Extra time needed in Division 1 Final with Upperchurch triumph sinking mid rivals

FBD Insurance County Hurling League - Division 1 Final

Upperchurch Drombane 0-26

Drom & Inch 1-21

After Extra Time

Upperchurch Drombane belied their status as a Premier Intermediate team after they displayed real grit and ability in their extra-time win over mid-rivals Drom & Inch in the FBD Insurance County Hurling League Division 1 Final in Templemore last Saturday afternoon.

A game that was ebbing and flowing in each half or both normal and extra time due to a significant breeze blowing down to the town end goal, the sides hit purple patches at different times but Upperchurch managed to be that bit more clinical with their shooting was incredibly wasteful, with a final tally of 16 wides proving to be their downfall at full-time.

Playing with the aid of the wind in the first half, Upperchurch were easily the better side in the first half, although the sides traded the first six scores evenly to stay deadlocked after some nine minutes of play; Upperchurch scoring through Padraig Greene (free), Luke Shanahan and Gavin Ryan while young corner forward Cormac Fitzpatrick hit two frees before Seamus Callanan found his first of the game for Drom & Inch.

After this though, Upperchurch took control and with most of the game being played in the moshpit around midfield, it led to a battle that the ‘Church were winning early on. With the ball their servant, they managed to hit six in a row in the next 13 minutes with the impressive Gavin Ryan (3) leading the way while Paul Shanahan and Aaron Ryan also found the target in that scoring spree.

Drom & Inch trailed 0-8 to 0-3 in the 22nd minute and were struggling to win the battle around the middle third which was starving the inside forwards in particular and it required their youngest player to produce a moment to end a 16-minute scoring drought; Cormac Fitzpatrick fielding a long delivery before taking off for goal, drawing and converting the resulting free from close range.

There is no denying that Drom finished the half a little better in terms of the general play and sights at goal, but they hit some awful efforts and finished with seven wides by the break and despite Cormac Fitzpatrick pointing another free before half-time, Upperchurch would take a significant seven-point lead ahead of the second period. Frees from Padraig Greene and Gavin Ryan, along with well-worked efforts from Niall Grant and Dean Carew had them in command at 0-12 to 0-5 at the break.

The fortunes of both teams turned quickly upon the resumption though, and it pointed out the strength and significance of the breeze present with Drom dominating the third quarter with substitute Maidhc Fitzpatrick making an immediate impact with a point inside two minutes.

That was followed by another three in the next six minutes with John Campion and Cormac Fitzpatrick scoring two of those, with the third coming from Seamus Callanan in what was a class effort on the double after a long puckout from Eoin Collins.

Padraig Greene pointed a free in the 41st minute which was Upperchurch’s first point of the half but it was only a small deflection of the momentum as Drom continued to impose themselves and they had the game back to a single point with ten minutes to go with Cormac Fitzpatrick, Seamus Callanan (free) and Cormac Cahill all pointing to put real pressure on Upperchurch.

It was one-way traffic up to that point as Drom were looking to push for the lead and they found it in the 51st minute just after a well-taken Padraig Greene point from s short free which gave Upperchurch a 0-14 to 0-12 lead. It came from a direct puckout from Eoin Collins which caught in the breeze and the only man who read the flight was David Butler who latched onto the bouncing ball in behind cover went in on goal and finished past Ciaran Shortt with confidence. A seemingly big blow for Upperchurch who had led since the tenth minute.

Other teams might have waivered after that score but Upperchurch showed a steeliness and composure that has to be admired as they equalised immediately through a Greene free, with the game becoming open now with the structures beginning to falter as the clock wore on.

Indeed, eight points would be scored in the final ten minutes and they were spread evenly by the time the whistle blew for full-time despite Drom managing to get their noses in front the game went to extra time after Sean Ryan managed to find Paul Shanahan with the last ball of the game, and the big full forward managed to draw a free to allow Luke Shanahan to equalise. Extra time to come.

It was a do-over of the normal time in extra time as Upperchurch took the wind at their backs from the start and that would prove to be an important factor by the end as they used it to good effect to hit the first three points of the first half, Niall Grant nailing his second inside a minute while Gavin Ryan frees (2) were continuing to fly over.

And that three-point gap would remain at the halfway point of extra time with Luke Shanahan (free), Dean Carew for Upperchurch, and Paudie Kinane and Cormac Cahill for Drom & Inch making the score 0-24 to 1-18.

Maidhc Fitzpatrick continued to be a positive influence as he managed to nick his third from play after the resumption but they never managed to get the scores consistently as Upperchurch always had a response to any salvo from Drom and despite Podge Campion pointing a huge effort with a minute to go to cut the gap to one, Luke Shanahan drew a priceless free in added time.

That placed ball was converted with confidence by Gavin Ryan which clinched the Division 1 title for the mountain men, who will be strong favourites to bounce back to the Dan Breen ranks for 2025.

Upperchurch Drombane: Ciaran Shortt; Mikey Lavery, Ger Grant, Keith Ryan; Niall Grant (0-2), Gavin Ryan (0-8, 0-6f, 0-1 65), Ailbe O’Donoghue; Dean Carew (0-2), Aaron Ryan (0-2); Diarmuid Grant, Paddy Phelan, Paul Shanahan (0-1); Padraig Greene (0-7, 0-6f), Luke Shanahan (0-4, 0-2f), Pat Ryan.

Subs used: Colm Ryan for Pat Ryan (41); Paul Ryan for Phelan (56); Conor Fahey for Greene (62); Sean Ryan for D Grant (62); Paddy Phelan for O’Donoghue (18, ET, inj); AJ Shanahan for Carew (23, ET).

Drom & Inch: Eoin Collins; Jack Ryan, Michael Campion, Lorcan Campion (0-1); Podge Campion (0-1), Kevin Hassett (0-1), Jamie Moloney; John Campion (0-1), Darragh Kennedy; Cormac Cahill (0-2), Seamus Callanan (0-4, 0-2f), David Collins (0-1); Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-6, 0-4f), David Butler (1-0), Tommy Nolan.

Subs used: Maidhc Fitzpatrick (0-3) for Kennedy (HT); Paudie Kinane (0-1) for Nolan (56); Jack Lillis for C Fitzpatrick (HT, ET); John Ryan for Moloney (19, ET).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess)