INCREDIBLE! Drom & Inch perform miraculous comeback in Boherlahan to qualify for last eight

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter-Final

Drom & Inch 4-21 

Clonoulty Rossmore 3-23

By John O’Shea

Drom & Inch, champions in 2011, are back in the FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling quarter-final for the first time since 2023 following a late comeback victory over Clonoulty Rossmore at Boherlahan on Sunday afternoon. 

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Played before a good crowd in sharp but dry conditions, they trailed by eight points going into the last quarter following a second Clonoulty goal by Jimmy Maher, but turned in a storming finish, helped by two goals from David Collins and one from substitute Paudie Kinnane in the final quarter.

Clonoulty, playing with the aid of a strong breeze for the opening half, set the pace from the throw-in with Stephen Ferncombe unerring from placed balls. They went into a four-point advantage before Cormac Cahill blasted past Jason O’Dwyer for the opening goal on 17 minutes. 

Cormac Fitzpatrick had Drom back on level terms with five minutes of the half remaining, but the West champions finished on a high with four late points, including two from Enda Heffernan from his own 45-metre line.

After the restart, Drom attacked and points from Seamus Callanan and Cormac Fitzpatrick reduced the deficit to two after just two minutes of play. Lorcan Campion moved them within one before a converted penalty from Clonoulty, followed by a Jimmy Maher goal, stretched the lead to eight with 15 minutes remaining.

Drom staged a big comeback during the final quarter, helped by two goals from David Collins and one from Paudie Kinnane, to lead by four in added time. Clonoulty fought back and with a late Stephen Ferncombe goal from a 20-metre free, they just came up short.

Clonoulty Rossmore were quickly out of the blocks with Stephen Ferncombe setting the tone after just ninety seconds when he put over the opening score from a placed ball at the dressing-room end. 

From the puck-out, Cormac Fitzpatrick split the posts for the equaliser before the West men hit three on the bounce, two from Ferncombe and a long-range effort from Ronan Heffernan. Robbie Long pulled one back for Drom when he ran through the centre to latch onto a ball before firing over from forty metres. 

Drom’s next score came when Seamus Callanan found the unmarked John Ryan with a diagonal cross from a free under the stand and the full forward made no mistake from out near the corner. Stephen Ferncombe latched onto a breaking ball around midfield to stretch the lead to two before Jack Ryan found the target after cutting in from the corner. 

Jason O’Dwyer saved point-blank from Callanan at the expense of a 65, which the ace marksman converted. Stevie Quinn and Ferncombe made it 0-8 to 0-4 for Clonoulty. 

The West side were rocked with a Drom goal after 17 minutes when Seamus Callanan split the defence with a piercing run before laying off to Cormac Cahill, who beat O’Dwyer from close in.

Cormac Fitzpatrick tied the game with five minutes of normal time remaining before the half-time break, but Clonoulty hit back to finish on a high, scoring four late points, including two from Enda Heffernan from his own 45-metre line. Half-time score: Clonoulty Rossmore 0-14, Drom & Inch 1-6.

Drom attacked after the restart and points from Seamus Callanan and Cormac Fitzpatrick cut the deficit to two by the 32nd minute. Lorcan Campion moved them within one before Clonoulty were awarded a penalty after Jimmy Maher was fouled in the area. 

Stephen Ferncombe made no mistake from the spot with a low shot to the corner. Maher himself then got in for goal number two when he was first to react to a high ball from Jack Ryan, coming back off the upright, to beat Eoin Collins with a shot from outside the square. Stephen Ferncombe stretched the lead to eight with 15 minutes remaining.

Seamus Callanan led the Drom comeback with two converted frees before David Collins took advantage of hesitancy in the Clonoulty defence to steer a ball that was going wide into the net. Points from Callanan and Mark Conroy reduced the deficit to the minimum before Drom struck on the double inside a minute. First, Collins fielded a high ball outside the square before turning and firing past Jason O’Dwyer. 

Clonoulty were slow to clear their lines, and Paudie Kinnane put them five up with a fourth goal on 58 minutes. In a hectic period of added time, Ferncombe reduced the deficit to one score with two points from placed balls, one from a 65. 

Callanan and Mikey Ryan (Winnie) traded minors before John Campion got the insurance point. Clonoulty fought back with a late Stephen Ferncombe goal from a 20-metre free, four minutes into added time, but time ran out as the full-time whistle sounded.

Drom & Inch now advance to next weekend’s quarter final, where they take on Moycarkey Borris, while Clonoulty Rossmore face Mullinahone in the relegation semi-final.

Drom & Inch: Eoin Collins; Robbie Long (0-1), Fintan Purcell, Kevin Hassett; Mark Conroy (0-1),  Podge Campion, Michael Campion; Cormac Cahill (1-0), Lorcan Campion (0-1); Darragh Kennedy,  David Collins (2-0), John Campion (0-2); Seamus Callanan (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1 65), John Ryan (0-1), Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-4). 

Subs used: Johnny Ryan (0-2) for Michael Campion (HT); Paudie Kinnane for John Ryan (52); Jack Lillis for Cormac Cahill (58).

Clonoulty Rossmore; Jason O’Dwyer; Tommy Ryan, Robert Doyle, Danny Slattery; John O’Keeffe, Enda Heffernan (0-2), Ronan Heffernan (0-2); Nathan Slattery, Stevie Quinn (0-1); Cathal Bourke, Stephen Ferncombe (2-16, 2-12f, 0-1 65), Jimmy Maher (1-0); Jack Ryan (0-1), Ciaran Quiurke, Mikie Ryan (Winnie) (0-1).

Subs used: Jimmy Ryan (Con) for Nathan Slattery (45); Jamie Davern for Stevie Quinn (50); Philip Kelleher for Jimmy Maher (50)

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)

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