McCarthy masterclass sees Toomevara win first ever U19A North hurling crown

Ger Gavin North Tipperary Under 19A Hurling Final 2023

Toomevara 0-22

Ballina 0-19

By Liam Hogan

Darragh McCarthy’s performance matched the glorious heat as he almost single-handedly helped Toomevara to win the U19 for the first time when they defeated 14-man Ballina at blistering warm Borrisoleigh pitch last Sunday afternoon.

The Toomevara centre forward produced one of the great displays of the year as he scored a fabulous 0-17 with nine points coming from play. High or low ball it was no different to the Toome 18-year old who is also doing well for his club at senior level and is having the year of his life.

There were other heroes too with Cormac Hogan, Ted Evans, Dan Farrell, Jake Hackett, Austin Duff covering all angles. The tireless Adam Hall covered every blade of grass. He started out at full forward before spending much of the second half operating in defence at a period when Ballina threatened to take over.

This was a game that had the good and sometimes the bad but for the most part it had everybody on the edge of their seat from start to finish especially the last ten minutes when Toome were hanging on by a thread against Ballina who were reduced to fourteen men at that stage after their midfielder Charlie King was red carded in the 54 th minute. Ironically, the Ballina men really produced their best hurling when a man short.

Darragh McCarthy scored three points (one free) as Toome got off to a flying start as they struck five unanswered points in eight minutes before Ballina got off the mark through Charlie King in the tenth minute. 

Kings’ point was the start of a good period for Ballina who then outscored Toome five points to two between the tenth and seventeenth minute period with the impressive Jack Collins scoring three including two from play, while Charlie Grace was also on target.

The game had settled down and it 0-9 to 0-7 with Toome in front after twenty three minutes before they went four clear thanks to two long-range frees in as many minutes. Another Collins free reduced the margin to three leaving Tim Flaherty and Jack Collins to swap scores before Darragh McCarthy had the last score of the half (his tenth and six from play) as the interval scoreline read 0- 13 to 0-9.

Ballina had the use of the breeze in the second half but Toome’s lead increased to five after another McCarthy free came in the second minute. The scores continued to come fast and furious as Charlie King’s master point was quickly matched by a quick response from Austin Duff before Jack Collins posted a free in the 35th minute.

The next six minutes were scoreless until Jack Grace scored for Ballina. McCarthy scored again but Ballina were back in contention when Sean Lyons and their lead man Jack Collins (free) brought the deficit down to two points with sixteen on the clock.

Jack Doran picked up his second point for Toome but Ballina kept close as Charlie King scored his third before McCarthy restored a three-point lead for the Greyhounds, which was the first of three unanswered points by the man of the match as Toome went five in front for the second time in the game. With seven minutes remaining it looked good for Toome.

Ballina must have been worried and the worries increased when they realised that their midfielder Charlie Grace was red-carded. Charlie could have no complaints when Conor Doyle signalled red.

With the paperwork complete, the play continued and Toome were six to the good after another McCarthy point sailed between the posts after he won a high ball in a crowded 20-metre line.

With that substantial lead and fielding a man extra Toome must have relaxed a bit because Ballina suddenly went turbo and over the next three minutes they produced their best play with four unanswered points through Collins, from a free quickly followed by a super Zac Egan before Brian Bourke added another from out on the left wing before another Collins free completed the quartet.

Suddenly Toome were hanging on by two but Dara McCarthy’s free in the 59 th gave them breathing space but at the same time there was much despair as his defence were on overtime as Ballina pressed but there were no more scores with the sound of the final whistle very much appreciated by a very excited Toome following who have seen very little silverware these days except for the Seamus O’Riain win in 2017 and the North Under 21 victory a year later, their only victories since winning the Dan Breen in 2008.

Toomevara: Cormac Hogan; Cathal Frend, Ted Evans, Josh Powell; Jack Harford, Dan Farrell, Oisin Troy; Jake Hackett, Joe Claffey; Jack Doran (0-2), Darragh McCarthy (0-17, 0-8f), Austin Duff 0-1; Tim Flaherty (0-1), Adam Hall (0-1), Fionn McGuigan.

Subs used: Dylan Carroll for McGuigan (44); Billy O’Brien for Evans (58); David Conway for Duff (64); Jack Ryan for D Farrell (64).

Ballina: Simon Grace; Cian Molloy, Zac Egan (0-1), Tristan Giroudiere; Cillian Ryan, JP Mbokha Tansia, Billy Collins; Charlie Grace (0-1), Conor Shanahan; Brian Bourke (0-1), Paddy Bradley, Jack Grace (0-2); Charlie King (0-3), Jack Collins (0-10, 0-8f), Cian O’Donoghue.

Subs used: Shane O’Connell for O’Donoghue(HT); Sean Lyons (0-1) for Shanahan (36); Jack Quinn for Bradley (58).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines)