Borris-Ileigh end 25 year wait for fifth North Under 21 ‘A’ title
GAA: North Tipperary Under 21 'A' Hurling Championship Final
Borris-Ileigh 1-20
Kiladangan 2-15 (AET)
Report: Liam Hogan in Templederry
Photos: Odhran Ducie
Over eighty minutes of hurling was needed to separate Borris-Ileigh and Kiladangan with the maroons bridging a gap of 25 years to win their fifth title North Tipperary Under 21 ‘A’ Hurling title in a highly entertaining final on Sunday afternoon.
Appearing in the final for the first time since 2010, Borris-Ileigh just about deserved their victory. It took a while and after a slow start they began to dominate especially in their defence who faced everything that Kiladangan threw at them and as a result they raced into 1-8 to 0-5 half time lead.
The lead stretched to seven within a minute of the restart before they conceded an early second half goal. Kiladangan changed their style in the second half. Instead of going long they produced a mixture of the long and short and they came close, but Borris-Ileigh, led by man of the match Eddie Ryan who contributed 1-13, managed to stay at arm’s length until Kiladangan’s key man Sean Hayes fired home his second goal in the 58th minute to bring the sides level for the fourth time.
In a race to finish line, Borris-Ileigh regained the lead through an Eddie Ryan free before Conor Byrne levelled matters with an excellent side-line cut in the 62nd minute. Kiladangan had the momentum and they felt they might have had the winner when centre back John O’Meara went straight down the middle but his shot for a point was well wide leaving the need for extra time which saw a Borris pull away in the second period. Yet, there was more as one more Kiladangan effort when a close range free but Shane Gleeson’s shot was parried over the bar.
Borris-Ileigh had won their fifth North Under 21 ‘A’ title and their captain James Devaney made a rousing speech saying that winning the minor ‘B’ three years ago was not enough. They wanted more and finally achieved it before turning his thoughts to the vanquished where he said Kiladangan were the standardbearers, while also mentioning the heartache they experienced in the passing of the late Paddy Coen.
Devaney was one of the heroes of the winning side but was second best to Eddie Ryan who lorded matters on the forty, while there was excellent work done by Colm Boyle, Kevin Maher and Sam Patton.
Kiladangan for their part were great champions, well led by Sean Hayes, Shane Gleeson, Conor Byrne, Darragh Butler, Jack McGrath and Stephen Mulvihill with Paul Seymour excellent in goal. Seymour was also involved in attack as the Kiladangan management brought Neil Cahalan into goal late in the second half of normal time and again in the second half of extra time.
Conor Byrne’s opener after fifty-two seconds was matched by Eddie Ryan’s free in the fifth minute before Colm Boyle had the challengers in front three minutes later leaving Sean Hayes to level by the tenth. Paul Seymour was alert in goal but Borris-Ileigh increased their lead to three after Eddie Ryan converted two frees, either side of a Devaney score from play.
Borris-Ileigh’s hurling was assured, especially in defence with Boyle, Maher, John McGrath and Mikey Kennedy alert to any danger with their first touch and striking electric. As a result, Borris-Ileigh controlled matters and in the thirteenth minute a goal by Eddie Ryan had increased the lead to six with the same player adding another point to make it 1-6 to 0-2.
Darragh Butler’s response was timely but the margin stretched to eight thanks to a Sam Patton point followed by another Ryan free. But for the hard work of Cian Ryan, DJ McGrath and John McGrath, plus Stephen Mulvihill and Darragh Ryan at half back, Kiladangan might have been in deeper water but they finally came in search for scores but had to satisfied with a Conor Byrne 65, followed by a Shane Gleeson free which cut margin to six at half time.
Second Half
Borris-Ileigh were quick off the mark in the opening minute of the second half with a brilliant James Devaney score stretching the lead to seven. The holders needed scores but didn’t have to wait too long when Sean Hayes stole a march before firing home a great goal, set-up by Bill Cleary. Noel Gleeson added a point, but Eddie Ryan replied before Kiladangan hit back through Shane Gleeson (free) followed by a Darragh Butler point from play.
However, Borris-Ileigh were always able to keep Kiladangan at arm’s length and Eddie Ryan’s two points had them four in front by the 40th minute. In response, a long range free by Shane Gleeson had the margin back to three at a time when Borris spurned three chances in as many minutes. Kiladangan continued to press and thanks to two Shane Gleeson points, the margin was down to one with nine minutes remaining. However, Borris could rely on their forwards, and they secured another brace through Devaney and Ryan from play.
But when goal chances came, one man didn’t wait around with Sean Hayes on the prowl again and after an exchange of handpasses with Darragh Butler, the former Tipp underage player gave Paudie Stapleton no chance making it Kiladangan 2-11 Borris-Ileigh 1-14 with two minutes left.
It was anybody’s game now, but Eddie Ryan stepped up once more to give Borris the lead with a free. By then the game had reached the hour mark but Kiladangan responded one more time as Conor Byrne showed nerves of steel, with a well struck side-line ball to level. At least another two minutes of extra time followed and in one last attack Kiladangan came forward with John O’Meara cutting a furrow through the middle but his chance for the winner drifted wide.
Extra Time
Both sides had a share of wides in the opening four minutes of extra time before Shane Gleeson scored a great point from close to the side-line, following a neat lay-off by Sean Hayes, but Borris-Ileigh were level with Eddie Ryan pointing a free from halfway before the same player edged Borris in front with another free much closer, just in time for the final changeover.
After a quick turn around, Shane Gleeson’s long range free had the game level for the sixth and final time, 2-14 to 1-17. In the fourth minute of the second period, midfielder Dan Ryan put Borris ahead with an overhead flick from outside the small square. Another five minutes followed before the challengers struck again with Eddie Ryan and James Devaney added a point each to go three clear and in sight of victory.
But Kiladangan never gave up and in added time, a three-man move led them close to goal before they won a free after Sean Hayes was fouled. It was goal or nothing to level and Shane Gleeson went low, but Paudie Stapleton deflected the ball over the bar and Borris had held on for a sweet victory.
TEAMS - Borris-Ileigh: Paudie Stapleton (6); Harry Gould (7), Cathal Hogan (7), John McGrath (7); Mikey Kennedy (7), Kevin Maher (8), Colm Boyle (8); Adam Galvin (7), Dan Ryan (7); Sam Patton (7), Eddie Ryan (8), James Devaney (8); Paddy McCormack (6), Fintan Holland (6), Jack Fitzgerald (6).
Kiladangan: Paul Seymour (8); Cian Ryan (7), DJ McGrath (7), Jack McGrath (7); Darragh Ryan (7), John O’Meara (7), Stephen Mulvihill (7); Conor Byrne (7), Darragh Butler (8); Bill Cleary (6), Darragh Tucker (6) Aidan Ryan (6); Niall Cahalan (7), Sean Hayes (8), Shane Gleeson (7).
Subs: Noel Gleeson (7) for Tucker (HT); James O’Meara (NR) for A Ryan (17 ET); Cathal Ryan (HR) for Cleary (17 ET); Ryan Gillick (NR) for Gleeson (18 ET).
Referee: Philip Kelly (Ballinahinch).