Drom & Inch somehow overcome a brilliant Boherlahan Dualla effort to qualify for Mid U21 final

Donal & Rose Younge Mid Tipperary U21A Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Drom & Inch 1-14

Boherlahan Dualla 0-14

By William Coleman

Drom & Inch will go forward to meet Thurles Sarsfields in the 2023 Mid U21 A Final after a late smash-and-grab victory over Boherlahan Dualla in the Ragg Sunday afternoon last.

Tipp U20 player Maidhc Fitzpatrick was the hero of the hour as his Peter Canavan-esque re-appearance from the bench late on turned the game in the home side's favour.

Drizzly weather made underfoot conditions a little tricky but the Ragg pitch was in great condition despite the recent weather.
Drom & Inch elected to play into the dressing room end of the ground in the first half with no wind advantage present for either side on a mild calm despite the rain.

Paudie Kinane opened Drom’s account with the first point of the game in the first minute as fired over from play 45 yards out after a great cross-field ball from Cormac Cahill to find him.

Dylan Fogarty replied from a long distance free shortly after to tie up the game, indeed Fogarty would go on to play a huge role in the game.

Great work between the two Fitzpatricks, Cormac and Maidhc, saw the former set up the latter for a point from play out on the left wing three minutes in, these two would be vital to Drom’s victory over the hour.

Ben Kirby opened his account for Boherlahan from a free on four minutes which was well won by Euan Ryan as both sides continued to trade scores.

Drom’s Cormac Fitzpatrick then put Drom into a 0-3 to 0-2 lead with his first of the day, a great score from play for an acute angle on the 21 from play off his left. Fitzpatrick would go on to have an intriguing battle with Boherlahans Charlie Ryan over the hour with both men having spells of dominance, a great match-up as both were as tenacious as each other to the ball.

Euan Ryan responded in the eighth minute with a Boherlahan score from play after great work to turn over the ball, 0-3 apiece.

The game continued to see-saw and the two Fitzpatricks again linked up well resulting in a score from play for Maidhc after a mazy run and pass from Cormac, Drom retaking the lead with nine minutes played.

Drom stretched their lead in the 12th minute as Cormac Fitzpatrick won and coveted a free but that was soon pegged back by a brace of Kirby frees at the other end.

Tony Cahill snapped a nice point From play from around the middle to put Drom back in front only for Kirby to level it three minutes later from a free after Dylan Fogarty’s marauding run was halted 45 yards from goal, six points each.

Ger O’Dwyer then pointed from play after the ball broke out to him 45 yards out for Boherlahan to edge them ahead (0-7 to 0-6), O’Dwyer was causing havoc in the air any time Boherlahan could find him inside.

Drom again responded three minutes later from a huge and inspectional effort from 80 yards from full-back Jack Ryan on 26 minutes to level quickly followed by an excellent Maidhc Fitzpatrick line ball from 45 yards out for Drom on 27 minutes.

A Ross Darcy run forward from corner back for Boherlahan was stopped illegally and Kirby again converted the free to level 0-8 each approaching half time only for a Johnny Campion free from his own half to see Drom hit the dressing rooms 0-9 to 0-8 in the ascendancy.

Drom started the second half quickly with a pointed free from Cormac Fitzpatrick after a free was given for a throw-hand pass before Kirby responded with yet another free for Boherlahan after a threatening Ger O’Dwyer run was halted 30 yards from goal, 0-10 to 0-9 in favour of the home side.

Drom again responded on 36 minutes to push the lead back to two (0-11 to 0-9) and a great score it was; a Brian Moore line ball that almost travelled the width of the pitch was pinpointed to Paul Mullen's hand who had crept up the far side from wing back and he pointed from play.

The scores seem to get better and better end the pick of them was probably the next from Dylan Fogarty on 39 minutes to bring it back to a one-point game, excellent work by cornerback Ross Darcy in the corner as he won possession before popping it to Fogarty who rode a tackle before striding forward and striking a great score from inside his own half on the run.

Drom introduced Jim Bob Ryan on 49 mins which saw Jack Ryan push up from full-back to midfield where he would start to influence the game more.

As the game entered the last 10 minutes Boherlahan hit the front after a run from centre-back Martin Paul O’Dwyer went untracked all the way up to the Drom 45 where he took a short line ball from O’Dwyer before feeding it back to Dwyer on the sideline 30 yards out.

With only four minutes to go, Kirby slotted a 65 to push Boherlahan two clear and looking like likely winners but Cormac Fitzpatrick brought it back to a one-point game after Jack Johnson was fouled going forward from corner back about 45 yards from goal.

Re-enter Maidhc Fitzpatrick. Johnny Campion who grew into the game was now starting to stand out and his cross-field ball into the ever-eager Cormac Fitzpatrick in the corner had the Boherlahan defence scrambling, Fitzpatricks run drew In defenders and he popped the ball across the 21 to the unmarked Maidhc Fitzpatrick who collected and fired low off his left into the left corner of the net as the clock turned 30 minutes, in a game with little goal chances Fitzpatrick buried the rare but vital opportunity to win the game.

Drom & Inch: Diarmuid Brennan; Eoghan Kennedy, Jack Ryan (0-1), Jack Johnson; Jimmy Mullen, Johnny Campion (0-1f), Paul Mullen (0-1); Darragh Kennedy, Tony Cahill (0-1); Cormac Cahill, Maidhc Fitzpatrick (1-4, 0-1 s/l), Brian Moore; Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-5, 0-4f), Jack Lillis, Paudie Kinane (0-1).

Subs used: Oliver Barry for Maidhc Fitzpatrick (46, inj); Jim Bob Kennedy for Jack Lillis (49); Maidhc Fitzpatrick for Cormac Cahill (56).

Boherlahan Dualla: Darragh Lacey; Charlie Ryan, Ned Ryan, Ross Darcy; Eugene O’Dwyer, Martin Paul O’Dwyer, Dylan Fogarty (0-3, 0-2f); Euan Ryan (0-1), Jack Canny (0-1); David Clarke, James Murphy, Robert Darcy; Ben Kirby (0-7, 0-6f, 0-1 65), Ger O’Dwyer (0-2), James Casey.

Subs used: Patrick Gahan for Jamie Casey (49).

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne Templetouhy)