Holycross Ballycahill bridge 40 year gap to claim county minor A hurling title

Holycross Ballycahill 1-23

Moycarkey Borris 0-10

Holycross Ballycahill produced the performance of the year to blitz neighbours Moycarkey Borris in the county minor  hurling A final at Golden this afternoon to make up for the defeat in the mid decider against the same opposition a few short weeks ago.

On that evening in Templetuohy as Moycarkey Borris accepted the silverware, it was widely predicted that the two teams would meet in the county final too. But, few would have predicted the size of margin between them in the final analysis with Holycross Ballycahill's attackers Robbie Ryan and Jimmie Lahart  both snatching 0-6 apiece from play to help steer their side towards victory.

It was a hard fought and close first half, buth Moycarkey Borris hit 10 wides and this was to be their undoing. The Holycross Ballycahill men were more economical and a Pierce Briody goal in the 17th minute gave them a decided advantage as they went in at half time by 1-10 to 0-6 to the good.

And, in the second half, with the wind at their backs Holycross Ballycahill ran riot with a procession of points seeing them to their first county minor A hurling final since 1982. They struck thitteen points to four in that second half with Robbie Ryan finishing with a personal tally of thirteen points while James Doyle (3) was also very influential at midfield.

The runaway nature of the game made for difficult viewing from a Moycarkey Borris perspective - the mid champs had feared a backlash from their neighbours and when it came, they were simply unable to cope with the attacking acumen and the pace of Holycross Ballycahill.