Nenagh CBS create history in their defeat of St Flannan's to win first ever Dean Ryan Cup title

TUS Munster PPS Dean Ryan Cup (U17A) Hurling Final

Nenagh CBS 2-15

St Flannan’s College, Ennis 0-18

Nenagh CBS are Dean Ryan Cup winner for the first time in their history after a brilliant last 15 minutes saw them to victory over a very good St Flannan’s, Ennis team in a savage contest given the pitch conditions in Kilmallock on Friday afternoon.

Trailing 0-12 to 1-4 at half-time after playing against a substantial breeze in the south Limerick venue, every one of the players in black showed terrific character and fighting spirit to claim the win as they stopped their Clare opponents from going to joint top of the roll of honour in this competition in the process.

The game was won in the final 15 minutes by Nenagh with Eoin Doughan’s scoring prowess critical for Nenagh, with his two goals proving vital in keeping the Tipp school in the game for large spells, but the final throes of final action belonged to the eventual victors who outscored their opposition by 0-8 to 0-1 in the final quarter.

Flannan’s looked to be in a good position in the middle of the second half despite playing into the teeth of a strengthening wind as they opened a significant four-point lead by the 42nd minute, but the Nenagh CBS players displayed huge courage in the face of adversity and with Austin Duff, Eoghan Doughan, and Joe O’Dwyer leading from the front, they hit another gear to pull away and create history for the north Tipperary school.

Kilmallock played host for the game and despite the pitch being heavy underfoot, it was as good as it could be considering the heavy rain in the venue in recent weeks and with a stiff breeze present, it was going to be a key factor in this game as Flannan’s had the benefit of it in the opening half.

To their credit, Nenagh worked very hard in the opening quarter and kept the game fairly tight with the Clare hurlers having most of the play and after 15 minutes it was just a one-point game with Nenagh trailing 0-4 to 0-3 with the Moneygall duo of Eoin Doughan (two frees) and Cormac Hoolan getting the scores for the Tipp school in that time.

However, Flannans did start to make their dominance tell in the next seven or eight odd minutes as they bagged six points in a row with the impressive figure of Dara Kennedy the chief contributor for his side with three points (two frees) while Donncha Mahon pointed his first along with a massive 100 yard free from Conor Ralph which had Nenagh trailing 0-8 to 0-3 after 22 minutes.

That Ralph effort just highlighted the influence the conditions could play in the game and Nenagh really needed some settling scores to prevent Flannan’s from building up a significant lead. And they got a very fortuitous penalty five minutes before the break, when Joe O’Dwyer’s butchering of a good goal chance saw him win a very dubious penalty and despite the Flannan’s protestations, Eoin Doughan stood up and rifled his effort to the top corner. A huge boost for Nenagh.

To be fair to O’Dwyer, any ball he was getting inside during the first half was creating chances and he won another free just two minutes after that penalty which allowed Doughan to point and reduce the gap to a single point, but Flannan’s filled their booths in the final four minutes with as many point in that time; James Cullinan, Jason Keane Hayes, a Harry Doherty free, and a major from the influential Dara Kennedy giving them a 0-12 to 1-4 half-time lead.

Considering the way the first half went in terms of possession and chances at goal, Nenagh management would have been delighted to just be five points adrift and with the aid of a strengthening breeze to come, there was still very much a contest in this final to come.

And Nenagh started strongly with Eoin Grace getting his team on the scoresheet within a minute with the industrious Austin Duff setting him up for the effort, and despite Jason Keane Hayes firing over a well-taken effort on the run a minute later for Flannan’s, Nenagh had the gander up now with the deliveries and clearances going a lot deeper.

Eoin Doughan was now a live threat at full forward and had his first point from play after a lovely stick pass from Joe O’Dwyer in the 32nd minute and that was quickly followed by a free after he had just been denied a second goal from a very smart reflex save from Flannan’s keeper Michéal Ó Coileáin; Nenagh behind by three after less than five minutes played.

