Six of the last eight teams in the Dr Harty Cup are now known

St. Flannan’s from Ennis who have won a record 21 Dr Harty Cup titles are out of this year’s competition after they lost to last year’s Munster ‘B’ Champions Doon CBS in what was a must win game for the East Limerick side.

Doon CBS edged a close opening quarter to this game and lead by two points at the quarter of an hour mark. However, in the second quarter they proved to be the better side by some distance and goals from Raymond and Pat Ryan as well as Kevin Stapleton helped them to a 3-11 to 0-7 advantage at the break.

The Ennis side did make more of a game of it in the second half but they were able to hit the scores that would make any real bite into the Doon CBS half time advantage and in the end the Limerick side ran out victors on a 3-19 to 0-14 scoreline.

Dungarvan Colleges did not have a game in the final round of games but will join the Limerick side in the last eight of the competition. They along with Doon CBS and St. Flannan’s all finished the league section of the competition with six points but the West Waterford outfit have the better score difference and will go into the last eight as one of the seeded teams. Doon CBS had the second best score difference of the three sides and therefore advance to the next phase of the competition.

The second game in the last round of games in group four of the league section of the competition Saint Caimin’s from Shannon had a 1-18 to 1-9 win over Gael Choláiste Mhuire from Cork at Ballyagran.

In Group One, Ard Scoil Ris who won the competition in 2010 and 2011 are through to the last eight of the competition after they beat De La Salle from Waterford city at Cashel on a 1-10 to 1-9 scoreline.

The Waterford city side have one more game to play in the competition. They will play Castletroy in Cashel next Wednesday. If the Waterford city side avoid defeat they will advance to the last eight but if the Limerick side were to win they would advance having won the head to head between the two sides as both would finish the league section of the competition on six points each.

Castletroy in their penultimate game in the league section of the competition recorded a 2-11 to 2-7 win over Saint Colman’s from Fermoy at Martinstown, while Clonmel CBS who have Ardscoil Ris to play in a rearranged game received a walkover from the Kerry Colleges.

In Group two, Our Lady’s from Templemore have joined Blackwater Community School from Lismore in the last eight of the competition and will enter the draw for the last eight as one of the seeded teams after they beat fellow Co. Tipperary side Abbey CBS from Tipperary Town on a 1-12 to 0-7 scoreline, while in the second game in group two, Charleville CBS had a 3-11 to 0-12 victory over West Limerick Colleges at Dromcolliher.

Thurles CBS maintained their one hundred present record in this years competition with a 1-11 to 0-13 victory over Colaiste Chriost Rí from Cork in Fermoy, while at the CIT grounds in Cork City Midleton CBS kept their hopes of reaching the last eight of the competition in tact with a 1-10 to 1-7 win over Hamilton High School from Bandon.

Three games remain to be played in this year’s competition and are expected to be played next week. De La Salle and Castletroy meet at Cashel on Wednesday in group one and in the same group Ard Scoil Rís who have already reached the last eight of the competition will take on Clonmel CBS. In Group three Nenagh CBS take on Midleton CBS. Nenagh CBS will need a win if they are to advance to the last eight of the competition while a draw will do Midleton CBS.

In the last eight of the competition, the four teams that won the group stages of the competition will be seeded and cannot meet each other. Teams that have already met in the competition also cannot meet in the last eight.

The quarter final games are expected to be played on January 16 with the semi finals pencilled in for February 3 and the final on February 24.

Dr, Harty Cup Senior A Hurling – 2012/2013 Tables

Group One.

Árd Scoil Rís               4          4          0          0          8

De La Salle College     4          3          0          1          6

Castletroy College       4          2          1          1          5

Clonmel CBS               4          1          2          1          4

Saint Colman’s            5          1          1          3          3

Kerry Colleges             5          0          0          5          0

 

Group Two.

Templemore                4          3          1          0          7

Blackwater C.S.          4          3          0          1          6

West Lim. Colleges      4          1          1          2          3

Abbeys CBS                 4          1          0          3          2

Charleville                   4          1          0          3          2

Group Three.

Thurles CBS               4          4          0          0          8

Midleton CBS              3          2          0          1          4

Nenagh CBS                3          1          1          1          3

Hamilton High School  4          1          1          2          3

Colaiste Chriost Rí       4          0          0          4          0

 

Group Four.

Dungarvan Colleges   4          3          0          1          6

Doon CBS                   4          3          0          1          6

Saint Flannan’s           4          3          0          1          6

Saint Caimin’s            4          1          0          3          2

Gael Colaiste Mhuire 4          0          0          4          0

A first title for Thurles Sarsfields but De La Salle are not far off the mark

Who would be an officer of a G.A.A. Board? It’s often a case you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don’t. I was one myself for long enough to know exactly what goes on. When an officer of a board, it’s often a case that you have to listen to the thunder and duck the lightening.

To listen to the thunder at times can be difficult, but sometimes you have to. Sometimes it’s a case that you don’t shoot the messenger as much as you would like to, as there could well be something in what they are saying if you are prepared to listen.

Why the G.A.A. persist with using Pairc Uí Chaoimh as a venue for games is amazing. The stadium is a disaster waiting to happen, and when it does happen, the G.A.A. will have some very serious questions to answer.

Full marks have to be given to the Munster Council for giving both De La Salle and Thurles Sarsfields the opportunity to play this year’s Munster Senior Club Final at either Walsh Park or Semple Stadium. Secretly, I am sure that they were hoping for an agreement to toss as they had the chance to get a considerable local support to the game as well as a reasonable away support. But playing the game at a neutral venue they were always going to be a drop in those passing through the turn-styles.

After an agreement was not reached to flick a coin they fixed the game for Pairc Uí Chaoimh which you cannot give any where near full marks to the council for and as a result of fixing the game for where they did they took a massive loss financially.

Just 2,433 passed through the gates of the Cork venue to see one of the best Munster Club Finals in a long number of years. 2,400 plus people in a stadium the size of Pairc Uí Chaoimh does not create an atmosphere. Even if the game was moved up the road to Pairc Uí Rinn which has a capacity of about 17,000 it would have been like been in a grave yard atmosphere wise, but a better one than at the considerably larger G.A.A. venue in the southern capital. Fermoy and Mallow may be even smaller than Pairc Uí Rinn and the facilities, especially in Fermoy may not be the same for the fans as they would in Cork City, but a terrific atmosphere could have been created.

De La Salle’s one hundred present record in Munster Championship hurling might be gone, but there can be no disputing that the better team won on the day. Thurles Sarsfields after coming through the Tipperary Championship, the beat Kilmallock in a dog fight on Kilmallock’s home patch before beating both Sarsfields and De La Salle with late shootouts to claim the their first provincial titles.

On the day Thurles Sarsfields showed slightly the greater hunger. More of their players on the day stepped up to the mark. Pa Bourke was a deserved Man of the Match. Padraic Maher also had a solid game as did Lar Corbett and Michael Cahill did an excellent job shadowing John Mullane. When introduced Richie Ruth and Ger ‘Redser’ O’Grady made telling contributions.

De La Salle too had some fine performers. Jake Dillon would have pushed Pa Bourke all the way for the official ‘Man of the Match’ gong while Eddie Barrett was also very impressive in the middle of the field and will have Michael Ryan and his fellow Waterford selectors wondering in the coming weeks if he would be worth a prolonged run in their set up in the new year and at the expense of who.

Most appear to be pointing to the sending off of John Keane late in the first half as the winning and loosing of the game. While he was a loss, I for one don’t know if his absence was as big as some make it out to be.

Sometimes playing with fourteen men can be an advantage. It has the effect that others have to up their game to make up for the numerical disadvantage, and it is often the case that the team with fourteen men is the one that comes through.

For me, the gaps that were there to be seen when De La Salle played Lismore in the quarter finals of the senior hurling championship were there again and this was the real winning and loosing of the game.

