Late surge secures place for Moyle Rovers in county Tipperary Junior A hurling final
Holycross/Ballycahill fail to last the pace in difficult conditions
Moyle Rovers 1-14 Holycross/Ballycahill 0-10
A blistering finish saw Moyle Rovers overcome Holycross/Ballycahill in the FBD Insurance County Junior A Hurling Championship semi-final at a windswept and rain-lashed Leahy Park, Cashel on Sunday afternoon.
Rovers hit 1-3 without reply in the last six minutes to win through to the county decider, where they will face Kiladangan, the north side beating St Patrick’s by a point in the other semi-final, to ruin the chances of an all-South Tipp final as well as a repeat of the divisional decider.
The atrocious conditions mitigated against fluent hurling, but the Powerstown/Lisronagh side dug deep for a thoroughly deserved victory over Holycross/Ballycahill, who were well in contention until the final minutes.
After trailing by a point at the interval, 0-8 to 0-7, Rovers were the better team in the second half with the breeze at their backs, but were just a point ahead, 0-11 to 0-10, entering the final five minutes.
But two Dara Ryan points from frees pushed them three clear with the clock ticking down. And then substitute Daire Luttrell put the seal on the win with a decisive goal, taking a pass from Ben Owens to shoot low past James O’Dywer in the Holycross goal. Tapping over for a point might have been the more obvious choice, but Luttrell backed himself and was rewarded for his conviction.
Killian Butler added a point for Moyle Rovers in the next move for a seven-points win, a victory margin that seemed unlikely over the course of the game between two evenly-matched sides, both battling against each other and the conditions.
However, the south side made better use of those conditions, outscoring the mid men by 1-7 to 0-2 in the second half with the breeze in their favour. Cathal McKeown, Luke Boland and Ben Owens were rock-solid in defence, Riain Quigley put in a huge performance at midfield while Luke Delahunty, Rory Collins, Dara Ryan and Killian Butler were superb in attack.
Holycross failed to capitalise with the gale at their backs in the first half, and a slender one-point lead at the break was never likely to be enough. Three points from play over the hour, against 1-10 for Rovers, also reflected their problems upfront.
Shane Ryan was a dominant presence at centre half back, and unerring from placed balls, with Gavin Dunne and Sean McGrath also solid at the back while Aidan Stakelum, Tony Leahy and Stevie Flanagan impressed in attack.
The sides were level three times in the first ten minutes, Luke Delahunty with two great scores from play and team captain Dara Ryan from a free for Moyle Rovers, and Sean McGrath from play, a Shane Ryan 65 and a Stevie Flanagan free for Holycross.
Rovers then hit two without reply. Strong pressure first saw Delahunty denied a goal with last gasp defending, but Kevin Grace followed up with a point from a Rory Collins assist. Then in the 13th minute Riain Quigley finished a great run with a point.
Holycross/Ballycahill, fielding the club’s second team, hit back with two of their own from Jamie Woods and a long-range free from Shane Ryan. A superb point from Rory Collins, following a bursting run through the centre, restored the Rovers lead.
However, Holycross/Ballycahill hit back with three in a row, from Audie Lohan following good play from Luke O’Mara; a Stevie Flanagan free and another huge free from Shane Ryan from inside his own half. A late Rovers point from Dara Ryan left it 0-8 to 0-7 to Holycross at the break.
A superb score from Riain Quigley from the standside touchline levelled the game two minutes into the second half, and Rovers’ intent was evident again a minute later when Dara Ryan put Dean English through for the lead.
Flanagan from a free had the first Holycross score of the second half for the equaliser seven minutes in, but when Dara Ryan from a 65 restored Rovers’ lead, the South champions were never headed again.
Holycross balls from play and frees that dropped short into the Moyle Rovers danger area caused some panic in defence, but they survived the threat and Killian Butler extended the lead to 0-11 to 0-9 following good play from Anthony Phelan.
Shane Ryan from a free had the mid side’s second, and last, point of the half ten minutes from the end, before Moyle Rovers turned on the afterburners to claim victory. Dara Ryan pointed two frees following fouls on Luke Delahunty and Riain Quigley, Daire Luttrell hit the only goal of the game, and Killian Butler wrapped up a hugely satisfying win for Moyle Rovers, who still remain in the hunt for county hurling and football crowns.
Moyle Rovers: Brian Gleeson, Cathal McKeown, Luke Boland, Brian McKeown, Rory Collins 0-1; Ben Owens, Conor McGrath, Riain Quigley 0-2; Kevin Grace 0-1; Killian Butler 0-2; Dara Ryan 0-5, 3 frees, 1 ’65; Shane Ryan, Dean English 0-1; Anthony Phelan, Luke Delahunty 0-2.
Subs: Daire Luttrell 1-0 for Shane Ryan, Shane Ryan for Conor McGrath.
Holycross/Ballycahill: James O’Dwyer, Cian Ryan, Stevie Ryan, Gavin Dunne, Eoin Morris, Shane Ryan 0-4, 3 frees, 1 ’65; Sean McGrath 0-1; Jamie Woods 0-1; Jamie Lee Dwan, Stevie Flanagan, 0-3 frees; Aidan Stakelum, Tony Leahy, Audie Lohan 0-1; Mikey Nally, Luke O’Meara.
Subs: Eddie O’Gorman for Tony Leahy, Stephen Quinlan for Audie Lohan, Pierse Briody for Stevie Flanagan.
Referee: Shane Hodgins (Knockshegowna).