We were very strong favourites to claim a third Nicky Rackard Cup success when we faced Roscommon at Croke Park in today’s title decider. In a game of swinging fortunes, however, it was the underdogs who came out on top, hitting four unanswered points in the final few minutes to snatch victory by a point on a scoreline of 3-16 to 1-21.

I was on the road to Omagh while the action was underway down at GAA HQ and so I was following the game on Midwest as I drove north. It was a game we seemed to be well in control of in the opening quarter, as we led by nine points to three and appeared to be going nicely.

Things went badly awry for us from then to half-time, however, as Roscommon outscored us by 2-5 to 0-2 to take a three-point lead into the break. By then we’d shot eleven wides but it was the concession of the two goals that were really wounding, as it was goals that had undone us in last year’s decider against Donegal and already alarm bells were ringing about the same fate befalling us today.

The Rossies twice extended their lead out to four points early in the second half. Gradually, though, our lads began to chip away at that advantage and as the game reached the final quarter there were only two points between the teams.

It was then, however, that we conceded a third goal. Five down now and defeat was once more staring our lads in the face.

But they rallied well following that setback, reeling off an unanswered 1-5 to seize a three-point lead, with under five minutes on the clock. That looked like a match-winning burst of scoring but the neighbours weren’t finished yet.

Instead it was a four-point streak from them that proved decisive. The final one went over just seconds before the end of injury time and this point, from Brendan Mulry, was the one that won the Rackard Cup for the Rossies for the third time.

It’s a bitter defeat for our lads. Having won the NHL Division 3 title this spring and then having advanced unbeaten to today’s decider – beating Roscommon in the process, having earlier also beaten them decisively in the League – they were expected to end the year on a high but that’s not how it worked at Croke Park today.

Finals are there to be won and fair play to Roscommon for taking this title decider by the scruff of the neck in the way that they did. Congrats to them and commiserations to our lads on today’s defeat.

Match report from RTÉ is here.

Match highlights are here.