Ballybacon preserve their Intermediate hurling status in Tipperary but Upperchurch are relegated

Ballybacon/Grange 2-17 Upperchurch/Drombane 1-11

A real team effort ensured victory for Ballybacon/Grange in stormy conditions in Sunday’s FBD Insurance County Intermediate Hurling Championship Relegation final at Bansha.

Ballybacon/Grange got off to a great start when Oisin Ryan got on the end of a good move to raise a green flag in the first minute. Brian Dillon then scored a point from play, and this was followed by an Oisin Ryan point from a free in the fourth minute.

TJ Butler got Upperchurch Drombane’s first score with a point in the fifth minute, followed by a Pat Shortt goal in the sixth minute.

Ballybacon scored the next three quickfire points with two from the hardworking Billy Hewitt and one from Oisin Ryan, before TJ Butler got two back for Upperchurch Drombane in the 10th and 11th minutes.

Ballybacon upped the tempo once again and scored the next four points with three from Oisin Ryan, including two frees and one from Brian Dillon.

Loughlin Ryan and TJ Butler got the next two points in the 16th and 18th minutes for Upperchurch Drombane.

Midfielder Michael Barlow scored a point from play in the 20th minute and Sean Ryan scored a point for Upperchurch in the 21st minute.

Oisin Ryan scored a point from play for Ballybacon in the 22nd minute and Upperchurch Drombane’s TJ Butler finished the first half scoring with a point from a free in the 24th minute.

The score at half-time was Ballybacon Grange 1-11 Upperchurch Drombane 1-7.

The second half started well for the men in black and amber, with Loughlin Ryan and TJ Butler getting points to reduce the deficit to just two points and the comeback seemed on.

However, Ballybacon, despite playing against the gale, adapted very well to the difficult conditions and began to take control.
Their backline was working well as a unit, with Jack O’Neill and Sean Nagle leading the line.

Oisin Ryan got their second half scoring off the mark with a pointed free on 40 minutes and then former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins dropped a long ball into the Upperchurch Drombane small rectangle, where Brian Dillon got on the end of it to score a crucial goal on 43 minutes.

Brian Dillon then popped up again to score a point from play on 43 minutes.

Luke O’Brien was then fouled when gaining possession on the Upperchurch Drombane 45 line and Oisin Ryan converted the resultant free on 47 minutes.

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Pat Shortt, who tried hard for Upperchurch all day, scored a point on 50 minutes before the eagle-eyed Oisin Ryan scored the next three points from frees after good work from Colin O’Gorman, Gerry Cronin and Philip Walsh respectively in the 52nd, 54th and 56th minutes.

Upperchurch-Drombane were beginning to lose their discipline, as they saw this game drift away from their reach. Pat Shortt scored the game’s last point in the 60th minute, as Ballybacon ran out winners by nine points.

Ballybacon were the better side on the day, and will wonder if they had produced this kind of performance earlier in the championship they could have been playing for silverware and not just survival.

Upperchurch tried hard but just couldn’t get the vital scores when they needed to and failed to put the opposition under pressure.

Oisin Ryan scored 1-11 (1-4 from play) in a performance that was very impressive, considering the conditions. Billy Hewitt and Brian Dillon were also to the fore on the scoreboard but Ballybacon will consider this was a real team effort, with every line on the field battling hard to ensure victory, ensuring they preserved their Intermediate status.

TJ Butler and Pat Shortt were always dangerous for Upperchurch but this defeat will now see them relegated from the Intermediate grade for 2025.

Ballybacon Grange: Brendan Cummins, John Condon, Eoin Walsh, Philip Murphy, Jack O’Neill, Sean Nagle, Michael O’Sullivan, Billy Hewitt (0-2), Michael Barlow (0-1), James O’Mahoney, Gerry Cronin, Brian Dillon (1-3), Luke O’Brien, Colin O’Gorman, Oisin Ryan (1-11, 0-7f).

Subs: Jason Coffey for James O’ Mahoney (41 minutes), Philip Walsh for Colin O’Gorman (50 minutes), Luke O’Brien for John English (60 minutes).

Upperchurch Drombane: Padraig Griffin, Joe Burke, Matt Ryan, Paudie Stapleton, AJ Shanahan, Mikie Griffin, Eanna Ryan, Sean Ryan (0-1), Tommy Bourke, Ronan Gleeson, TJ Butler (0-6, 5f), Colm Stapleton, Jim O’ Dwyer, Pat Short (1-2), Loughlin Ryan (0-2).

Subs: Seamie Armstrong for TJ Butler (56 minutes), Sean Shanahan for Colm Stapleton (60 minutes), Patrick Clancy for Jim O’ Dwyer (60 minutes).

Referee: Keith Delahunty (Moyle Rovers).