Against Lismore most (myself included) saw just one winner. Lismore played that game minus four players that played in the opening round of the championship. But the players that came in for them and some of the younger players that were part of the team all year really upped their game and they ran the eventual county champions to one point and hit four goals in the process and could have hit more.

Thurles Sarsfields at times against De La Salle got through the De La Salle defence too easily. Luckily from a De La Salle and Waterford perspective however they hit only the one goal.

De La Salle for all their efforts too hit only the one goal, a brilliant one scored by Paudie Nevin. Nevin beat Padraic Maher and raced towards the goal from the left hand side of the field and then gave Padraig Maher no chance with a well executed shot.

De La Salle prior to this were somewhat unlucky not to have hit two further goals. On twenty minutes, Jake Dillon hit the base of the post, and the ball was cleared to safety and resulted in a Thurles point within seconds of Dillon’s miss, and moments later Dillon again tried his luck but his shot this time was saved by Patrick McCormack.

De La Salle shortly after hitting the De La Salle net saw their numbers cut when John Keane was in the eyes of many was harshly sent off but the sending off was technically correct by the referee.

They went in trailing by just two points (1-11 to 1-9) at the break and when they came out for the second half and won a twenty metre free which they went for a goal from despite the goal been heavily guarded, which they missed you had to wonder was it going to be De La Salle’s day.

Hindsight is always a fantastic thing, and you cant but wonder would tipping the ball over the crossbar bringing the game back to just one point be the better of the two options.

In the second half, questions could have been asked for the De La Salle management team. With the game close at the start of the second half, Thurles Sarsfields sent on Ger O’Grady and Richie Ruth and between them they hit three points. De La Salle playing the whole of the second half with a numerical disadvantage did not use any sub till the last five minutes of the game.

Midway through the second half they lost Jack Kennedy for a short period of time meaning they were playing with thirteen. Again hindsight is a great thing but should the De La Salle management team at that time have taken the bull by the horns and sent on a sub to bring their quota of players back up to fourteen they might have faired better.

De La Salle will take a few weeks off now before they begin their plans for the 2013 campaign.

They will be there or there about in the county next year. In the likes of Jake Dillon, Eddie Barrett, Dean Twomey, Eoin Madigan, Stephen Daniels, Kevin Moran and Bryan Phelan amongst others they have some fine players and its only a matter of time before they will be adding to their already impressive tally of medals won, maybe even adding one won on Saint Patrick’s Day that they so much crave for.  

De La Salle and Thurles Sarsfields do battle in Cork

De La Salle and Thurles Sarsfields lock horns in Pairc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon next where the prize on offer for the winners will be the Munster Senior Hurling Club Championship title for 2012.

The sides met two years ago at the same stage of the championship and the same venue in 2010 with the outcome going in the way of De La Salle, winning the game on a 0-9 to 0-8 scoreline on a day that the game should never have gone ahead owing to the weather conditions.

The fact that these two sides are meeting in the final is no major surprize as the two have proven to be the best two sides in the Provence all year.

After coming through their respective county championships with somewhat relative ease, both sides since they entered the Munster Championship have found the going much more difficult.

Thurles Sarsfields had to play Limerick champions Kilmallock in the quarter final stages of the championship and came through the game with three points to spare 2-12 to 0-15.

The two respective semi finals proved equally as tight, with both sides that won through needing to hit late scores to secure their passage.

Thurles Sarsfields overcame the challenge of Cork champions Sarsfields on a 2-20 to 2-15 scoreline at Semple Stadium, while in Sixmilebridge De La Salle were involved in a Roy of the Rovers style finish to their semi final against Newmarket-on-Fergus as they needed a goal with virtually the last puck of the game from John Keane to secure a 1-10 to 0-10 victory.

Both sides in this years final are very experienced outfits. The real strength in both sides possibly lies in their respective half back lines. For Thurles Sarsfields they could well have Padraig Maher in the pivotal number six shirt and could well be flanked by David Kennedy and Michael Cahill, while De La Salle are most certain to have Kevin Moran in their number six shirt with Bryan Phelan and Eoin Madigan either side of him.

