Early red card doesn't stop Toomevara from getting the job Dunne to clinch U15A County title

County U15A Hurling Championship Final

Toomevara 5-14

Moycarkey Borris 0-8

By Mark Dunne 

North Tipperary Champions Toomevara proved too strong for their Mid counterparts in the County U15A Hurling Final on Saturday last. A brace of second-half goals proved the deciding factor in the contest. 

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Both sides came to the final on merit, Moycarkey Borris seeing off South champions Mullinahone en route, while Toome got the better of Cashel King Cormac’s in their semi. 

Played in typical October conditions that we all expect, Toome played with the aid of a strong breeze and were first on the board inside 30 seconds, Evan Grace the provider. 

Moycarkey danger man Adam Rice got his first score on the contest, a placed ball inside three minutes to level proceedings. Rice doubled the advantage moments later before Toomevara were dealt a massive blow. 

Referee Declan Hickey showed a straight red card to Toome’s Matthew Bergin in the 10th minute. This, as we have seen in the past, spurred on the greyhounds with Delaney pointing a free before the game's opening green flag. 

A serious run from KJ Dunne saw him shoot passed Rogers and send his side three to the good. Dunne continued to be a thorn in the Moycarkey side, and he extended out the lead with a good score from distance. 

Delaney was accurate from frees also and notched another under his belt in 18 minutes. Moycarkey, a man to the good, looked to grab a foothold in the encounter, Adam Rice the danger target inside the 21m. 

The aforementioned Rice did pull one back for the Mid Champions, but Toomevara were finding their scores much easier the next three, all going their way, with two from Dunne and another placed ball for Delaney 1-7 to 0-3 with five left in the half. 

Moycarkey to their credit battled hard, and that danger man Rice found himself on the back of three wonderful goal chances, the best just before the break but Toome with Donnacha Kelly in the net stood firm. Dunne and Rice traded scores to send Toome in at the break, 1-8 to 0-4 in the lead. 

With the breeze now at the Mid champions' backs, many thought they would kick and narrow the gap on Toome, but it was the champions who started the brightest. Two quick scores from Delaney in as many minutes pushed out their lead. 

Toome looked hungrier all across the field, and this made any challenge from the Moycarkey contingent difficult. Rice and Sheehan to their credit, knocked over two fine scores to reduce the gap to seven. 

Charlie Cummins got in on the scoring action with a fine point on 40 minutes before a decisive two-minute spell for the Greyhounds ended the game as a contest. Dunne with his trademark run from 45m out, cut through the Moycarkey defence and rattled the net with a great goal. 

This was followed a moment later with another green flag, this time corner forward Colm O’Brien taking on the Moycarkey rearguard and a little flick over Rodgers put 14 between the sides. Adam Rice once again was accurate from placed balls and pulled one back before Charlie Cummins rattled the net once more. 

Delaney was the provider to Cummins, who snapped the ball from the air and put the ball once again in the Moycarkey net. With eight minutes still remaining, the game as a contest fizzled out.  

Both sides traded scores, Delaney and Duff for Toome, with Eoin Clancy from Moycarkey also raising a white flag. 

Referee Declan Hickey had to reach for his second red card of the day moments before the end, with MJ O’Mahoney receiving his marching orders. Toome though, weren’t finished with the scoring and Colm O’Brien rattled the net for the fifth time in the 60th minute. 

Grace knocked over the final score of the contest with Toomevara getting their hands back on the U15A trophy, their first since 2002. 

While the game as a contest did fizzle out in the second half, credit to both sides for some brilliant passages of play. Toomevara proved a well-rounded and balanced outfit with KJ Dunne, Jayden Delaney and captain James Mounsey all putting in big shifts to mention just a few. 

For Moycarkey Borris, while they will be disappointed with the manner of the defeat, they can be extremely proud of their efforts this year. 

Reaching a county final is no mean feat, and they can take serious positives from the year as a whole. The early red card for Toomevara, as we have seen at all grades, did inject a new lease into the North Tipp side, and they made the most of it. 

Captain James Mounsey collected the silverware from BNG Chairman PJ Bowden. 

Toomevara: Donnacha Kelly; Robert Powell, James Mounsey, Micheal Fitzpatrick; Dara Wyles, Callum Ryan, Matthew Bergin; KJ Dunne (2-4), Oliver Duff (0-1); Dan Daly, Jayden Delaney (0-6, 0-4f), Evan Grace (0-2); Colm O’Brien (2-0), Aidan O’Gorman, Charlie Cummins (1-1). 

Subs used: Theo Dunne for James Mounsey.

Moycarkey Borris: Jayden Rogers; Sam Coughlan, Ruairi King, James Patterson; Dylan Butler, Evan O’Dwyer, Jack Butler; Evan Ned Commins, Aidan Russell; Michael Russell, MJ O’Mahoney, Eoin Clancy (0-1); Adam Rice (0-6, 0-4f), Tommy Rice, Sean Sheehan (0-1). 

Subs used: Jack Flanagan for Michael Russell; Kieran Maher for Sam Coughlan; Conn O’Dwyer for Tommy Rice; Ciaran Darmody for Ruairi King.

Referee: Declan Hickey (Skeheenarinky)

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