REPORTS: Toomevara and Clonakenny are amongst the county U13 champions after last weekend

County U13C Hurling Championship Final

Clonakenny 1-11

Newport 0-13

After Extra Time

Clonakenny were crowned County U13C champions after an exciting and narrow victory over North champions Newport in ideal conditions in Holycross last Saturday afternoon.

Newport were the early leaders in the game after establishing an early advantage of 0-5 to 0-1 with Cillian Flynn, Robert Long, Ronan Toohey (free), Rory Molloy, and James Coffey all hitting fine efforts in the time; even hitting five wides in that time as Clonakenny were yet to come into the game.

The Newport wides kept Clonakenny in touch and they kept the purple and gold clad team honest for the remainder of the half, sharing four points between them with Clonakenny’s two scores coming from Eoghan Shelly while Newport finished the scoring for the half through efforts from Rory Molloy and Cillian Flynn. Newport leading 0-7 to 0-3.

Clonakenny were full of beans after the restart though and were the better team in the second half, with scores from Eoghan Shelly (3), and Dylan Conroy giving them a 0-9 to 0-8 late in the game in what was a terrific turnaround but they were left distraught on the stroke of full-time when Newport’s Ronan Toohey equalised with a late strike to send the game to extra time.

It was an exciting game for all in attendance and despite some early tit-for-tat scoring the all-important goal came in the middle of the first half of extra time when substitute Aaron Keeshan scored a brilliant goal to push Clonakenny into a 1-10 to 0-10 lead.

Ronan Toohey was the main man for Newport in the second half extra time as he hit three points to level the game with the clock ticking down once again at 1-10 to 0-13, but a late free from Eoghan Shelly from a huge distance sailed over the bar and it led to huge celebrations from the Mid club who held on to claim the C title dramatically.

Clonakenny: Paudie Treacy; Adam Keeshan, Donagh Murray, Joe Mortimer, Dylan Conroy (0-1), Eoghan Shelly (0-8, 0-6f), Joe Whelan, TJ Breslin, Martin Murray, Tom Franks, Sean Ryan.

Subs: Vincent Maher, Eibheann O Flaithearta, Aaron Keeshan (1-0), Conor Duff, Robert Smith (0-2).

Newport: Luke Healy; David Gaffrey, Eoin O’Gorman, Ethan Daly, Colin McBride, Eoin Earle, Robert Long (0-1), Ronan Toohey (0-7, 0-4f), Rory Molloy (0-2), James Coffey (0-1), Cillian Flynn (0-2).

Subs: Harry Kennedy, Will Brassill, Cathal Grimes, Aaron Ryan, Andrew Coffey.

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels)