Younge’s, The Ragg mid Tipperary U 21 A hurling final: Sars' see off Drom-Inch in great battle

Thurles Sarsfields 2-15

Drom-Inch 0-14

Thurles Sarsfields finished a largely disappointing hurling year on an encouraging note when the club’s under 21 hurlers won the Younge’s The Ragg Mid A hurling title with a flattering seven points victory over Drom-Inch at Holycross on Sunday morning in a contest that late on threatened to get over-heated.

The history of these two sides up through the grades suggested this would be a closely contested affair and so it proved to be. The exchanges were always competitive but for the greater part sporting. The crucial difference between the teams was that Sarsfields were far more clinical in front of goal while Drom-Inch spurned several point chances, particularly from frees. In so finely balanced a game, it proved their undoing.

Sarsfields too had their lapses in front of goal and lost two likely goals early on through over-elaboration but overall they were the more accomplished outfit with all six forwards registering scores. Their second goal from Jack Lanigan did not come until deep in injury time but even at that they were resolute in defence of their four point advantage and unlikely to be caught.

Above: The victorious Thurles Sarsfields panel pictured with their mentors.

After all the harsh weather the conditions were ideal for this game, if a trifle on the heavy side and Sarsfields put themselves in the driving seat early on when Eoin Purcell set up Paddy Creedon for a goal in the 9th minute and a lead of 1-2 to 0-3. The Blues looked lively and purposeful as they added four points in five minutes to go 1-6 to 0-3 clear.

Drom looked to be struggling but they they hit a rich vein with five unanswered points, four from Darragh Kennedy(3 frees) and a Jack Lillis free to be just one point off their rivals(0-8 to 1-6). Tommy Maher steadied Sarsfields nerves with two pointed frees but then Maidhc Fitzpatrick’s goal-bound effort for Drom was charged down by Sarsfields fullback Kieran Costello – a vital break for the eventual winners, the damage for Drom compounded by two missed frees before the interval which saw Sarsfield ahead, 1-8 to 0-9.

With the breeze to favour them in the second half it was advantage Sarsfields and by the end of the third quarter they had extended their lead to 1-13 to 0-10, Drom’s cause not helped by a sequence of missed frees. But Drom did rise to the challenge with determination, a brace of Darragh Kennedy points and another from Maidhc Fitzpatrick leaving them just a goal adrift after 57 minutes, 1-13 to 0-13.

Sarsfields held their composure, Liam McCormack and Darragh Stakelum whipping over points to give them breathing space with the game now in injury time. Sarsfields lost Kieran Costello to a second yellow card in the 62nd minute and Fintan Purcell, now operating in attack for Drom pointed to keep up the pressure.

However, Sarsfields put the game beyond reach for Drom in the 34th minute when Liam McCormack was provider for Jack Lanigan to blast home their second goal in the 64th minute.

It wasn’t all over yet, and Drom lost defender James Kennedy to a red card in the 65th minute with the final whistle following shortly afterwards.