Boherlahan Dualla dominate extra time to claim final place after defeat of Moneygall

FBD Insurance Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Boherlahan Dualla 1-12

Moneygall 0-12 

After Extra Time

Boherlahan Dualla battled their way to this year’s Intermediate Hurling Championship final after dominating extra time in a hard slog on Saturday afternoon, as they finally overcame Moneygall in an attritional and mistake-ridden semi-final clash in Templetuohy.

Conditions were nothing short of atrocious in Templetuohy with the heavy overnight rain and constant day time downpours during the match made it impossible for the players to play to their abilities, but when the chips were down in extra time it was the Sash who looked fitter, more composed, and more clinical as they won 0-5 to 0-2 in the two halves of ten minutes.

Moneygall will be sick with this result as they were the better team for much of normal time and coming up to the final ten minutes held a narrow two point lead but were dominating the ball, but a fortuitous and avoidable long range free from Ger O’Dwyer carried all the way to the back of Ciaran Quinlan’s goal to turn the game, which gave Boherlahan a badly needed life line.

From there, Boherlahan took a late lead through a class strike from the impressive Dylan Fogarty from distance and it took a late, well-taken Bob Kenny score deep in injury time to send the game to extra time, but it was clear early on in the first half of extra time that Boherlahan had the legs and they produced some excellent defensive moments to keep Moneygall at bay to claim a deserved victory.

To say this game was lacking in any sort of fluidity and crisp passages of play is putting it mildly, as the scrappiness began also immediately from throw-in as the sides got stuck in without much shooting at goal.

It took five minutes for the first score to come through a close-range Joe Fogarty free before Tossy Ryan matched that effort two minutes later for Boherlahan, but it was Moneygall who were edging the proceedings and after 17 minutes of turgid play, they led 0-3 to 0-1 thanks to another Joe Fogarty free before his brother Sean scored the first point of the day from play after good work from Bob Kenny.

Up front, Boherlahan were getting no change out of their markers in the first half but they finally did get on the board from play through a James Kirby strike from an angle after Seamus Leahy won possession and dished it backfield, but the scores were coming easier now for Moneygall as Sean Kenneally finally made an impression with a point on the back foot a minute later to keep the two-point gap after 20 minutes.

Dylan Fogarty has been having a fine year for Boherlahan and the youngster found the first of his three points from play on the day in the 25th minute to cut the gap to one point but it was still Moneygall who were creating scoring chances and they finished the half well with two points from their county players Joe Fogarty (free) and Sean Kenneally to take a deserved 0-6 to 0-3 lead at half-time.

The rain continued to pour in Templetuohy and, if anything, it got heavier as Boherlahan now had the benefit of the breeze, but they had Darragh Lacey to thank for bailing them out after three minutes of the second half when Joe Fogarty fielded a mis-hit Bob Kenny shot close to goal before turning and lamping a shot for goal but Lacey stood up well to it and managed to deflect it to safety.

That would have made a comeback very difficult early on for Boherlahan but they did jolt into action soon after thanks to a brace of Tomas Ryan frees by the 37th minute, but Moneygall kept up their intensity and re-opened the three-point gap four minutes later when Sean Keneally notched his third point from play along with a first from play from Joe Fogarty.

Moneygall were not pulling away by any means going into the final quarter but they were well set defensively with Brendan Toohey sitting deep and protecting the full-back line, and it was Boherlahan who were struggling to find any foothold in the attacking half as they chased the game.

They were thrown a big stroke of luck though just after Seamus Leahy hit a fine score from distance in the 48th minute, when a long-range Ger O’Dwyer free dropped like a bomb into a cluster of bodies outside the Moneygall square and the big bounce of the ball zipped past Ciaran Quinlan to the back of the net to give Boherlahan a surprise lead with ten to go.

Credit to Moneygall though as they didn’t panic and after Joe Fogarty (free) and Dylan Fogarty traded points in the final five minutes, trailing by one in added time, Moneygall found the equaliser after Paddy Fogarty linked up well with Ger Ryan to find Bob Kenny with a run at goal and the wing forward showed real composure to flick over the score to send the game to extra time at 1-7 to 0-10.

From here though the close nature of the game dried up as Boherlahan completely took over the game in extra time with excellent points from play from Seamus Leahy, James Kirby, Tomas Ryan (free), and another class effort from distance by Dylan Fogarty gave Boherlahan a commanding lead and try as they might, Moneygall couldn’t muster enough to bring it back with a few late long balls being repelled by the Boherlahan defence to claim a place in this year’s Intermediate final.

Boherlahan Dualla: Darragh Lacey; Johnny Ryan, Ger O’Dwyer (1-0f), Brian Carrig; Cathal Darcy, Martin Paul O’Dwyer, Dylan Fogarty (0-3); Euan Ryan, Colm O’Dwyer; Tomas Ryan (0-4f), Seamus Leahy (0-2), James Kirby (0-3); Mark Downey, John Hayes, Darragh Hickey.

Subs used: Niall O’Dwyer for J Ryan (23, inj); David Clarke for Hayes (45); Laurence Devane for E Ryan; Tomas Burke for Darcy (77, ET).

Moneygall: Ciaran Quinlan; Cathal Greene, Phil Fanning, Andy Hoolan; Adam Hogan, Brendan Toohey, Roddy Teehan; Conor Ryan, James Carroll; Bob Kenny (0-1), Joe Fogarty (0-6, 0-5f), Sean Fogarty (0-1); Paddy Fogarty, Sean Kenneally (0-3), Mark Fanning.

Subs used: Ger Kirwan for M Fanning (48); Jack Kirwan (0-1) for Carroll (53); Niall Maher for G Kirwan (73, ET).

Referee: John McCormack (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams)