Hard-earned but deserved win for Boherlahan/Dualla in Tipperary Under 21 B hurling final

Boherlahan/Dulla 0-16 Kilsheelan/Kilcash 1-11

Boherlahan/Dualla were crowned FBD Insurance County Under 21 B hurling champions at Golden on Sunday when they overcame Kilsheelan/Kilcash by two points in a hugely competitive final.

In a game of thrills and spills on a bitterly cold day, with a strong breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end, both sides emptied the tank in search of glory. There was hardly a puck of the ball between them but the Mid Tipp side had that little extra in reserve, the ability to hit the big scores when needed, to come out on top.

A blistering third quarter was crucial in their victory. Trailing by five points at the break, 1-6 to 0-4, after playing into the teeth of the gale, they outscored the South champions by seven points to one by the midpoint of the second half.

Their start to the second half was quite remarkable. Jake Canny hit their first point after twenty seconds and over the course of the next four minutes further scores from a Dylan Fogarty free, Ryan Bargary, Eugene O’Dwyer and Ben Kirby had wiped out the Kilsheelan lead.

Then, when Eoin Moloughney set up Charlie Ryan for the lead point in the 35th minute, it looked like Boherlahan might run away with the game, with the elements in their favour. However, Tommy O’Connor from a free, with Kilsheelan’s first point of the second half, tied up the scores in the 38th minute, and they remained in contention right up to the final whistle.

Boherlahan replied to O’Connor’s score with three in a row, two from the outstanding David Clarke, and the other from the equally influential Ryan Bargary. Another O’Connor free and a fine score from Senan Butler brought it back to a one-point game again but they could never get closer.

Their best chance came in added time with a free from goalkeeper Oisin O’Donoghue from deep in his own half, but a brave effort against the elements tailed just wide. In the next move, Patrick Gahan set up Ryan Bargary for the insurance score.

Playing with the breeze was expected to be a significant advantage in the first half, but Kilsheelan were slow to make full use of it as the sides were tied at 0-3 each after ten minutes – three Ben Kirby frees for Boherlahan, with two Tommy O’Connor frees and a point from play from Liam Feaney for Kilsheelan.

The South side then upped their intensity in the second quarter. A push in the back on Liam Freaney saw O’Connor point the free, and O’Connor followed up in the next move with a fine score from play. However, they were coming up against a resolute Boherlahan defence.

Boherlahan were creating their own chances at the other end but wayward shooting was proving costly, with three poor wides in succession. And then Kilsheelan made them pay with the game’s only goal in the 25th minute. It followed sustained pressure, and when busy forward Senan Butler found himself through on a goal from a scrum of players, he cleverly flicked the ball past Cormac Gleeson for a great goal.

Boherlahan might have had a goal at the other end a minute later, but Oisin O’Donoghue pulled off a great save. In the play that followed, Charlie Ryan was fouled and Kirby pointed the free. The last score of the half was another O’Connor free to leave Kilsheelan ahead at the break, 1-6 to 0-4.

All of Boherlahan’s first half scores were from Ben Kirby frees, but they hit the ground running in the second half, with five from play and one from a free in the first five minutes – Dylan Fogarty putting Jake Canny through to score; Fogarty pointing a free; Canny then turning provider for Bargary; Eugene O’Dwyer splitting the uprights from distance; Kirby getting his first from play in the next move; and Eoin Moloughney providing the assist for Charlie Ryan.

All that in the space of five breathless minutes!

Kilsheelan’s first attack of the half didn’t come until the 38th minute, when a foul on Mikey McGuire saw O’Connor point the free. But they were quickly under the cosh again with another three in a row for the Mid men – two superb points from David Clarke either side of a fine Bargary score, for a three-points lead entering the final quarter, 0-13 to 1-7.

O’Connor pointed Kilsheelan’s second point of the half in the 46th minute, and they brought it back to a one-point game two minutes later with a Senan Butler point.

Boherlahan pushed it out to three points again, with Clarke’s third from play in the space of five minutes, and Kirby pointing his fifth free of the game to make it 0-15 to 1-9 with six minutes to play.

They should have been further ahead, with a number of good goalscoring chances spurned, and that allowed Kilsheelan back into the game, with points from Liam Freaney and Jack O’Donoghue in the space of two minutes bringing the margin back to one again. Extra time looked a possibility when Tadhg McGuire was fouled and Oisin O’Donoghue lined up the late free, but it was a big ask for the goalkeeper from that distance and into the breeze, and it drifted agonisingly wide.

Bargary hit the last point of the game from the restart, and even though Kilsheelan ended the game pushing for the winning goal, time ran out on them, and Boherlahan players and supporters celebrated a hard-earned but deserved county title success.

David Clarke and Ryan Bargary were their ace marksmen, with three points from play each in big-game displays, while Ben Kirby’s five points from frees and one from play were also vital.

Jake Canny was busy around midfield with Dylan Fogarty, Ned Ryan, Eugene O’Dwyer and Gerard O’Dwyer strong at the back. Goalkeeper Cormac Gleeson was also a solid last line of defence, with a series of vital blocks and interceptions.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash gave it everything to finish off what had been an impressive campaign. Tommy O’Connor was their go-to player again, impressing in free-taking and open play, with Senan Butler’s 1-2 from play a huge contribution. Others to shine were goalkeeper Oisin O’Donoghue, who brought off some crucial saves, Tadhg McGuire and Micheal and Liam Freaney.

Boherlahan/Dualla: Cormac Gleeson, Ross Darcy, Ned Ryan, Brian Gleeson, Eugene O’Dwyer 0-1; Gerard O’Dwyer, Dylan Fogarty 0-1 free; Jake Canny 0-1; Charlie Ryan 0-1; Patrick Gahan, David Clarke 0-3; Eoin Moloughney, Robbie Darcy, Ben Kirby 0-6, 5 frees; Ryan Bargary 0-3.

Subs: Tomas Breen for Eoin Moloughney, Sean Bourke for Ross Darcy.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Oisin O’Donoghue, Jack Norris, Conor Neville, Billy O’Gorman, Tadhg McGuire, Emmet Butler, Micheal Freaney, Jack O’Donoghue 0-1; Tommy O’Connor 0-7, 6 frees; Eoin Barry, Liam Freaney 0-1; Senan Butler 1-2; Michael Ryan, Mikey McGuire, Michael Bates.

Subs: Reuben Darcy for Eoin Barry, Cian Roche for Michael Ryan.

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Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).