Moneygall made to sweat before finally claiming Intermediate Hurling glory
GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship Final
Moneygall 2-21
Ballingarry 4-14
Report: Liam Hogan in Templetuohy
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Joe Fogarty (Moneygall).
SCORERS - Moneygall: Joe Fogarty 0-11 (5 frees, 1’65); Sean Kenneally 1-5; Paddy Fogarty 1-0; Adam Hogan, Tadhg Whyte 0-2 each; Eoin Whyte 0-1
Ballingarry: Dylan Walsh 0-10 (7 frees, 1’65); Aidan Ryan 1-1; Patrick Burns, Thomas Walton, Eoghan Pollard 1-0 each; Michael Ivors, Ben Ivors, Declan Hayes 0-1 each.
At long last, Moneygall are County Intermediate Hurling champions.
In a very exciting and at times a brilliant game, the North champions bridged a 33 year gap at the expense of a very game Ballingarry team that almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat late on in Saturday’s final.
In a repeat of the league final meeting which Ballingarry won four months ago, their comeback made it a very exciting finish but there is no doubt that the better team won.
After conceding 1-1 in the first four minutes, Moneygall recovered sufficiently to lead 1-12 to 2-7 at half time after thirty-plus minutes of electrifying hurling where Sean Kenneally gave an exhibition, scoring 1-5 from play.
Kenneally was well marshalled in the second half but with Adam Hogan and Aodhan Ryan leading the way at midfield, and Joe Fogarty & Paddy Fogarty very much to the fore in attack, the third quarter belonged to Moneygall who were ten in front by the 50th minute, 2-20 to 2-10.
By then, one would have been tempted to place the black & red ribbons on the Michael Maher Cup. However, fortune favours the brave, and led by Dylan Walsh, Ballingarry went on an amazing run in the last ten minutes and goals from the subs bench through Aidan Ryan and Eoghan Pollard had them within a point as the game passed the 64th minute.
Referee Kevin Jordan allowed another minute of play and Ballingarry had an opportunity for another attack, but Simon Blackmore was blocked down by Adam Hogan, who got possession and linked up with Mark Fanning, but goalkeeper Paidi Maher came off his line and forced Fanning to hit the side-netting, before the full time whistle came seconds later.
Adam Hogan was one of four players in line for man of the match with Joe Fogarty, Sean Kenneally, and Aodhan Ryan also in the frame. Paddy Fogarty, Sean Fogarty, Bob Kenny, and Tadhg Whyte were a constant thorn in the Ballingarry defence and made much room for scores.
It was an all-round team performance and the six backs played well as a unit with Jack Kirwan, Cian Ryan, and Brendan Toohey the more prominent in front of goalkeeper Ciaran Kirwan who played a key role with accurate puckouts in the second half as he found Joe Fogarty time and again.
Ballingarry made a great game of it. As expected, Dylan Walsh led the way with their supporters excited every time he gained possession. Unfortunately, it was a one-man show up front as Michael Ivors, Ben Ivors, and Michal Burns were far too sporadic in their efforts to get scores especially in the second half.
The midfield pairing of Thomas Walton and Conor Vaughan made little headway except for Walton’s goal in the first half. The defence were made to work very hard as they faced attack after attack with Simon Blackmore catching the eye. That was until the cavalry came from the subs bench with Ryan and Pollard scoring a goal each.
Moneygall made one change from their semi-final win over Cappawhite with Andy Hoolan starting in place of a less than fully fit Cathal Kennedy. Ballingarry also made an alteration with Declan Hayes starting in place of Mike McGrath who was injured in the semi-final.
Despite playing with the breeze, Moneygall got off to a slow start. Dylan Walsh opened the scoring with a free for Ballingarry, quickly followed by a Patrick Burns goal in the third minute.
Winning puckouts was vital and as Moneygall began to settle, soon we realised the scores would have to come from the old reliables where Sean Kenneally began to shine beginning with a great goal in the fourth minute after he outsmarted his opponent in catching a high delivery from Aodhan Ryan.
Kenneally was inspired and made most of every possession gained, scoring 1-5 in the first half, his second and third points seeing Moneygall into a 1-5 to 1-2 lead after fifteen minutes. Joe Fogarty had scored two (1 free) with Eoin Whyte adding another.