Clare All-Ireland minor winner from early this year, Harry Doherty, was very well held by Daniel McKelvey on the day and the forward had to wait to get his first score in the 37th minute from a free-to-add to the lead temporarily, but the threat of Eoin Doughan inside began to bare fruit and after good play between Joe O’Dwyer and Emmet Jones, the latter ran clear to get a strike at goal and despite another smart save from Ó Coileáin, Doughan was on hand to bat the rebound to the net and bring Nenagh back to within a point. 0-14 to 2-7 after just 38 minutes of play.

That seemed like it would be the score that would signal a Nenagh takeover of proceedings but credit to Flannan’s who responded in emphatic fashion with the next three points as Donncha Mahon, Jason Keane Hayes, and a second Harry Doherty free essentially cancelling out that Nenahg goal and steadying the ship for the Clare men after 42 minutes.

In hindsight though, that proved to be the last passage of Flannan’s ascendancy in the game as the final quarter was highly impressive from Nenagh with Eoin Doughan proving his worth yet again in the next few minutes, pointing a free before just seconds after being denied again by Ó Coileáin who deflected his effort over the bar.

All the Flannan’s play was coming back at them as fast as it was going in now, with the Nenagh midfield and defence well on top, and by the 50th minute, it was once again, just a one-point game as a two Doughan frees either side of a Dara Kennedy free for Flannan’s had the scoreline reading 0-18 to 2-11 to the Clare school with plenty of time for drama to come.

Toomevara’s Austin Duff mightn’t have contributed much on the scoreline but his influence on the game was huge, especially in the last ten minutes, setting up Eoin Grace for a fantastically struck leveller from the sideline in the 56th minute, before again getting possession and linking up with his club man Patrick Hackett who planted his feet and sent over a huge score from midfield to give Nenagh the lead for the first time since the eighth minute.

It was there for the taking for Nenagh and in fairness, they didn’t shirk at the sight of the finishing line and hit the final two scores of the game, Doughan again from a free before Austin Duff got his first of the game and a deserved one for his effort in injury time, which proved to be the winning score as Johnny Murphy blew the full-time whistle straight after which cued massive celebrations for the CBS who claimed a famous and much-deserved win.

Scorers: Nenagh CBS: Eoin Doughan (2-10, 0-8f, 1-0 pen), Eoin Grace 0-2, Austin Duff 0-1, Patrick Hackett 0-1, Cormac Hoolan 0-1.

St Flannan’s: Darragh Kennedy (0-7, 0-3f), Harry Doherty 0-3f, Donncha Mahon 0-3, Jason Keane Hayes 0-2, James Cullinan 0-1, Darragh Ball 0-1, Conor Ralph 0-1.

Nenagh CBS: Evan Sherlock (Kiladangan); John Grace (Burgess), Daniel McKelvey (Silvermines), Diarmuid Fogarty (Kiladangan); Brehon O’Donnell (Silvermines), Conor Grace (Burgess), Liam O’Callaghan (Portroe); Emmet Jones (Nenagh Éire Óg), Cormac Hoolan (Moneygall); Austin Duff (Toomevara), Patrick Hackett (Toomevara), Matthew Madden (Portroe); Eoin Grace (Silvermines), Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall), Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess).

Subs used: Darragh O’Dwyer (Kiladangan) for O’Donnell (37); Patrick Steed (Silvermines) for Jones (53); Charlie Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Madden (60).

St Flannan’s: Michéal Ó Coileáin (St Josephs Doora Barefield); Sean McNamara (Clooney Quin), Conor Hill (Ballyea), Bernard Keating (Éire Óg Ennis); Patrick Finneran (Clooney Quin), Conor Ralph (Clarecastle), James Cullinan (Ruan); Darragh McNamara (Clooney Quin), Dara Kennedy (Ballyea); Michael Cotter (Inagh Kilnamona), Darragh Ball (St Josephs Doora Barefield), Jason Keane Hayes (Kilmaley); Harry Doherty (Clarecastle), Donncha Mahon (Clooney Quin), Graham Ball (St Josephs Doora Barefield).

Subs used: Rory Ralph (Clarecastle) for G Ball (44); James Murphy (Kilmaley) for Mahon (55).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)