Exciting extra time contest ends with Boherlahan Dualla clinching Mid U21B Football crown

Munster Construction Mid Tipperary U21 B Football Championship Final

Boherlahan Dualla 1-13 

Loughmore Castleiney 1-12 

After Extra Time

By Michael Dundon

Boherlahan Dualla’s successful year continued with the victory of their U21 footballers over Loughmore-Castleiney in a thrilling Munster Construction Mid Tipp U21 B football final at Morris Park last Saturday.

From start to finish there was precious little between these sides and while Loughmore Castleiney were playing catch-up throughout the second half, Boherlahan Dualla could never shake them off and duly suffered when in injury time Philip O’Connell netted a penalty for Loughmore to send the game to extra time.

Loughmore Castleiney had a slight edge in a competitive first half and with Philip O’Connell their key man in attack, kicking three points, they led at half-time 0-7 to 0-6. Eoin Moloughney scored all the Boherlahan points, five from frees.

What looked like a decisive moment in the game came shortly after resuming when David Clarke jinked through for a Boherlahan goal. He immediately added a point for a 1-7 to 0-7 lead that his side defended resolutely to injury time in the game. 

Loughmore kept chasing them but with Martin Paul O’Dwyer a towering figure for Boherlahan, they looked to have survived until, in injury time, Ed Connolly was grounded and referee Seamus Delaney awarded a penalty which Philip O’Connell duly dispatched to the net to level the game.

It had been an energy-sapping encounter and so it was that two very tired teams faced the additional twenty minutes. Philip O’Connell drew first blood for Loughmore after three minutes but that was to be their only score of the extra time. Martin Paul O’Dwyer levelled for Boherlahan coming to the break and Eoin Moloughney, from a free, nudged them ahead 1-13 to 1-12.

Surprisingly, though there was lots of goalmouth action at both ends in the second half of extra time, there were no scores. Players were out on their feet, several going down with cramp, but the leveling point Loughmore chased eluded them. Instead, Boherlahan won a penalty at the finish when Sean Bourke was fouled but Dylan Fogarty’s blast for a clinching goal skidded wide of the post.

It made no difference as the final whistle sounded with the kick-out with Boherlahan the champions and going forward to the county semi-final.

In so tight a contest the performance of Martin Paul O’Dwyer at the heart of the Boherlahan defence, and frequently surging into the attack, tipped the balance in Boherlahan Dualla’s favour. His strength and determination drove his side forward and his contribution of three points from play was immense also in a contest in which scores were hard-earned.

Free-taker Eoin Moloughney was another to play a big part in this Boherlahan win with Eugene O’Dwyer, Ger O’Dwyer, Euan Ryan, and goal-scorer David Clarke also making significant contributions.

Loughmore Castleiney had the benefit of a semi-final outing (defeating Moycrkey Borris) in this three-team championship and will know they had the chances to claim victory but overall they cannot complain about the outcome. Some wayward shooting from distance proved costly but against a very compact Boherlahan defence clear-cut scoring opportunities were at a premium. No one could fault them for effort however with Eoin O’Connell, Darragh and Paul McCahey, Joey Quinn, Bill Ryan, Edward Meagher, and Ciaran McCormack giving everything they had.

Boherlahan Dualla: Darragh Lacey; Ned Ryan, Charlie Ryan, Michael O’Connor; Eugene O’Dwyer, Martin Paul O’Dwyer (0-3), Ross Darcy; Euan Ryan, Jack Canny (0-1); David Clarke (1-1), Ger O’Dwyer, James Casey; Eoin Moloughney (0-8, 0-6f), Dylan Fogarty, James Fogarty.

Subs used: Sean Bourke, Robbie Darcy, Diarmuid Coffey.

Loughmore Castleiney: Thomas Larkin; Jay Shorley, Eoin O’Connell, Michael Connolly; Podge Treacy, Edward Meagher, Darragh McCahey (0-2); Paul McCahey, Bill Ryan; Michael Ryan, Ciaran McCormack (0-2), Joe Maher; Joey Quinn (0-1), Ed Connolly, Philip O’Connell (1-7,1-0 pen, 0-4f).

Subs used: Paul McCormack, Colm Gleeson.

Referee: Seamus Delaney (JK Brackens)