Upperchurch/Drombane end Tipp drought with Munster Intermediate Hurling success

GAA: AIB Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Upperchurch/Drombane 3-20

O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-15

Report: Stephen Barry at TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Photos: Bridget Delaney

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Conor Fahey (Upperchurch/Drombane)

SCORERS – Upperchurch/Drombane: Conor Fahey 1-2; Luke Shanahan 0-5 (3 frees); Paddy Phelan 1-1; Colm Ryan 1-0; Aaron Ryan, Pat Ryan 0-3 each; Gavin Ryan 0-2 (2 frees); Niall Grant, Diarmuid Grant, Paul Ryan, Paudie Greene 0-1 each.

O’Callaghan’s Mills: Seán Boyce 0-5 (3 frees); Jacob Loughnane 0-4 (3 frees, 1 65); Gary Cooney 0-3; Seán Cotter, Aidan O’Gorman, Cormac Murphy 0-1 each.

Upperchurch/Drombane brought the Munster Club Intermediate Hurling title back to the Hills as they punished 12-man O’Callaghan’s Mills with three late goals on Saturday night.

Their triumph was a first by a Tipperary club at this grade since Silvermines in 2012. Church will celebrate that landmark before preparing to meet Meath champions Ratoath or Danesfort of Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi-final the weekend before Christmas.

The Clare boos at full-time made clear the major talking point: the referee’s performance and the three red cards. The primary criticism was the decisions Nicky O’Toole missed in the build-up to Jacob Loughnane’s second yellow. However, the free-taker’s tackle on Keith Ryan was certainly too high.

The Mills’ management team accepted Conor Henry’s back-to-back bookings for a verbal exchange with O’Toole in the aftermath. Their misery was complete when Gary Cooney received a straight red in the closing stages for his retaliation on Aaron Ryan.

There were few signs of what was to come in the early stages of a nip and tuck first half. The 'Church set out their stall by swarming around Darragh Moroney to block a half-chance for goal. Mikey Lavery followed up by blocking a Seán Boyce attempt. Dean Carew then got in a hook on Colm Cleary.

In between, Cooney notched the opening point. The ‘Church soon moved in front; Paudie Greene won a free for Gavin Ryan to convert before Fahey got off the mark.

The Mills struck the next three, via Cooney, Seán Cotter, and a Loughnane free, to open up a rare chink of daylight between the sides. Cathal McNamara preserved that advantage for a few moments longer by scrambling a loose sliotar off their line.

Loughnane and Gavin Ryan traded frees before Aaron Ryan got off three shots in a row for the Tipp champions. The first hit the post, but the next two flew between the uprights to level at 0-5 apiece.

Cormac Murphy scored a lovely point from the left flank before the ‘Church grabbed the lead through back-to-back Shanahan frees, both won by Fahey. It was gone just as quickly after a Loughnane free and Boyce’s opener.

A glorious piece of skill by Phelan, swapping hands to produce a reverse handpass, teed up Niall Grant to score. Pat Ryan sold a dummy to regain the lead. Cooney and Diarmuid Grant swapped the next pair.

Boyce claimed the score of the half by recovering possession and threading the sliotar over from the sideline, but Shanahan’s first from play sent Church in 0-11 to 0-10 ahead.

A Loughnane 65 levelled for the final time. Shanahan’s third free edged his side back ahead.

Then came the first two red cards, which stacked the odds firmly in the ‘Church’s favour.

It took a few minutes to press on. Greene was hooked before three consecutive wides. The extent of Church’s press and the Mills’ retreat was displayed when full-back Keith Ryan broke the next puck-out inside the opposition 65 for Pat Ryan’s point. Phelan intercepted the subsequent restart and survived a foul to tap over.

They were three behind, but credit to O’Callaghan’s Mills for their resilience. Boyce won and slotted his first free. When Aaron Ryan pointed, Aidan O’Gorman responded. Greene restored the three-point cushion.

Church kept turning over Mills’ possession to mine the killer scores. Carew intercepted a sideline to send Fahey soloing into space. He beat the keeper to make it 1-16 to 0-13.

Pat Ryan cancelled out a Boyce free before teeing up the next goal. Again, it came from a pressurised restart. Paul Shanahan squeezed the short puck-out before Ryan flicked the sliotar to Phelan for the finish.

After Fahey nullified another Boyce free, they had a third goal. Phelan was denied by Killian Nugent, but substitute Colm Ryan, just on the field, was quickest to tidy home the rebound. He skipped away in celebration.

The game was long over before Cooney’s red as Luke Shanahan and Paul Ryan added the final points in stoppage time.

TEAMS – Upperchurch/Drombane: Ciarán Shortt; Keith Ryan (Capt), Dean Carew, Mikey Lavery; Niall Grant, Gavin Ryan, Toby Corbett; Diarmuid Grant, Aaron Ryan; Conor Fahey, Paudie Greene, Paul Shanahan; Pat Ryan, Paddy Phelan, Luke Shanahan.

Subs: Mikey Griffin for Greene (56); Colm Ryan for P Shanahan (57); Paul Ryan for Phelan (59); Ger Grant for A Ryan (60+3); Seán Ryan for L Shanahan (60+3).

O’Callaghan’s Mills: Killian Nugent; Keith Donnellan, Conor Cooney, Cathal McNamara; Seán Cotter, Aidan O’Gorman (Capt), Aidan Fawl; Fionn Hickey, Cormac Murphy; Conor Henry, Darragh Moroney, Jacob Loughnane; Seán Boyce, Colm Cleary, Gary Cooney.

Subs: Patrick Donnellan for K Donnellan (47); Bryan Donnellan for Moroney (57); Mark Pewter for Cleary (57); Mike McGrath for Cotter (57).

Referee: Nicky O’Toole (Waterford).