BREAKING: Upperchurch Drombane crowned All-Ireland champions after six-goal Croke Park thriller!

AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Upperchurch Drombane 4-20

Tooreen 2-24

After extra time

Upperchurch Drombane are All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling champions after edging an extra-time classic over a brilliant Tooreen side in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

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A game that ebbed and flowed at a serious rate throughout the 80-plus minutes of hurling, it was three goals in extra time from Conor Fahey and Paddy Phelan in the first half, followed by another from Paul Shanahan in the second that won the contest and delivered just a second national intermediate title back to Tipperary.

Those goals came in a chaotic extra time innings as Shanahan’s goal two minutes from time looked to have sealed the game, but Tooreen managed to strike two late goals to bring the game back to three points as Upperchurch just about held out in a nervy finish to get the job done.

This game started with terms of engagement set firmly by Upperchurch Drombane, with the vast majority of the first half traffic flowing toward the Davin Stand as the Tipperary and Munster champions dominated the contest.

For 25 minutes, this game looked to be heading to a straightforward conclusion with Upperchurch leading 0-9 to 0-2 in that time, while frustrating the Tooreen short game at source around the middle third.

Paul Shanahan’s early beauty in front of the 5,916 attendance in Croke Park set the early tone for the Munster champions, and the first quarter could and should have been more lucrative from the leaders, with some wides registered.

Still, points from Luke Shanahan (free) and a brilliant Mikey Griffin effort after rising high and fetching the sliotar before applying a confident finish, had the Church in the ascendancy with Tooreen chugging a large amount of dirty diesel.

Tipp’s representatives continued to dominate, with Keith Ryan, Gavin Ryan, and Dean Carew’s defensive nous notable and after that, the scores began to flow with five unanswered points between the 18th and 25th minute; two Gavin Ryan frees, a brace from Luke Shanahan (one free), and a sublime over-the-shoulder effort from Pat Ryan were the providers.

It looked gold and rosy for Upperchurch Drombane, who were dictating terms, but Tooreen stuck to their short game and composure in possession.

They hit two badly needed points around the 28th minute with goalkeeper Bobby Douglas providing one of those with a massive long range freem, but Pat Ryan produced a moment of class when he sliced over a beauty of a sideline from the Hogan Stand side. 

Yet, how quickly hurling games can turn was evident in the final two minutes plus three minutes of first-half stoppage time as the Tooreen play clicked, with their long-range shooting a joy to behold in that spell.

The Mayo men picked off five beautiful long-range scores, with wing back Joe Boyle hitting two majors, along with scores from Eoin Delaney, Fergal Boland, and Sean Kenny. This brought the game back to a single point at half-time, with Upperchurch leading 0-10 to 0-9.

Unfortunately, from an Upperchurch Drombane perspective, that Tooreen momentum carried through half-time as the losing 2023 finalists came steaming out of the tunnel after restart, hitting five of the first six scores of the half.

Again, the shooting from distance was the main currency for Tooreen, with dangermen in Fergal Boland (two), Eoin Delaney, and Kenny Feeney finding the target, along with a placed ball from Shane Boland leaving Upperchurch 0-14 to 0-11 in arrears after 38 minutes.

The flow of the game was completely turned from the first half now with Upperchurch the team under pressure, but a big moment came in the 40th minute - just after a converted Luke Shanahan free - when Conor Fahey found himself in space and with one defender in front of him, he pinned the ears back and galloped a good 40-metres before drilling a low effort to the back of the net.

A class piece of individual play from Fahey that felt like a big moment that could regain the impetus for the Tipp men, but Tooreen again just continued to find space to shoot and hit four more points in succession with a brace apiece from Kenny Feeney and Brian Morley, hitting the target to re-establish a three-point lead with the final quarter to come.

Strangely, despite not hurling well, Upperchurch had a glut of chances in the final quarter and had levelled the game by 51 minutes with frees from Luke Shanahan and Gavin Ryan, along with a Pat Ryan score from play.

Agonisingly, they butchered three really good goal chances between 52 and 55 minutes with Paul Shanahan’s weak goal effort the most egregious of those, but they also had newly introduced Paddy Phelan to thank for preventing a Tooreen major, getting in a vital block on Joe Boyle, who had the goal at his mercy in the 52nd minute.

The excellent Fergal Boland pointed to regain the lead for Tooreen in the 52nd minute, but that was soon cancelled out by a Gavin Ryan free to level things again as the championship minutes were coming thick and fast, with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

And it looked like it was going to be Tooreen’s day when they hit the front with less than a minute to play in added time when Brian Morley scored his third of the game with a raking effort.

