Mullinahone deny Holycross/Ballycahill an underage hurling double in Tipperary

Mullinahone 1-16 Holycross/Ballycahill 1-15

A thrilling County Under 17 A Hurling Championship final at Leahy Park, Cashel on Sunday was decided by a 60th minute free from half way by the outstanding Sam Rowan to give Mullinahone a one-point win over Holycross/Ballycahill.

It was Rowan’s ninth point from placed balls and his third superb effort from halfway. He had been off-target from two 65s in the first half but didn’t let that faze him and hit the crucial scores in the second period.

His late winner denied Holycross/Ballycahill the county Under 19 and Under 17 double, but the mid Tipp side gave everything in a superb contest on an immaculately prepared Cashel pitch. Their top scorer, Robbie Ryan, with from six points from placed balls and three from play, had the chance to force the game to extra time deep into injury time, but his shot from the touchline just tailed wide.

Holycross were the better team in the first half, racing into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes, and still two clear at the break, 0-8 to 1-3. The Mullinahone goal, eight minutes from the break from Dylan Hennessy, gave the south side a 1-3 to 0-5 lead but Holycross hit the last three points of the half, two from Sean Ryan and a superb score from the near the touchline from Robbie Ryan.

However, Mullinahone re-emerged for the second half a revitalised side and hit the first four points to turn a two-points deficit into a two- points lead after just five minutes. A nip and tuck second period saw the lead change on a number of occasions and when a Zach O’Keeffe goal put Holycross 1-15 to 1-13 ahead with six minutes to go, it looked like the decisive score.

But Holycross didn’t score again, as the Kickhams Country men hit three without reply for a win that was wildly celebrated by the team, mentors and supporters, as team captain Cillian O’Halloran accepted the cup.

Victory was secured through an outstanding team effort from Mullinahone against a Holycross side that had half a dozen players involved in the County Under 19 final victory over Toomevara. Sam Rowan’s nine points from frees, plus one from play, were crucial, but in a sparkling attack Ned O’Meara, Matthew Direen, Dylan Hennessy and Cillian Direen all chipped in with vital scores.

Cillian O’Halloran and Adam Doyle worked tirelessly at midfield and when Holycross upped the ante, especially in the closing stages as they chased an equaliser, the Mullinahone defence stood firm, with Liam Doyle and Darragh Linnane impressing in the pivotal positions.

Robbie Ryan led the way for Holycross, with fine displays also from Conor O’Sullivan, Sean Ryan and Zach O’Keeffe in attack; Cathal O’Reilly was busy at midfield, with Jack Lahart outstanding at centre back.

On a sunny but crisp day for hurling, a Robbie Ryan free opened the scoring for Holycross in the second minute, and sixty seconds later Cathal O’Reilly put Ryan in the clear to double his tally. Matthew Direen set up Ned O’Meara for Mullinahone’s opening score in the fourth minute but Holycross still looked the more dangerous and Robbie Ryan was central to most of their best attacks.

When he took a brilliant catch and ran at the heart of the defence, he was fouled in the square for a penalty that he took himself. His shot was well batted away by Mullinahone goalkeeper John O’Meara, but before Holycross could follow up, referee David Ryan blew for a throw-in after Ryan had overstepped the 21 metre line with his shot.

But then when Zach O’Keeffe was fouled, Ryan pointed the free to put them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead. A huge clearance from Darragh Linnane set up Sam Rowan for Mullinahone’s second score midway through the half, but Holycross immediately hit back through Tony Maher.

The sides exchanged points, Rowan from a free following a foul on Adam Doyle, and Conor O’Sullivan in the very next move, before a brilliant move saw the south side go ahead for the first time. A Rowan free was gathered by Dylan Hennessy and he gave Harry Bourke no chance in the Holycross goal with a blistering shot to the net.

But that was their last score of the half, as Holycross regained the initiative. A great run from the hugely impressive centre back Jack Lahart set up Sean Ryan for the equaliser. Rowan was off target with a Mullinahone 65 before Sean Ryan again put Holycross ahead and Robbie Ryan doubled the lead just before the break. Rowan missed another 65 in added time that might have raised concern among Mullinahone supporters about his accuracy from placed balls.

But if it did, then they needn’t have worried. A minute into the second half he pointed a free and Dylan Hennessy quickly followed up with the equaliser. In the next move Hennessy was fouled and Rowan pointed the free, and by the fifth minute a great point from Matthew Direen had put Mullinahone two points clear, 1-7 to 0-8.

But after four in a row from the south side, the mid men replied with three of their own, the first from Tiarnan Ryan followed by two from Robbie Ryan, the second a free. Then a great move from Mullinahone saw Cillian Direen tie the score again at 1-8 to 0-11.

Sam Rowan was now well over his first half misses and two pointed frees, and a great score from Matthew Direen, to a single Holycross reply from a Robbie Ryan free, saw Mullinahone stretch out to a two points lead, 1-11 to 0-12, after eighteen minutes of the half.

Two more Rowan frees, both from halfway, to a Robbie Ryan 65 over the next four minutes saw the lead out to three points, 1-13 to 0-13. But in an absorbing game full of twists and turns, Holycross replied with 1-2 in four minutes to lead again. Robbie Ryan pointed a free; Conor O’Sullivan gathered immediately from a poorly placed puckout to reduce the margin to the minimum; and then a loose Mullinahone pass in defence saw Zach O’Keeffe break clear to shoot a brilliant goal past John O’Meara, to make it 1-15 to 1-13.

With four minutes to go, the momentum was very much with Holycross to complete the underage double.

But they may not have reckoned with the battling spirit of Mullinahone, a trait that has won many big games for the Kickhams men. Just following the Holycross goal, Mullinahone captain Cillian O’Halloran was fouled and Rowan did the rest. Matthew Direen’s third point from play drew the sides level for the sixth time.

With the clock ticking into the 60th minute, Mullinahone’s pressure won another free, this time close to the halfway line. With a coveted county title on the line, it was a real pressure attempt for Sam Rowan, but it was heading over the black spot once it left his hurley.

It was up to the defence then to hold on against the inevitable Holycross reply, and with wing backs Alex Britton and Eoin Treacy among those to the fore, they did so in style. They restricted Holycross to Robbie Ryan’s late effort from an impossible angle, and the referee’s final whistle ensured that the cup was heading south from Cashel to Mullinahone.

Mullinahone: John O’Meara, Shane McGrath, Liam Doyle, Pierce Vaughan, Alex Britton, Darragh Linnane, Eoin Treacy, Adam Doyle, Cillian O’Halloran, Ned O’Meara 0-1; Sam Rowan 0-10, 9 frees; Matthew Direen 0-3; Dylan Hennessy 1-1; Cillian Direen 0-1; Fin Morrissey.

Sub: Liam Hogan for Fin Morrissey.

Holycross/Ballycahill: Harry Bourke, Jack O’Dwyer, Evan Morris, Cian Ryan, Daire Ryan, Jack Lahart, Tadhg Ryan, Jake Galvin, Cathal O’Reilly, Robbie Ryan 0-9, 5 frees, 1 ‘65; Conor O’Sullivan 0-2; Tony Maher 0-1; Tiarnan Ryan 0-1; Sean Ryan 0-2; Zach O’Keeffe 1-0.

Referee: David Ryan.