Monaleen exact revenge to beat gallant Drom & Inch in All-Ireland Junior B decider

Junior B Hurling Series - All-Ireland Hurling Final

Drom & Inch 0-9

Monaleen 2-11

By Noel Dundon

Tipperary county junior B hurling champions Drom & Inch missed out on a chance to make history in the All-Ireland final when they came a cropper against Monaleen of Limerick at Raheenagh Park on Saturday afternoon last.

The Drom & Inch lads – Munster champions thanks to a late victory over the same opposition a few weeks ago – were sucker punched in a two minute-second half spell when the Limerick boys put the game to bed, just when it seemed as though their opponents were about to take over the game.

Yes, two goals in the second half proved big scores for Monaleen and Drom & Inch didn’t really threaten a major at all, despite having missed a first-half penalty when Paul Kennedy’s effort was beaten away by keeper Muiris O’Dalaigh.

It had been a slow burn first half with the Drom & Inch lads finding it hard to get scores from play. And they went in at the break with a three point deficit, 0-7 to 0-4. However, Drom & Inch had played against the breeze in that half and they would have the assistance of the breeze which seemed to be picking up, in the second half.

The game had flowed well in the first half and with Jamie Ryan detailed to mark Monaleen’s danger man Max Ivory, Drom & Inch hoped that they were well set up to defeat the Limerick men for the second time in a few weeks. But, Ivory proved to be one of the aces in the Monaleen pack  and his contribution of six points in the first half was crucial to his sides success.

It was even steven at the end of the first quarter with Paul Kennedy (2) and a huge effort from Diarmuid Brennan for Drom & Inch matching points from Ivory (3). But, Monaleen took over and used the breeze to their advantage with points from Ben Hayes, and Ivory (3) to take that interval advantage.

Drom Inch managed just one point in the second quarter – a Kennedy free – but the missed penalty proved crucial after Pat Lupton had been fouled in the 25th minute. And, if they were to get back into the game they had to find ways of creating scores – their attack was not functioning as they would have wished and the result was that their defence was under a lot of pressure.

The second half proved an exciting affair and it was catapulted into action with an 11th minute Ben Hayes goal for Monaleen which really put daylight between the sides. Now Drom & Inch faced a mountain, but they rallied again and managed to cut the deficit to one point, without managing a goal. One would have thought that they would have needed to net, if they were to make major gains, but instead they did it the hard way and gained great momentum as a result.

Paul Kennedy kick started it with a 15th minute pointed free and Pat Lupton, Kevin Butler, a super Joey Maher point and another from Paul Kennedy from long range left a point in it 1-7 to 0-9.

But disaster struck for Drom & Inch when Ben Hayes snatched his second goal of the game following a defensive slip-up and within two minutes, the game was gone from the Tipp champions. Two points in 30 seconds from Ivory and Hayes, followed by two more from the same sources, ended the game as a contest and left Drom & Inch broken hearted as the realisation that their chance to make history was gone.

Nobody could fault the effort of the Drom & Inch lads in this game but they lacked a little bit of finesse in attack to get the necessary scores – four from play in the hour is not going to win an All-Ireland final and that was the harsh lesson learned on this occasion. Still, the showings of Joey Maher, Andy Mullen, Enda Walsh, Kevin Butler and Liam Harty were impressive while Paul Kennedy kept them in the game with his accuracy from placed balls.

Drom & Inch had it all to do to manage Max Ivory and Ben Hayes in the Monaleen attack – in the end it proved too big a challenge with the pair managing all of the Limerick scores. But, they had great help from Conor Nicholas, Noel Clancy, Ben Marnane and Conor O Duinn also with Muiris O’Dalaigh’s penalty save proving game-changing. Monaleen were good for their victory in what has become a very prestigious and much sought after All-Ireland title – sweet revenge for having lost out to the Tipp lads so dramatically in the Munster Final.

Scorers: Monaleen: Muiris O’Dalaigh, Darragh Clifford, Damien Congrave, Conor Carew, Noel Clancy, Conor Nicholas, Tom Darcy, Ben Marnane, Conor O’Duinn, Ben Hayes (2-3), Cian O’Dwyer, Diarmuid Lehane, Max Ivory (0-8), Robbie O’Sullivan, Dylan Crowe.

Subs used: Harry Gleeson, Luke Ryan.

Drom & Inch: David Kinnane, Cathal Flynn, Andy Mullen, Jamie Ryan, Diarmuid Brennan (0-1), Enda Walsh, Liam Harty, Kevin Butler (0-1), Jack Johnston, Joe Lupton, Joey Maher (0-1), Jimmy Mullen, Micheal Butler, Paul Kennedy (0-5), Pat Lupton (0-1).

Subs used: Daniel McAllister.

Referee: John Keenan