However, under no circumstances do the two sides rely on their half back lines to see them through games.

Both sides are more than a danger to any side in attack. For Thurles Sarsfields in attack Pa Bourke and Lar Corbett will be their big names but by no means do they over rely on them as Aidan McCormack, Michael O’Brien and Denis Maher amongst others able to chip in with their quota of scores as are Johnny Enright and Michael Gleeson in the middle of the field while on the bench they have Ger O’Grady who was in the Tipperary senior team a few years back and is still a player that knows where the posts are.

Most Thurles Sarsfields supports could be forgiven for thinking that John Mullane is De La Salle’s main target man. They will also need no introduction to John Keane who will be well known to them as he played for Borris-Ileigh before moving to the Waterford city club. Of course these are not the only players that Thurles Sarsfields will have to keep an eye on as Jack Kennedy, Jake Dillon, Shane McNulty, Paudi Nevin etc. all know where the posts are as do Eddie Barrett and Dean Twomey from the middle of the field while Bryan Phelan cannot be afforded many chances of hitting long range frees if the Thurles side are to stand a chance.

Both sides will claim that they have improved since 2010. The question to be answered is which one as done so more.

Sunday’s game is expected to be close. Maybe too close for comfort. De La Salle have never lost a game in Munster in their three times representing Waterford while Thurles Sarsfields have never won the title. It would not be too much of a surprise if those that make the journey to Cork on Sunday would have to sit through two extra periods of twenty minutes and even after that if they were to have to re-meet on December 1 with the eventual winners advancing to play the Leinster Champions in the All-Ireland semi final on the second weekend of February.

History would suggest a close game. Since 2004 up to 2011 (drawn game) just one puck of the ball separated the sides in the final and it could well be more of the dame this time around.

In Munster Club hurling, Sunday’s game is the nineteenth time the Waterford and Tipperary champions have played each other and on head to head clashes it’s the Tipperary champions that lead the way with nine wins against eight wins for the Waterford champions recording eight wins and there has been one draw.

Here is another interesting fact. Since the turn of the Millennium, Waterford clubs have the best record in Munster Senior Club hurling championship. The Waterford champions have played twenty-seven games since 2000 of which the Waterford club have come out on top in eighteen of these games and there has been one draw. Tipperary’s record show that they have played twenty-five games since 2000 in the Munster Championship and have won fourteen of these games and drawn two, so no doubt De La Salle will be hoping to keep Waterford’s good record going on Sunday next.

Here is something however that De La Salle might not want to read, or maybe to do something about.

In 2008 and 2010 De La Salle won the Waterford County Senior Hurling Championship. They won it again in 2012. In 2008 and 2010 the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship was won by Sarsfields and they like De La Salle won the county final again in 2012. Nothing unusual there I year you say.

But in 2008 and 2010, the team that beat Sarsfields in the Munster Semi Final (i.e. De La Salle) went on to win the Munster Final. In 2012, Thurles Sarsfields beat the Cork Champions in the semi finals. Is this an omen?

Munster GAA HURLING Club Senior Championship 2012

Quarter-Final

Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 2-12 Kilmallock (Limerick) 0-15 in Kilmallock


Semi-Finals
De La Salle (Waterford) 1-10 Newmarket-on-Fergus (Clare) 0-10 in Sixmilebridge

Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 2-20 Sarsfields (Cork) 2-15 in Semple Stadium

Third Dean Ryan Cup for De La Salle

De La Salle are Dean Ryan Cup champions after an eleven point victory over Gael Choláiste Mhuire at Fraher Field.

This final was expected to be a close affair, but in truth as the final outcome suggest, this was far from the case.

Shane Ryan finished the game as its top scorer hitting eleven points for the now three times winners of this competition over the course of the hour and is surly a player that the new county minor hurling selectors will be looking at to have in their plans for the 2013 Munster Championship.

