Late drama in Nenagh sees Kiladangan sneak past Borris-Ileigh who fall short in North final

Hibernian Inn North Senior Hurling Championship Final

Kiladangan 0-20

Borris-Ileigh 0-19

Kiladangan made it double digits in North Senior Hurling Championship titles in MacDonagh Park, Nenagh on Sunday afternoon as they staved off a late, late Borris-Ileigh surge to claim back-to-back titles after a ferocious battle in the second game of the double header.

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The Puckane-based club’s tenth crown was secured in nervy fashion, though with Borris-Ileigh pushing them all the way late on. Leading 0-16 to 0-11 at the three-quarter mark of the game, it looked like the reigning champs would shove on and put a degree of comfort in the victory.

However, Borris had other ideas and with some brilliant long-range shooting from frees and play, they pulled the game by to a single point with time running out, and when Colm Boyle won a free inside his own 45 with seconds remaining, it looked like extra time would be required.

You would have had confidence then, as a Borris supporter, that Eddie Ryan would nail it as he had produced a strike from a further distance just two minutes earlier. Sadly for the Borris faithful, the late drizzle seemed to play its part as he sliced the ball somewhat, as it fell short of the mark as the final whistle blew thereafter.

This was far from a classic North final in terms of the hurling action, but it still delivered excitement in other ways, aside from the late, dramatic finish.

A game with very few clear-cut goal chances, Borris started the game playing against the wind, deploying their traditional sweeper at the back to try and stymy the Kiladangan attack that scored a big total of 3-21 against Toomevara in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Kiladangan started the game with Sean Hayes in the line-up after making a substitute appearance against Toome, while Borris were without Tom Delaney and Kevin Maher, who were only fit enough to take their place on the bench. 

Despite the Borris setup, they started the game rather slowly and found themselves 0-4 to nil down after seven minutes, with Paul Flynn’s point inside 20 seconds being added to by Conor Byrne (free), Joe Gallagher, and Willie Connors (free) to give the North champions a solid start.

Patrick Ryan got his side’s interest up and running from a free on nine minutes before an in-form James Devaney fired over a classy score soon after to bring it back to two points.

Still, Kiladangan were the side hurling the better stuff and in the next ten minutes, had built up a five-point lead at 0-9 to 0-4 with Billy Seymour (2), Dan O’Meara, and Paul Flynn adding scores as they began to purr nicely up front. 

Billy Seymour and Paul Flynn had half-goal chances in that flurry of scores, as Borris huffed and puffed in their efforts to get up and running in the contest.

As the half wore on, the Borris men began to slowly find their feet with Patrick Ryan, Paddy McCormack, and Jerry Kelly all lashing over fine efforts. Kiladangan, though, were finding the target in response and maintained the four-point advantage after a long-range Darragh Butler point found the target after 29 minutes.

Far from the free-flowing semi-finals we witnessed midweek, Borris’ policy of containment was justified by half-time, with the final two scores going their way from Patrick Ryan frees to put them well in contention as Kiladangan led by 0-11 to 0-9.

SECOND HALF

You would have thought that with just a two-point deficit in tow, Borris would have had a more attacking and proactive approach to the second half with the wind in their favour in the second half, but they still set up in a very defensive manner, with a second sweeper appearing in their defence throughout the half.

As such, it gave Alan Flynn and Willie Connors ample time to pick out deliveries for Billy Seymour, and the Tipperary panellist made hay in the first ten minutes, notching two fine scores from play after Dara O’Dwyer had pointed from the restart.

Kiladangan stretched the lead further with Conor Byrne hitting a brace of scores (one free) in the 43rd and 44th minutes, as it looked like the county contenders would push for home as they were in control in MacDonagh Park.

Trailing 0-16 to 0-11, Borris managed to hang in the contest and slowly began to reduce the deficit with James Devaney starting a run of three successive points; travelling with the ball from deep before landing a major on the run from midfield. Borris still alive and beating at 0-16 to 0-14 after 49 minutes.

As they have proven many times over the years, Kiladangan tend to finish strongly, and they looked to make a move in the last ten minutes with Conor Byrne again pointing from a placed ball, before Sean Hayes finally bagged his first score of the game after help from Billy Seymour to help them back into a four-point lead.

Credit to Borris, though, who again managed to cut it to one score with a monster Eddie Ryan score, a Patrick Ryan free, and another massive effort from the aforementioned Ryan, who this time, found the target from a placed ball and cut the gap to two points going into added time. 

Conor Byrne, though, added his fifth score in the 62nd minute to push it out to three points, and with just 90 seconds left of added time, Borris needed something. And it came, with an inspiring Jerry Kelly point being followed by yet another huge free from downtown from Eddie Ryan, making it a one-point game at 0-20 to 0-19 with time left to play.

The resulting Barry Hogan puckout then went long, and with a sea of bodies under the dropping ball, Colm Boyle came out with possession and drew the late free; Borris with the chance to level it from a placed ball well inside their own half.

With confidence, up stepped Eddie Ryan to try and level the game, and with the effort well within his range after prior efforts, he was unlucky to miscue his strike and let Kiladangan off the hook, as they managed to gather possession and hold out for the narrowest of victories.

Scorers: Kiladangan: Conor Byrne (0-5, 0-4f), Billy Seymour (0-5), Willie Connors (0-2f), Paul Flynn, Dan O’Meara (0-2 each), Dara O’Dwyer, Darragh Butler, Sean Hayes (all 0-1 each).

Borris-Ileigh: Patrick Ryan (0-6, 0-5f), Eddie Ryan (0-4, 0-3f), James Devaney (0-3), Jerry Kelly, Paddy McCormack (0-2 each), Tommy Ryan, Shane McCormack (0-1 each).

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; David Sweeney, James Quigley, Darragh Butler; Joe Gallagher, Alan Flynn, Willie Connors; Dara O’Dwyer, Tadhg Gallagher; Conor Byrne, Dan O’Meara, Sean Hayes; Paul Flynn, Billy Seymour, Conor Culhane.

Subs used: Bryan McLoughney for Culhane (HT); Neil Cahalan for O’Dwyer (61); Fergal Hayes for Butler (61).

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack; Shane Kenny, Ray McCormack, Liam Ryan; Johnny McGrath, Dan McCormack, Mikey Kennedy; Eddie Ryan, Colm Boyle; Paddy McCormack, Shane McCormack, Jerry Kelly; James Devaney, Conor Kenny, Patrick Ryan.

Subs used: Tom Delaney for D McCormack (40, inj); Tommy Ryan for Kennedy (47); Kevin Maher for S McCormack (54).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines)

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