New York won their first ever match in the Connacht SFC at the 23rd attempt when they were victorious in a dramatic penalty shootout at Gaelic Park in the Bronx in the most amazing circumstances.
Former Dublin All-Ireland winner Shane Carthy forced extra-time in the eighth minute of stoppage time and then when they finished level after another 20 minutes, the Exiles kept their nerve in an astonishing penalty shootout.
Both teams missed their opening two penalties, with Tiernan Mathers and Killian Butler failing to convert for New York, while Paul Keaney and Keith Beirne did likewise for Leitrim.
The stalemate was broken in the third round when former Down player Niall Madine kept his nerve to score down the middle and then both Shane Quinn of Leitrim and New York's Jack Reilly both hit the crossbar before Evan Sweeney shot wide for Leitrim.
That left it to US native Mikey Brosnan with the opportunity to make history and he duly obliged when he blasted to the top left corner of the net to spark wild celebrations as New York won their first Connacht SFC match since they entered the competition back in 1999.
Now they will prepare to take on Sligo in a couple of weeks in the Connacht semi-final after a remarkable win, while Andy Moran’s side will now need to regroup for the Tailteann Cup.
Leitrim, taken to extra-time when they were last in the Bronx in 2018, knew the value of a good start but while they kicked three points without reply in the opening seven minutes, they found themselves adrift by 0-07 to 0-06 at the break.
New York, playing their first competitive game of the year, took time to settle but they didn’t panic when Keaney, Beirne and Mark Plunkett landed early points for the visitors.
The inclusion this year of double All-Ireland winner Carthy from Dublin, Tipperary’s 2020 Munster winner Bill Maher and Galway All-Star nominee Eoghan Kerin, bolstered a New York side who went down by four points last year to Sligo.
Carthy’s experience was invaluable as New York settled and he pointed a free to get them off the mark after eight minutes, with Pert Fox and Shane Brosnan finding the range to tie the sides after 11 minutes.
New York custodian, former Down goalkeeper Mick Cunningham, was in top form and twice denied Beirne with goal chances, but the Leitrim sharpshooter, who scored 5-48 in the league, kicked their next three points, two of them frees.
But Leitrim didn’t score after the 21st minute of the opening half and it was New York who took over and after Brosnan pointed, they landed three in a row without replay from the 24th minute to the break with Daniel O’Sullivan, former Galway player Adrian Varley and Carthy again finding the range to lead by 0-07 to 0-06 at the interval.
They might have been further ahead but an effort from Mark Ellis was waved wide, a decision hotly disputed by New York, with their fans behind the goal at the Manhattan College with a better view than most clearly convinced it was a point.
Plunkett tied the match with his second point two minutes after the restart before Varley responded for the Exiles. Three pointed frees from Beirne after a couple of goal chances from Jack Heslin edged Leitrim back in front after 45 minutes as New York continued to turnover cheap possession.
That put Leitrim ahead by 0-10 to 0-08 after 47 minutes but New York sub Connell Ahearne from Meath kicked two marks inside a minute to tie the sides after 55 minutes as the crowd of around 6,000 sensed an upset.
Goalkeeper Cunningham, having missed a free from the left, came up and pointed one from 40 metres to edge New York in front with ten minutes left on the clock.
Sub Evan Sweeney announced his arrival with a superb equalising point from the left while a free from the right by Beirne was plucked on the line by skipper Johnny Glynn, an All-Ireland senior hurling winner with Galway in 2017.
But Leitrim hit the front four minutes from time when Sweeney floated another superb effort from the left and that looked like it would be the winner but New York never gave up and in the eighth minute of stoppage time Carthy displayed nerves of steel to land the equaliser from the left and force the game to extra-time.
Sweeney’s third point edged Leitrim in front after the restart but New York led by 0-15 to 0-14 at the interval in extra-time when Ahearne kicked two frees in a row.
Beirne supplied the only point of the second period of extra-time with his ninth effort of the night and with neither team able to find a winner, the clash went to a penalty shootout and New York made the most of it to create history.
New York: Mick Cunningham (0-01f); Jamie Boyle, Alan Campbell, Eoghan Kerin; Bill Maher, Rob Wharton, Shane Brosnan (0-01); Johnny Glynn, Gavin O’Brien; Mark Ellis, Adrian Varley (0-02, 0-01f), Shane Carthy (0-03, 0-01f); Mikey Brosnan (0-01), Peter Fox (0-01), Daniel O’Sullivan (0-01).
Subs: Connell Ahearne (0-04, 0-2f, 0-02m) for M Brosnan (half-time), Killian Butler for Varley (53), Matthew Queenan for Maher (53), Jack Reilly (0-01) for Fox (69), Niall Madine for O’Sullivan (72), Luke Kelly for S Brosnan (75), Tiernan Mathers for Glynn (80), Mikey Brosnan for Carthy (83), Paddy Boyle for Wharton (87).
Leitrim: Nevin O’Donnell; Paddy Maguire, Mark Diffley, Conor Reynolds; Conor Farrell, Shane Quinn, James Rooney; Pearce Dolan, Donal Wrynn; Jack Heslin, Mark Plunkett (0-02), Paul Keaney (0-01f); Aidan Flynn, Keith Beirne (0-09, 0-07f), Tom Prior.
Subs: Adam Reynolds for C Reynolds (31), Barry McNulty for Farrell (half-time), Evan Sweeney (0-03) for Prior (57), Domhnaill Flynn for Keaney (60), Oisin McLoughlin for Heslin (69), Diarmuid Kelleher for J Rooney (71), Cillian McGloin for Flynn (73), Keaney for Wrynn (81).
Referee: David Goldrick (Meath).