However, Upperchurch found something in them to save the game when they won a free between their 45 and 65 and with nerves of steel and real leadership, Gavin Ryan landed a monster placed ball to send the game to extra time.

Fatigue was now a huge factor and would play its part in what would follow in extra time with Tooreen looking the more jaded team in the first half, coughing up numerous goal chances to the Upperchurch forwards who were looking threatening with Jack Butler at the tip of the attacking spear.

After Butler had missed a glorious goal chance on 65 minutes - hitting a point blank effort straight at the goalie- the next green flag did come two minutes later with Paddy Phelan the right man on the end of a move to finish after Conor Fahey fed him in on goal.

Tooreen were at sixes and sevens now as the Upperchurch legs were carrying more weight, and every deliver causing problems for the Mayo men. Eventually, a third goal followed for the Tipp men with Conor Fahey again the scorers, latching onto a long delivery in behind and finishing to the net. A massive first half that had the Church ahead 3-17 to 0-22 at the mini-break.

It was all flowing the way of the Munster champions and when Paul Shanahan doubled on a long delivery into the back of the net seven minutes into the second half to put his side ten points clear, it looked like a comfortable victory was coming for Liam Dunphy’s charges.

That failed to transpire though, with a frankly crazy finish to the game ensuing as Tooreen struck back straight after that Shanahan goal with a major of their own through David Harrison, and when Liam Lavin produced an eerily similar finish to Shanahan’s goal a minute later, it was officially panic stations for Upperchurch with two minutes of added time to come.

Tooreen poured forward, Upperchurch retreated and it led to Fergal Boland winning a free for himself to convery a minute from time to leave just three points between the sides with a final chance sure to come.

And they did come. Liam Lavin came closest when he got within shouting distance of CIaran Shortt with 20 seconds left but hit a tame shot at the netminder, and substitute Sean Regan came very close to whipping home, only for a deft boot from Mikey Lavery diverting the path of the ball to safety and out for a 65.

Fergal Boland tried his luck with the last puck of the game from some 25-yards out through a blockade of black and amber jerseys, but his effort went to high and, to the delight of the Tipperary men, flew over the bar before the final whistle sounded.

A simply crazy finish to an incredibly high-quality encounter. Upperchurch Drombane became just the second Tipperary club to achieve this feat, and it is fair to assume that there will be an almight hoolie in the hills over the course of the next week as Liam Dunphy, his management team, and his players will celebrate their success in style.

Scorers: Upperchurch Drombane: Luke Shanahan (0-7, 0-5f), Conor Fahey 2-0, Gavin Ryan (0-5, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Paul Shanahan 1-1, Paddy Phelan 1-0, Pat Ryan (0-3, 0-1 sl-cut), Colm Ryan, Diarmuid Grant, Mikey Griffin, Jack Butler all 0-1 each.

Tooreen: Fergal Boland (0-7, 0-1f), Brian Morley 0-4, Joe Boyle, Kenny Feeney, Eoin Delaney all 0-3 each, Liam Lavin, David Harrison 1-0 each, Sean Kenny 0-2, Shane Boland, Bobby Douglas 0-1f each.

Upperchurch Drombane: Ciarán Shortt; Mikey Lavery, Keith Ryan, Dean Carew; Niall Grant, Gavin Ryan, Toby Corbett; Diarmuid Grant, Aaron Ryan; Conor Fahey, Paul Shanahan, Colm Ryan; Luke Shanahan, Pat Ryan, Mikey Griffin.

Subs used: Paddy Phelan for C Ryan (42); Jack Butler for A Ryan (49); Aaron Ryan for D Grant (63, ET); Ger Grant for Corbett (70, ET); Paul Ryan for P Shanahan (78, ET).

Tooreen: Bobby Douglas; Michael Morley, Stephen Coyne, Conal Hession; Joe Boyle, Oisín Grealy, David Kenny; John Cassidy, Seán Kenny; Eoin Delaney, Brian Morley, Fergal Boland; Liam Lavin, Shane Boland, Kenny Feeney.

Subs used: Fionn Delaney for K Feeney (blood sub, 3 - reversed 8); Daniel Huane for Morley (22, inj); Sean Regan for Cassidy (43); Fionn Delaney for K Feeney (57); Padraig Mooney for Hession (59, inj); Jake Glavey for S Kenny (HT, ET); David Delaney for Morley (72, ET); David Harrison for S Boland (72, ET).

Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath)