BANBRIDGE Academy's dreams of winning a fourth McCullough Cup final ended on Wednesday in dramatic fashion.
It took penalty strokes, and sudden death ones at that, to separate the two sides after Banbridge thought they had the trophy in the bag.
The locals took the lead after a mere 48 seconds as Cookstown's David Atkinson made a defensive error which allowed Shane Boyce to shoot into the top of the net.
Ryan Bell could have increased the lead but his reverse shot shaved the post.
Meanwhile Cookstown's nerves were starting to settle and Mark Crooks almost levelled the scores after a brilliant solo run.
Aaron Appleton and Matthew Smyth were being kept busy throughout as Bann had to deal with a number of penalty corners and David Best's probing runs
Best was involved in the equalising goal in the 19th minute. He picked up possession on the half way line, releasing Crooks and his reverse shot was fired past Appleton.
Cookstown then went ahead on 23 minutes when Greg Allen angled past Appleton but a minute later the goal of the game came when Stephen Dowds scored with a superb reverse effort.
And Bann were denied just before the end by a last ditch tackle from Jonathan Ames as Ryan Bell lined up a shot.
Cookstown got their noses back in front when Allen scored from a second phase penalty corner, but again Bann fought back and pulled level through Matthew Smyth's penalty corner.
Smyth then handed Bann what they thought would be the winner from an almost identical situation on 48 minutes.
The Tyrone side pushed on for an equaliser with chances for Crooks, Ames and Atkinson before Ames, with just over half a minute to go, put the ball in the net to set up extra time.
Alistair Thom made a superb save from Bell in the extra period to preserve Cookstown's lead and Ian Sloane could have won it for them but Paul Downey spectacularly cleared a goalbound shot off the line.
In the penalty strokes each team converted three of their five before Ames won it with his sudden death conversion.
Despite the defeat the mood in the Academy camp is still "upbeat", according to coach Mark Cordner.
"We coped very well on the day considering that we felt that a few of the decisions went against us. The match was a great advert for the local schoolboy game," he said.
"But we were happy with the performance and while we were unlucky we had a chance to win it with the final stroke of the normal penalties."
Next for the Academy are Wallace on January 19 as they attempt to win a record breaking fourth Burney Cup.
"Cookstown are the team to beat at the minute so we are glad to have avoided the big teams.
"But Wallace will be tough to beat and it will be a tough encounter."
Cordner added, "I'd like to thank on behalf of the team our supporters. We took a huge following up to Garvey including people from outside the school - next year we'll do it for them."

Banbridge Academy: Aaron Appleton, Paul Downey, Matthew Berry, Philip Brown, Scott Forbes, David Beck, Shane Boyce, Mark McCague, Stephen Dowds, Ryan Bell, Tarek Chourai, Matthew Gray, Peter McNeice, Richard Magowan, Daniel McAuley, Matthew Smyth.
Cookstown High: Alistair Thom, Christopher Hutchinson, Andrew McGucken, Gareth Purvis, Ian Sloan, David Ames, David Best, Jonathan Ames, Greg Allen, Stephen Sloan, Mark Crooks, Adam Henry, David Atkinson, Ronald Millar, Harry Acheson, Robin Johnston.

Visit the Academy's website at http://www.banbridgeacademy.org.uk