaithin Bogue struck two scores either side of a Grainne McLaughlin point, O’Neill atoned for her earlier miss by raising a green flag.
That put Antrim 1-5 to 0-4 clear but Bogue fired three of the first half’s last five scores to keep Fermanagh within striking distance at 1-7 to 0-7 down at the break.
With Antrim corner-back Niamh McIntosh having been sin-binned, there was controversy at the start of the second half when Fermanagh had a goal disallowed for a square ball that cut Bogue’s celebrations short after she had palmed an Eimear Smyth free into the net.
The sides shared the next eight scores before O’Neill passed up a glorious opportunity to put the game beyond Fermanagh, her shot cannoning back off the post.
Prenter’s 58th-minute score kept the Saffrons in the driving seat but Bogue won a penalty when she was fouled by Sarah O’Neill, angering the Antrim players who insisted the challenge took place outside the square.
Smyth slotted her penalty low to Anna McCann’s right before substitute Tierney popped up with a brilliant score to draw Fermanagh level.
While Bogue was yellow carded, a monstrous Smyth score looked to sealed a dramatic Fermanagh win only for Prenter to hold her nerve and blast over a last-minute free to ensure a replay and keep alive the Saffrons’ hopes of a first junior title since 2012.
Antrim: A McCann; D Coleman, A McFarland, N McIntosh; M Mulholland, S Tennyson, S O’Neill; L Dahunsi, A Tubridy (0-1); C Taggart, C Carey (0-2), M O’Neill (1-1); B Devlin, O Prenter (0-6), G McLaughlin (0-3, 1f).
Subs: O Corr for C Taggart ’33, T Mellon for Devlin ’34, A Taggart for McLaughlin ’40.
Fermanagh: R Gleeson; E Keenan, M McGloin, S McQuade; N McManus, S McCarville, C Bogue; B Bannon, A O’Brien (0-1); E Maguire, B Bogue (0-7), S Britton (0-1); C McElroy, E Smyth (1-3, 0-1f), L Grew.
Subs: E Tierney (0-1) for Maguire ’19, E Douglas for McManus ’41, Maguire for Grew ’55.
Referee: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo).