It was the Cork side who are attached to the famous North Mon academy that got the scoring underway in this game, as Donal Gunning with a strong wind at his back easily found the rage.

However, from here on in, it was De La Salle all the way. Man of the match Shane Ryan levelled matters on three minutes and seconds later the Waterford City side were three points to the good after Centre back Jack McCarthy found Sean Treacy who in turn laid the ball off to Dessie Hutchinson and the Ballygunner man gave Darragh O’Connell in the Cork City sides goal no chance with a well executed shot.

Shane Ryan landed two further points for De La Salle to give them a five point lead with seven minutes played.

Points from Darragh O’Connell and Peter Hogan were swapped in the eleventh minute before Eddie Gunning followed by a brace from Shane Ryan followed to give De La Salle a 1-6 to 0-3 lead after fourteen minutes.

A minute later, the game was all over as a contest. De La Salle College won a free on the half way line which wing back Craig Brown looked more than capable of putting over the cross bar, but as the ball neared the Cork sides goal, it began to dip but as Darragh O’Connell came out of his goal expecting to collect the ball, he failed to get a grasp of the ball which went over his arm and then dropped into an empty net to give De La Salle a 2-6 to 0-3 lead.

Shane Ryan hit a brace of points for De La Salle to extend their lead to eleven before Donal Gunning hit a brace of scores for the Cork side inside two minutes of each other. Shane Ryan and Darragh Tuohy landed points for their respective sides to give De La Salle a 2-9 to 0-6 advantage as the side’s switched ends.

Dayne Lee and Shane Ryan got the second half scoring underway with a point for each time inside the first four minutes of the second half.

Dessie Hutchinson and a brace of Shane Ryan scores soon followed which gave De La Salle a 2-12 to 0-7 lead after 44 minutes.

Dayne Lee pulled a point back for Gael Choláiste Mhuire on forty eight minutes before De La Salle won somewhat of a controversial penalty just minutes later.

Darragh O’Connell easily dealt with an incoming ball and as he came out of his goal to send it up field, one of the De La Salle players went to the ground and referee Willie Barrett straight away indicated for a penalty having adjudged that the Na Piarsaigh man had barged coming out. Despite the protest of the Cork sides players, the decision of the Ardfinnan official stood, but Darragh O’Connell had the final say as he made a good save from Craig Brown’s effort and then cleared the ball up field.

Prior to this the Cork side were unlucky not to have hit a goal as they hit the upright and then the crossbar in quick succession.

De La Salle however finished the game in control  as Shane Ryan, Kevin Crowley and Peter Hogan landed points for the Waterford city side to give them a 2-15 to 0-9 lead with time almost up, but it was Dayne Lee that closed the scoring with a point in added time for the Cork side.

DE LA SALLE: Eoin Purcell; Niall Blanchfield, Eddie Hayden, Sean Barlow; Craig Brown, Jack McCarthy, Kieran Dillon-Murphy; Gus Flynn, Mark Shanahan; Peter Hogan, Dessie Hutchinson, Michael Roche; Mark Mullally, Sean Treacy, Shane Ryan. Subs: Patrick Walsh for Michael Roche, Shane Walsh for Sean Barlow, Kevin Crowley for Mark Mullally, Ian Long for Eddie Hayden, Brian Cunningham for Sean Treacy.

Scorers: Shane Ryan 0-11(7f), Dessie Hutchinson 1-1, Craig Brown 1-0f, Peter Hogan 0-2, Kevin Crowley 0-1.

GAELCHOLÁISTE MHUIRE: Darragh O'Connell; Brian O'Callaghan, Eddie Gunning, Robert O'Meara; Eric O'Keeffe, Colin O'Sullivan, Adam O'Donovan; Kieran Hanafin, Eoin O’Leary; Craig Connolly, Paul White, Liam Coughlan; Donal Gunning, David Braham, Dayne Lee. Subs: Darragh Tuohy for David Braham, Cathal O'Callaghan for Paul White, Evan Sheehan for Donal Gunning.

