Ballinascarthy: 0-13
Diarmuid O’Mathúna: 0-13
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
PLAY it again lads! Hats off to the brave hurlers of Ballinascarthy and Diarmuid Ó Mathúna who defied Storm Ashley and the inclement weather to hurl splendidly in an enthralling encounter that ended deadlocked 0-13 to 0-13, at Enniskeane on Sunday last.
The clash of these two great rivals in the final of the RCM Tarmacadam Junior A Hurling Championship had a two-fold mission for the combatants: Mathúnas anxious to bridge a 14-year gap and take home the famed Flyer Nyhan Cup for a sixth time, the first since 2010. Opponents Ballinascarthy were hoping to capture the silver symbol of junior hurling supremacy in Carbery for an eighth time – the last time they sipped from the cup that cheers was in 2022.
After a pulsating encounter that saw the pendulum swing in both directions several times, the draw was a just result. It was questionable should this hurling showpiece have gone ahead at all, given the almost impossible conditions, despite the excellence of the pitch, to play productive hurling.
This decider had all the pre-match ingredients and requisites necessary to make it into a nail-biting encounter and it is to the credit of both teams that they battled to the very last puck of the ball. Ballinascarthy won the toss and elected to play with the elements, but it was Mathúnas who signalled their intentions that they were ready for the fray, Patrick Crowley bisecting the uprights for a peach of a point.
The Reds with the howling gale to their backs laid siege to Mathúnas goal, but Mathúnas’ last line of defence comprising Ronan McCarthy, Seán Crowley and Eoin Mangan, who fronted excellent shot-stopper Micheál O’Driscoll, were catching the dropping ball and they successfully repelled the early onslaught.
However, Ballinascarthy’s attacking sextet began benefiting from the quality ball supply provided by midfielders Luke Murray and Jeremy Ryan and they eventually split the posts on the double courtesy of ace corner forward Brian O’Donovan. Realising they required a considerable half-time advantage given the strength of the elements, they upped the ante, with two Jeremy Ryan frees and superb scores by Luke Murray and Cillian Cullinane, to open up an 0-6 to 0-1 gap at the close of the opening quarter.
Unfortunately for Ballinascarthy they took their foot off the accelerator. The O’Donovan trio of Gearóid, Kevin and the outstanding Caolan began to dictate matters for Mathúnas. Bal’s defence – despite the excellence of fullback Daniel Nyhan, pivot Ciarán O’Neill and the hard-grafting Seamus McCarthy, Tristan Walsh, James O’Brien, and Pádraic Cullinane – was beginning to come under the cosh. A rasping drive by centre-forward Kevin O’Donovan was ushered to safety, the subsequent 65 effortlessly converted by Caolan O’Donovan.
Kevin O’Donovan struck a beauty against the gale and suddenly, 0-6 to 0-3, Ballinascarthy’s advantage was halved. Alarm bells were surely ringing but a magnificent long-distance strike by Jeremy Ryan temporarily calmed the nerves. Not for long though as Mathúnas came raiding again and it took an absolutely wonder save by goalie Darragh Hennessy who spectacularly dived to his right to prevent a certain major.
Relieved by the reprieve, Ballinascarthy converted a Jeremy Ryan free and the lead was back to 0-8 to 0-3, by the 25th minute. But Mathúnas were soon putting the scoreboard operator in motion again, Gearóid O’Donovan, and Caolan from a free and play cutting the margin to 0-8 to 0-6, the interval suss leaving Bal to face the elements with a slender lead.
Caolan O’Donovan and Jeremy Ryan exchanged frees on resuming, but crucially the Ballinascarthy performance was much more proactive, and they added two fabulous scores by Jamie Lucey and Seán Ryan (from an acute angle). The pace was relentless Jeremy Ryan pointed a free, but two fine scores by Kevin O’Donovan and a Patrick Crowley rocket tipped over the bar by goalie Hennessy, left a point between them, 0-11 to 0-10 as the match entered the home straight.
A fabulous score by the speedy Timmy Cullinane was negated by a Caolan O’Donovan free and when the Mathúnas star fired over a lovely white flag, 0-12 to 0-12, the tension was unbearable. The ever-reliable Jeremy Ryan looked to have won it for Bal, splitting the posts against the elements after great play by Cillian Cullinane earned the Reds a free. But there was one final twist in this enthralling saga. Mathúnas won a free out near the touchline, some 80 metres from goal. The cool Caolan O’Donovan performed the oracle, the show over, roll on the replay.
Scorers
Diarmuid O’Mathúna: Caolan O’Donovan 0-7(4f, 0-1 65); Kevin O’Donovan, Patrick Crowley 0-2 each, Jamie Lucey, Gearóid O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Ballinascarthy: Jeremy Ryan 0-7(6f), Brian O’Donovan 0-2, Luke Murray, Timmy Cullinane, Cillian Cullinane, Seán Ryan 0-1 each.
Ballinascarthy: Darragh Hennessy; James O’Brien, Daniel Nyhan, Pádraic Cullinane; Tristan Walsh, Ciarán O’Neill, Seamus McCarthy; Luke Murray, Jeremy Ryan; Cillian Cullinane, Seán Ryan, Conall Cullinane; Timmy Cullinane, Brian O’Donovan, Eoin O’Brien.
Subs: Eoghan Ferguson for Conall Cullinane (52), Cian Ryan for Seán Ryan (53).
Diarmuid O’Mathúna: Micheál O’Driscoll; Ronan McCarthy, Seán Crowley, Eoin Mangan; Jack O’Callaghan, Jerh Hurley, Robbie Lucey; Conor O’Sullivan, Ted Lordan; Patrick Crowley, Gearóid O’Donovan, Caolan O’Donovan; Jamie Lucey, Kevin O’Donovan, James Fleming.
Subs: Michael O’Sullivan for Jerh Hurley(inj41); Shane Corcoran for James Fleming (50).
Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).
