Tipperary GAA club creates history after winning first ever adult title last Saturday

Premier Credit Union Mid Tipperary Junior B Hurling Championship Final

Thurles Gaels   2-16

Holycross Ballycahill   1-18

After Extra Time

By Ronan Loughnane 

What’s rare is wonderful. Having covered plenty of games over the last few months none gave me more enjoyment than last Saturday evening’s tussle in Littleton. 

For 68 frantic minutes, every ball was fought for as if there would never be another one. And then every Junior B’s nightmare. Extra-time. But the determination, tenacity, and sheer will to win never let up. The large crowd loudly roared them on, a stark contrast to the general silence in the Stadium a week previous. 

Holycross started the brighter with the accurate Tomas Comerford landing an early ’65. Aaron Cullen responded for the Gaels with their opening point but they were rocked back on their heels in the fourth minute when Michael Harty finished a flowing Holycross move to the back of Michael Bryan’s net. Wingback TJ Ryan followed up with a mighty strike from distance and the Holycross tails were up. 

Alan Ryan stopped the rot with a Gaels point from a free in the sixth minute but the Abbey boys, backed by a decent wind, had settled better and Comerford added two more frees. Their lead should have been greater, James Kennedy rattling the crossbar in the eighth minute when a goal seemed certain. 

Alan Ryan was proving quite a handful for the Holycross defence and he pointed from play in the 13th and 19th minutes as Holycross led 1-5 to 0-4. Brian Barrett, TJ Ryan, Seanie Comerford and Frank Hanafin were all hurling well for Holycross while the evergreen Morgan Lanigan, Anthony Cooney and Jordan Fahey drove the Gaels forward. 

Holycross finished the stronger with two Comerford frees and one each from play from half-backs Ryan and Barrett in response to two frees from Alan Ryan to leave them six clear at the break, 1-9 to 0-6. 

The Gaels dream of a first Mid title was still alive and they came thundering out after the break. They hit 1-5 in the opening 14 minutes thanks to Ryan (4), a lovely point from Luke Molumby and a cracking goal from Lanigan following great approach work by Ryan. 

Holycross were stunned with Comerford’s 4th minute free their only reply. Gaels now led 1-11 to 1-10 with the wind behind them and victory seemed certain, but their scoring rate dropped dramatically in sight of the winning line. Comerford regained parity, Hanafin regained the Holycross lead, before Ryan tied it up once more in the 50th minute. 

It was real edge of the seat stuff now at 1-12 apiece with chances going abegging on both sides. The Gaels gasped as Ryan missed a great chance to put them ahead in the 54th minute, but just as the clock drifted passed the hour mark goalkeeper Michael Bryan belted a beauty from an 80-yard free to put them within touching distance of their holy grail. 

But Holycross were in mood to concede and Comerford tied up again in the 64th minute. And on we played for four more minutes but this time Comerford’s free drifted wide and after 68 minutes of great entertainment referee Seamus Delaney decided it was time to play on for a further twenty minutes. 

Holycross again played with the advantage of the breeze in the opening period and the hard-working Hanafin put them ahead in the opening minute, while Comerford added two more from frees. 

The Gaels looked tired but then came the golden moment. A great catch and turn from Darren Fahey saw him bear down on the Holycross goal but his shot was brilliantly saved by Tossy Lowry only for the on-rushing Ryan to finish the rebound to the net. 

The cheers could be heard back in Kickham Park and as they turned to play with the wind, level at 2-13 to 1-16, the dream was alive once more. Scores from play were now as rare as hen’s teeth and cool heads were needed. 

Bryan made another sortie from his goal to restore the Gaels lead but Comerford continued to display his excellent free-taking ability with points in the 15th and 17th minutes, sandwiched between a Sam Cooney free for the Gaels in the 16th minute to leave them tied again. 

The dreaded penalty shoot-out loomed large but Bryan will be forever remembered in the annals of Thurles Gaels as his third pointed free in the last minute of extra-time finally secured the club their first adult title since their formation in 2005. 

Twenty years of hard work was celebrated wildly as Mid Chairman Martin Bourke presented captain Anthony Cooney with the Gus Ryan Cup on the very field that Gus worked so hard for. Gaels will remember this day for a long time. 

Each and every player gave so much to the cause and in Jordan Fahey, Stephen Dorney, Lorcan O’Toole, Anthony Cooney, Alan Ryan and man-of-the-match Morgan Lanigan they had their best displays. 

It is important to note that Holycross brought just as much desire to the contest as the victors where Tossy Lowry, Brian Barrett, TJ Ryan, Frank Hanafin and the Comerford’s, Tomas and Seanie, all played well. But the day belonged to the Gaels as they wrote their way into the history books. 

Thurles Gaels: Michael Bryan (0-3f); Jordan Fahey, Paudie Fitzpatrick, Stephen Dorney; Curtis Ryan, Lorcan O’Toole, Jamie Ferncombe; Anthony Cooney, Chris Munroe; David Fogarty, Morgan Lanigan (1-0), Darren Fahey; Alan Ryan (1-10, 0-6f), Aaron Cullen (0-1), Luke Molumby (0-1). 

Subs used: Sam Cooney (0-1f) for Molumby; Damien Grimes for Munroe (60). 

Holycross Ballycahill: Tossy Lowry; Jack O’Dwyer, Conor Ryan, Rory Fleming; TJ Ryan (0-2), Brian Barrett (0-1), Raymie Nally; David Manning, Seanie Comerford; John Dunne, Frank Hanafin (0-2), Eamon Ryan; Tomas Comerford (0-13, 0-12f, 0-1 ‘65), James Kennedy, Michael Harty (1-0). 

Subs used: Pierce Stakelum for Raymie Nally (16, inj,); Paddy McGrath for Dunne (39); Pa O’Gorman for Kennedy (44); Lee Ferncombe for Seanie Comerford (59). 

Referee: Seamus Delaney (JK Brackens)