How many times has this scenario been dreamed up?
How many times has it been practiced in the back garden, commentary supplied by the same person playing?
Time’s up in an All-Ireland final. Your club is down. They need a hero. They need you.
On Sunday 1 March 2020, Una Jackman became the personification of every one of those childhood fantasies when she came off the bench to win an All-Ireland three minutes into two added injury minutes with a strike of pure venom and class and a strike that will make her a legend in Gailltír forever.
This is what dreams are made of and Una Jackman is the stuff that stars are made of.
All-Ireland final 🏆
63 minutes on the clock ⏰
One point down 😬
Just enough time for a hero to write her name in the annals of history ✍️
UNA JACKMAN 🌟@GailltirCamogie of @deisecamogie are intermediate champions 👏pic.twitter.com/B0B56l19yH
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) March 1, 2020
Gailltír led from the front and found themselves 0-7 to 0-4 up at the break with Aine Lyng lording it for the Waterford champions and Ciara O’Sullivan finding the posts with ease along with Aoife and Annie Fitzgerald.
By the time the hour was up though, it was St. Rynagh’s of Offaly who had edged ahead and, indeed, in the 63rd minute, the scoreline at Croke Park read 0-13 to 0-12 to the Faithful County representatives.
Step forward Una Jackman. A last-gasp ball into the area, everyone ploughed forward, a palmed effort over the top and a strike that will be immortalised in Gailltír as Jackman found the far top corner as if she was trying to burn a hole right through it.
That’s how All-Irelands are won. At the death, with nerves of steel, with skill and bravery. And they’re won on the road leading up to that moment – the dreams, the practice, the visualisation.
Una Jackman saw herself winning the championship for Gailltír and she delivered. She did it from the bench too. Everyone in the club got them there, everyone was involved in getting Lyng up the Hogan Stand steps.
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