FBD County Under 19B Hurling Final: Eddie Ryan inspired Borris-Ileigh lift the silverware

Borris-Ileigh 2.17

Cappawhite Gaels 1.12

An Eddie Ryan inspired Borris-Ileigh proved too strong for West champions, Cappawhite Gaels, in the FBD County Under 19B Hurling Final, played at Templederry on Sunday. Having trailed by 1.4 to 0.5 after eighteen minutes, while aided by the wind, the North champions turned this game around in the ten minutes before the break, outscoring their opponents by 1.5 to 0.1.

The switching of Eddie Ryan, from the forty to the corner, with Paddy McCormack moving outfield was the main reason for this turnabout, with the goal coming after twenty nine minutes from McCormack, having been put through by Sam Patton who intercepted a clearance out of defence.

Above: Captains  Eddie Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), and  Daire Duggan (Cappawhite Gaels) with  Tom McGrath (Referee) prior to throw-in. 

The game was over, as a contest, ninety seconds after the restart, when McCormack netted his second goal, getting onto a long delivery from Eddie Ryan. This score gave the Borris side an eight point cushion, which they held until the finish. From then to the end of the game, Cappa were chasing a lost cause, as Borris dictated proceedings, with Colm Boyle and Mikey Kennedy particularly impressive in defence, while Ryan continued to cause problems to the Cappa rearguard. However the West men didn’t give up, with Sam and Mikey Carmody battling hard in attack, in an effort to get the goal that was required to get back in the game.

Sam Carmody got the scoreboard moving inside the opening minute when he put over at the dressing room end. Razuk Atif equalised before Eddie Ryan got the first of his twelve points from a placed ball. Mikey Carmody tied the game for the second time after six minutes as play moved from end to end with no particular pattern yet established, and both defences in control.

Cappa created a goal chance, that came to nothing before Mikey Carmody cancelled out an Eddie Ryan point on the quarter mark, to tie the game for what would be the final time.

Tom Delaney landed a long range effort to go one up before Triston Stokes found the net after good work by Mikey Carmody. This was the Combo’s best period and James Quinlan pointed a free after eighteen minutes to put them two up.

The Borris-Ileagh sideline reacted quickly and switches in their forwards saw Eddie Ryan moved to the corner with Paddy McCormack coming to the forty. This move unsettled the Cappa defence, with Ryan getting more possession and McCormack getting in for a goal with one minute of normal time remaining.

Borris, with Eddie Ryan now a thorn in the opposition defence, finished the stronger with three points in injury time, two from play, to leave the half time score, Borris-Ileagh 1.10, Cappawhite Gaels 1.5.

The victorious Borrisileigh side

The West champions, in order to get back in the game, needed a good start to the second half, but the exact opposite happened. With just ninety seconds on the clock, a long range effort from Ryan dropped short. The Cappa defence seemed in control of the situation, but Paddy McCormack got a touch past the advancing goalkeeper for goal number two.

Borris were now eight points to the good and growing in confidence. They closed down their opponents, gave them no space on the ball and forced them into errors, getting numbers around the man in possession, particularly in the middle third. Cappa continued to take the game to Borris but the eight point cushion still held.

Around the three quarter mark, Cappa hit a few bad wides, both from open play and placed balls, which didn’t help their cause. Borris continued to dictate the game with Ryan practically unerring from placed balls, including a converted sideline cut on fifty minutes. James Quinlan kept the Combo in touch from placed balls but their inside forward line were unable to breach a solid defence

Quinlan and Tommy O’Mahoney hit two late points, but man of the match, Eddie Ryan, had the final say when he hit the last score, four minutes into injury time, of what was an entertaining game, watched by a good crowd.