Joe’s final agony

Joe O'Regan

WATER POLO:

ROYTON star Joe O’Regan was a member of the City Of Manchester team which lost to Cheltenham in a dramatic British Gas Men’s Water Polo Championship final penalty shoot-out.

The competition at Manchester Aquatic Centre was filled with drama as Cheltenham held Super 5 winners Manchester to an 8-8 (4-2, 0-2, 4-0, 0-4) draw at the end of the fourth period.

Cheltenham’s Bernat Jakupovic was sent off for four minutes in the final quarter.

Both goalkeepers made important saves in the final period to take the match to penalties.

O’Regan, who competed for team GB in the 2012 London Olympics, was the first to take a penalty, placing a powerful shot to the bottom left of Sam Legge.

After nine penalties the score was still tied, but a goal from Adam Legge clinched victory for Cheltenham. Earlier, O’Regan scored a hat-trick for Manchester in their 10-5 semi-final victory over Invicta.