Scorers: Donal Gunning (3f), Dayne Lee (1f) 0-4 each, Eddie Gunning (f), Darragh Tuohy 0-1 each.

Referee: Willie Barrett (Tipperary).

 

No joy for Stradbally in Clonakilty

Playing three weekends in a row took its toll on Stradbally’s senior footballers on Sunday afternoon when suffered a one point defeat to Cork champions Castlehaven in the Munster Senior Club semi finals at Clonakilty.

The newly crowned Déise champions played with wind and rain at their backs and used the elements as much as they could to their advantage racing into a five points to one lead by the break.

Even playing into the elements in the second half, Stradbally did well, but conceding the games only goal ten minutes from the hour mark was to prove costly.

Stradbally opened the scoring in this game with less than twenty seconds on the clock when David Grey who hit their match winning score against The Nire the previous weekend getting the ball rolling.

Shane Ahearne who proved inspirational in Stradbally winning a seventeenth county title followed up David Grey’s score when he converted a ’45, but the Cork champions soon halved Stradbally’s lead when Sean Dineen pointed.

However from here on in to the break it was Stradbally all the way. Ger Power, Paddy Kiely, Niall Curran and Shane Ahearne all hit points to give Stradbally a 0-6 to 0-1 lead at the break, making the odds that bookies were giving earlier in the week look totally ridiculous.

Castlehaven hit the first scores of the second half through Shane Nolan and Brian Hurley and with fifteen minutes of the half despite playing against the elements Stradbally still held a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage.

However, disaster struck for Stradbally ten minutes from time when a Damien Cahalane delivery was not dealt with by Oliver Costelloe as he would have like and the ball fell to Sean Cahalane who finished to the net to tie the scoring a 0-6 to 1-3.

Damien Cahalane and Mark Collins kicked further scores for the Cork champions over the next eight minutes to give them a two point advantage, but credit Stradbally, they kept plugging away and kicked a point from Niall Curran on the hour mark but the score that they craved for to send the game into extra time never came.

Castlehaven – P Hurley; D Limerick, L Collins, T O'Leary; R Whelton, D Cahalane, C Hayes; S Dineen, D Hurley; S Cahalane, M Collins, A Cahalane; S Nolan, B Hurley, S Hurley. Sub: S Hurley for R Whelton.

Scorers: S Cahalane 1-0, B Hurley, M Collins, D Cahalane, S Dineen, S Nolan 0-1 each.

Stradbally – O Costelloe; A Doyle, K Coffey, P Doyle; T Grey, E Rocket, S Lannon; M Walsh, D Grey; P Kiely, G Power, J Coffey; N Curran, S Ahearne, R Ahearne. Subs: S Cunningham for D Grey, T Curran for G Power.

Scorers: N Curran (2f), S Ahearne (1 '45', 1f) 0-2 each, G Power, P Kiely, D Grey 0-1 each.

Ref – D O'Mahony (Tipperary)

Wins for Fourmilewater & Ballygunner in Under 21 County Finals.

The County under 21 hurling finals were played at Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon last, with a mixed fair thrown up in both finals.

The ‘B’ final was the first to be played between Fourmilewater and Passage and in truth for the neutral at the ground, this was a better game than the ‘A’ final between Ballygunner and Saint Carthage’s which followed. Maybe this was because this was a case that we were expecting too much of the two sides that played in the ‘A’ Final.

The early minutes of the ‘B’ final suggested that a run away victory was going to be on the cards for Fourmilewater as with Jamie Barron once again showing his potential, the West Waterford side raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after nine minutes with Jamie Barron accounting for four of his sides scores.

Passage however were determined to make a game of it and on ten minutes they came storming back into the game when John Whitty hit the games first goal, giving David Ryan in the Fourmilewater goal no chance.

Points from Jamie Barron and Seamus Barron followed in the following minutes after which Diarmuid Murphy, Seamus Barry and Josh Cunningham followed up with points for their respective sides to leave just one between the sides with twenty-three minutes played.