While Kenneally was creating a buzz at one end, so too was Dylan Walsh. The Ballingarry sharpshooter was effective in posing problems for the Moneygall defence and he found Thomas Walton unmarked on the left flank before the midfielder fired home Ballingarry’s second goal in the seventeenth minute. Seconds later, Michael Ivors had Ballingarry in the lead for the second time.
However, it was short-lived as Moneygall stepped up to the mark in the remaining minutes as they outscored their opponents 0-6 to 0-3 to the break with Kenneally and Joe Fogarty scoring three points each to open up a two point lead at half time.
Within four minutes of the restart, Moneygall were four in front after points by Tadhg Whyte and a Joe Fogarty free. Dylan Walsh responded with his fifth free before wing back Declan Hayes narrowed the gap to two.
However, Moneygall’s greater fitness began to tell. Powered on by a cohesive backline they gained control when scoring 1-3 without reply, beginning with two Joe Fogarty frees, followed by a point by Adam Hogan, his second, after a move involving Fogarty and Aodhan Ryan.
There was more to come as Paddy Fogarty beavered his way past a stretched Ballingarry defence before firing a goal past Paidi Maher.
The black & red wave continued, and the margin stretched out to ten when Joe Fogarty pointed a 65, followed by a free, before Tadhg Whyte’s second point made it 2-20 to 2-10 with ten minutes remaining. The title looked destined to be heading north.
However, Ballingarry called on the bench and substitute Aidan Ryan, who had been on the field eleven minutes, was suddenly unmarked in front of goal as he took a Dylan Walsh pass before riffling past Ciaran Quinlan. Walsh added a free before another Aidan Ryan score made it 2-20 to 3-12. Could there be more we asked?
Moneygall had sent three subs into the fray also and their lead increased to six following another Joe Fogarty free from a difficult angle. Three minutes remained but Ballingarry’s spirit wasn’t diminished. Dylan Walsh converted a 65, followed by a free as play had entered additional time with four points separating the teams.
By now, the Moneygall defence was at sixes and sevens and Andy Hoolan paid a price as he earned a second yellow card for persistent fouling. Play continued and in the 64th minute, another Ballingarry attack led to an unmarked Eoghan Pollard finding space on the edge of the square before firing home from close range.
The next puckout was vital and Ballingarry won possession through Simon Blackmore whose attempt to clear was denied by Adam Hogan which proved to be decisive.
Moneygall held on as their jubilant supporters streamed onto the field to meet their heroes as their sights look ahead to a place in the premier intermediate grade next year and a crack at the Seamus O Riain Cup, named after their own great clubman.
As Intermediate champions for the second time, winning captain Paddy Fogarty had led Moneygall to their fourth adult county title as he joined other successful club captains including Jim Guilfoyle (1991), Pat Sheedy (1975), and Mike Doherty the following year when Moneygall won back to back senior titles.
TEAMS - Moneygall: Ciaran Quinlan (6); Andy Hoolan (7), Jack Kirwan (7), Cathal Greene (7); Cian Ryan (7), Brendan Toohey (7), Eoin Whyte (7); Adam Hogan (8), Aodhan Ryan (8); Joe Fogarty (8), Sean Fogarty (7), Bob Kenny (7); Paddy Fogarty (7), Tadhg Whyte (7), Sean Kenneally (8).
Subs: Mark Fanning (6) for T Whyte (53); Cathal Kennedy (NR) for E Whyte (58); Niall Maher (NR) for S Fogarty (60).
Ballingarry: Paidi Maher (7); Ger Ryan (6), Paul Butler (6), Jack Fennelly (6); James Burns (6), Simon Blackmore (7), Declan Hayes (6); Thomas Walton (7), Conor Vaughan (6); Dylan Walsh (8), Michael Ivors (7), Ger Fennelly (6), Ben Ivors (6), Paddy Burns (7), Ian Ivors (6).
Subs: Aidan Ryan (7) for G Fennelly (41); Eamon Corcoran (6) for Vaughan (46); Patrick Ivors (6) for Hayes (52); Eoghan Pollard (NR) for M Ivors (60+2).
Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels).