Kilkenny SHC: O’Loughlin Gaels 0-20 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-19
The register of titles in Ballyhale’s name slipped away in injury-time, as a resilient and unflagging O’Loughlin Gaels pushed hard to equalise and then nudge ahead on the scoreboard.
A big shot from wing back David Fogarty in the 62nd minute tied it up and with the match in the balance, Paddy Deegan – up from centre back – harassed a ball free on the left wing and flighted over a fitting score to dethrone the All-Ireland champions.
It had been a scrappy and at times ill-tempered affair but the match was in the balance for nearly the full hour.
Captain Mark Bergin made a gracious acceptance speech, praising the vanquished rivals, as he and his team celebrated a first title in seven years.
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It was a merited victory for a team that initially made the running before the match slipped back into the champions’ grasp. And then, as they fell more than a score behind for the first time in the contest, they dug in, hung on and kept afloat before re-establishing a lead that there was no time to retrieve.
Ballyhale were short odds to another chapter to their record-breaking story, but from early stages they had the look of a team whose constant favouritism was blunting their edge. A lot of the ball was a bit aimless and the predatory instincts of their acclaimed forwards looked similarly dulled. Two shots were dropped short in the first half and six chances hit wide.
They also lacked sharpness at the back, struggling to pick up the drifting O’Loughlins attack and trailed from the third minute until half-time.
Their lack of composure was detectable in uncharacteristic moments of inaccuracy – Eoin Cody hitting ball into empty space and following with two sloppy wides, Colin Fennelly having a hand pass blocked. But typically, by half-time, they had pulled level and looked likely winners.
O’Loughlins started the better and with Bergin so efficient from frees, they clocked up the scores in the first quarter. Deegan hit a belter from halfway and Jack Nolan, an energetic contributor at centrefield, clipped over two in a couple of minutes.
It would be unfair on the winners’ defenders to attribute all of Ballyhale’s problems to an off day. Huw Lawlor was excellent, staying tight on Cody whose attacking class still found him three points from play, but he was unable to influence the match consistently.
Mikey Butler, Tony Forristal and Deegan also put in solid shifts at the back in addition to Deegan’s more adventurous inputs.
Adrian Mullen scored two quick points before the interval to help level the score and O’Loughlins might have been disappointed with that having led by up to four earlier in the match.
TJ Reid was his customary self from placed ball – until the 56th minute when he unusually put wide an opportunity to put Ballyhale two ahead – and clever in play, without quite reaching the celestial standards he displayed in the semi-final.
It was still frees from his stick that opened up a two-point margin in the 50th minute and the sense was that the champions were now taking a grip. The challengers never saw it that way. Two of their replacements, Conor Kelly and Luke Hogan, scored vital points in the last 10 minutes to keep the match alive.
Winning manager and former Kilkenny All-Ireland winner Brian Hogan was in high spirits afterwards.
“I’m delighted for the way they put the shoulder to the wheel and never got frazzled, never got ... What I’m trying to say is they kept their composure to stay going and stay going and ultimately this game wasn’t going to be won until we’re back in the dressingroom with the cup in the middle of the table.
“I was trying to get that across to them and that’s how it transpired – injury-time when we got the winner.
“These kind of matches always ebb and flow. You’re never going to dominate from start to finish. That’s the way it is and we got a purple patch and they got a purple patch and the key obviously is when they get the purple patch is to remain composed, don’t do anything rash.”
His counterpart Pat Hoban was equally proud of his players, even though the chance to win a record sixth title running had passed.
“Six years in a row. I know it’s documented that we’re missing players and that’s genuine – we didn’t use any sub – but they gave it their all. It’s incredible.
“To do that, again TJ stood up again and did magnificent, I thought he could have got a few more frees, things like that swing games. But what can you say about these lads, I don’t think they’re gone away or anything. They’re very disappointed, which they’re not used to, but I’m sure they’ll rise again.”
O’LOUGHLIN GAELS: S Murphy; M Butler, T Forristal, H Lawlor; D Fogarty (0-1), P Deegan (0-2), J Molloy; J Nolan (0-2), C Loy; P Butler, M Bergin (0-10, six frees, one 65), E O’Shea; O Wall (0-1), C Heary (0-1), S Bolger (0-1).
Subs: C Kelly (0-1) for O’Shea (41 mins), L Hogan (0-1) for P Butler (50), J Ryan for scored Nolan (56).
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: Dean Mason; Dara Mason, D Corcoran, K Corcoran; E Shefflin (0-1), R Reid, P Mullen; C Walsh (0-1), E Kennelly (0-1); L Barron, TJ Reid (0-9, six frees), A Mullen (0-2); E Cody (0-3); C Fennelly (0-2), N Shortall.
Referee: P Burke (Emeralds).