A few days previous to this game, the sporting world spoke about Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s fourth goal in Sweden’s 4-2 win over England. At Fraher Field on Saturday evening those present were talking about Thomas Whitty’s goal.

Three minutes from the end of normal time in the first half, David Ryan took a free outside his goal mouth which he sent down his left wing. The ball dropped approximately half way out the field where Thomas Whitty collected the ball out near the sideline and having noticed that the Fourmilewater net minder was not back on his line, he sent in a speculative shot which dropped into the Fourmilewater net for a goal that we are unlikely to see repeated at Fraher Field or any other venue for some time.

Passage despite a poor start, were now in front and when Seamus Barry followed with a point from a free the signs were looking good for Passage.

However, Fourmilewater came roaring back before the break and on twenty eight minutes Jamie Barron sent a twenty metre free which was to the left of the uprights wising to the Passage net and he followed it up with a point from a free on thirty minutes which gave his side a 1-8 to 2-4 advantage at the switch of ends.

Fourmilewater came out all guns blazing in the second half and within seconds of the restart had hit both the posts and the crossbar in quick succession.

Points from Jamie Barron and Seamus Barry ensured that seven minutes after the restart there was still just a point between the sides. However the sides would end the third quarter all square after Jamie Barron and then Liam Flynn, John Whitty, Seamus Barry and Jamie Barron again were all registered.

On forty-six minutes Fourmilewater were in hard luck not to have gone in front with a little to spare but Bryan Flynn in the Passage goal made a very good save to deny Jamie Barron a second goal. Jamie Barron did manage to edge Fourmilewater in front with ten minutes to play. Seamus Barry cancelled out the score seconds later but Jamie Barron from a free wasted no time in regaining the lead for Fourmilewater once more with a converted free on fifty-two minutes.

Six minutes from time Fourmilewater went four points in front after they hit their second goal of the game. Jamie Barron did well to pick out Brendan Lawlor but his shot was saved by Bryan Flynn in the Passage goal, however Kenneth Brazil was in the right place at the right time to hit the rebound to the net for one of the most crucial scores he is ever likely to hit.

A pointed free from Jamie Barron five minutes from time gave Fourmilewater a 2-14 to 2-9 lead and they looked good to win with some ease. However Passage had different ideas.

A brace of Seamus Barry points cut Fourmilewater’s lead to three. Diarmuid Murphy however put four between the sides with less than a minute to play and from the resulting puck out Passage attacked the Fourmilewater goal and with a good ground stroke, something we don’t see enough of in the modern game Richard Hurley bellowed the Fourmilewater net to leave just one between the sides.

However, it was Fourmilewater that finished the stronger of the two sides and Jamie Barron two minutes into stoppage time slotted over a free to ensure victory for Fourmilewater.   

Fourmilewater: David Ryan; Sean Ryan, Paudie Cooney, Philip McCarthy; Johnny Hannigan, Aidan Condon, Dermot Ryan; Shane Ryan, Diarmuid Murphy; Lonan Carroll, Thomas Cooney, Brendan Lawlor; Keith Guiry, Jamie Barron, Kenneth Brazil. Subs: Conal Mulcahy for Lonan Carroll, Patrick Horkan for Kenneth Brazil.

Scorers: J. Barron 1-13 (1-9f, 1 65’), K. Brazil 1-0, D. Murphy 0-2, S. Ryan 0-1.

 Passage: Bryan Flynn; Daniel O’Sullivan, Mark Wyse, Paul Donnellan; Eddie Lynch, Jason Roche, Dylan Power; Dylan Carey, John Whitty; Thomas Whitty, Liam Flynn, Richard Hurley; Josh Cunningham, Seamus Barry, Peter Molloy. Subs: Owen Power for Peter Molloy.

Scorers: S. Barry 0-8 (7f), J. Whitty 1-1, R. Hurley, T. Whitty 1-0 each, L. Flynn, J. Cunningham 0-1 each.

Referee: Pat Casey (Cappoquin).

 The ‘A’ Final between Ballygunner and group side Saint Carthage’s promised so much, but expectations were not fulfilled.

Ballygunner went into the game as the favourites, but had to fight hard to ensure that they would retain a trophy that they now have won four years running.

Saint Carthage’s however can feel very aggrieved with the full time result. They lead for much of the game, and on the hour mark they were two points in front. However, Ballygunner’s never say die attitude paid off and deep in added time they struck the games only goal which proved to be the winning score. From the stand, it did appear that more than one Ballygunner players were in the small square before the goal was scored, whether they were in it before the ball was hit into it was no as clear. The Saint Carthage’s players felt they were and immediately remonstrated with match officials, but their pleas fell on deaf years and for their troubles they finished the game with fourteen players.

It was Ballygunner that started the game the brighter of the two sides as Pauric Mahony and Conor Power hit early points to give them a two point advantage with five minutes played.

However Saint Carthage’s came storming back with points from Kieran and Shane Bennett, Jordan Shanahan and Ray Barry to give them an 0-4 to 0-2 lead after just ten minutes.

Pauric Mahony had an excellent return from his shooting from placed balls over the course of the afternoon, hit his second of the game on eleven minutes to leave one between the sides, but points from Shane Bennett, Paudie Colman, John Prendergast and Stephen Bennett followed to give Saint Carthage’s an 0-8 to 0-3 lead after sixteen minutes.

Three Pauric Mahony points in a row cut Saint Carthage’s lead to two with seven minutes of the opening half to play, but Stephen Bennett with a ’65 put some daylight between the sides with five minutes of the opening half to play.

Ballygunner however went to the dressing rooms only trailing by two (0-9 to 0-7) after Pauric Mahony put over another free in the closing minute of the regulatory thirty minutes.

The sides came out for the second half exchanging early scores. Pauric Mahony was first to raise a white flag followed by Ray Barry and then Pauric Mahony again to leave one between the sides with four minutes of the second half played.

A brace of Pauric Mahony frees and a point from play off the stick of Johnny McCarthy meant that Ballygunner were in front after thirty nine minutes, but their lead was to be short lived as three points from Shane Bennett and one from Brian Bennett gave Saint Carthage’s a 0-14 to 0-12 lead after fifty five minutes.

Pauric Mahony and Kieran Bennett traded scores to keep two between the sides with sixty minutes played but as we all know, a game is never over till we hear the final whistle.

Ballygunner refused to throw in the towel and two minutes into stoppage time they attacked down the bank side of the field and when substitute Billy O’Keeffe crossed the ball in front of the Saint Carthage’s goal, Pauric Mahony was able to get enough of a flick on the ball to take it past Seanie Barry in the Saint Carthage’s goal, a score that had a degree of controversy about it.

The score stood however and shortly after Saint Carthage’s had restarted the game, the full time whistle was blown to the relief of the Ballygunner support that was present at the game.

Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Jack Ruddle, Stephen O’Keeffe; Philip Duggan, Philip Mahony, Tommy Power; Thomas Mullally, Harley Barnes; Johnny McCarthy, Barry O’Sullivan, Aaron Kavanagh; David Walsh, Pauric Mahony, Conor Power. Subs: Billy O’Keeffe for David Walsh, Paul Coughlan for Tommy Power, Conor Sheehan for Aaron Kavanagh.

Scorers: P. Mahony 1-11 (10f), C. Power, J. McCarthy 0-1 each

Saint Carthage’s: Seanie Barry; Shane Heaphy, Michael Fitzgerald, Pat Hennessy; Stevie Barry, Paudie Prendergast, Darren Meagher; Kieran Bennett, Ray Barry; Jordan Shanahan, Peter O’Keeffe, Paudie Colman; Stephen Bennett, John Prendergast, Brian Bennett.

Scorers: S. Bennett 0-7 (5f, 1 65’), K. Bennett, R. Barry 0-2 each, J. Shanahan, P. Coleman, B. Bennett, J. Prendergast 0-1 each.

Referee: John Condon (An Rinn).