Shanahan hat-trick inspires incredible Newport comeback to claim county hurling title

FBD Insurance County Junior B Hurling Championship Final

Newport 3-8

Ballina 1-12

Cormac Shanahan’s third goal in injury time helped Newport claim their first FBD Insurance Junior B Hurling title when they defeated Ballina in a well-fought contest played in terrible wet and windy conditions at MacDonagh Park last Saturday afternoon.

The win came after what seemed an impossible task as Ballina truly dominated the first half, twice taking a nine-point lead, 1-8 to 0-2, in the opening twenty minutes. How Newport, despite playing against the very strong breeze accompanied by heavy rain, managed to come back is a miracle.

But come back they did, and it was with the help of two inspiring minor hurlers as Cormac Shanahan and Harry Noone led the way, with Shanahan’s hat-trick giving him the Man of the Match award.

As mentioned, the game was played in the worst possible conditions, with the constant rain and strong wind accompanied by a slippery sod and greasy ball. But yet, the teams played a thrilling contest.

Fresh from their semi-final win over Killea, Ballina had to line out without full-back and veteran Aidan Hanley (injury in semi-final), and he was replaced by JP mBokha. Another change saw Cathal O’Donnell taking the place of full-forward Brian Hurley.

Playing into the road end, Ballina looked superior. Good work by their half-back line of Cian Molloy, along with wing men Dara King and Thomas Collins, meant plenty of supply to the forward line, where Ben King scored two frees either side of a Cathal O’Donnell score from play before further points by Gary Slevin and the ever-present Brian Burke made it 0-5 to nil after six minutes.

Newport’s Jack Ryan opened Newport’s tally a minute later, but Tadgh McKeogh had the margin quickly back to five seconds later. More Ballina pressure almost created a goal chance, but Newport keeper Paul Hogan denied Cathal O’Donnell with a very good save in the thirteenth minute.

But the gaps in the Newport defence were evident, and in the 16th minute, a long delivery by Dara King dropped inside the Newport twenty-metre line before Gary Slevin managed to fire low to the net from a slight angle.

Newport, who had Cormac Shanahan starting in place of Jack McCarthy, saw Cillian Collins respond with a free after Stephen Coffey was fouled, but Jack Grace and Ben King combined with a quick response as the latter had Ballina nine clear for the second time at 1-8 to 0-2 after twenty minutes.

After Cillian Collins replied with a free in the 21st minute, Newport were showing signs of a recovery, and five minutes later, Cormac Shanahan fired into an empty net after the Ballina defence and goalkeeper Martin McKeogh got their wires crossed.

The umpires had the green flag just about raised before Newport were attacking again, with Shanahan finding the net a second time. It was mainly Newport now as Noone put Shanahan through for a point, and with the interval break approaching, there was enough time for Collins to point from play, making scores level at half-time, 1-8 to 2-5.

The second half produced three quick scores in the opening six minutes. Cathal Hannon began with a lead point for Newport, but Brian Hurley, introduced at half-time, levelled in the 34th minute before Cillian Collins had Newport back in front again.

From there, the second half was becoming a dour struggle due to the increasing wind and rain. Referee Peter Carroll had to be patient. Both Collins and King missed chances from frees, and play had reached the 44th minute before King levelled for Ballina.

Martin McKeogh’s puck-outs against the wind were barely reaching his own sixty-five as Newport were slightly the more dominant side, and in the 51st minute, Jack Delahunty edged them in front.

Led by the hard-working Brian Burke, Ballina attacked often, but their path to goal was curbed by a Newport defence that were prone to conceding a lot of frees. Ben King’s radar was short, however, due to the increasing winds, but eventually the pressure paid off as Gary Slevin brought scores level for the third time in the second half and fourth over the hour, with two minutes of injury time gone.

Two ten-minute periods of extra time were very much in the offing, but the immediate puck-out eventually found the hands of Jack Ryan. His attempt for a winning score dropped short to where the ever-present Jerry O’Brien lost his footing, but Cormac Shanahan kept his cool and scooped the ball over the line for a three-point advantage.

There was one final piece of action, with the restart by Ballina reaching Cathal O’Donnell, who picked off a point, but it was too little, too late. Newport were the winners.

Scorers: Newport: Cormac Shanahan 3-1; Cillian Collins (0-4, 0-3f); Jack Ryan, Jack Delahunty, Cathal Hannon all 0-1 each.

Ballina: Ben King (0-5, 0-4f); Gary Slevin 1-2; Cathal O’Donnell 0-2; Brian Burke, Tadgh McKeogh, Brian Hurley all 0-1 each.

Newport: Paul Hogan; Tom Allen, Conor Keating, Andrew Hickey; Darragh McGrath, John Lee, Niall Duffy; Jack Ryan, Jordan Young; Cathal Hannon, Peter O’Sullivan, Cillian Collins; Cormac Shanahan, Jack Delahunty, Stephen Coffey.

Subs used: Harry Noone for Young (11, inj); Daithi Whelton for Duffy (23); Martin Carey for Coffey (43); Declan Guerin for Hannon (53); Jack McCarthy for Collins (57).

Ballina: Martin McKeogh; Tristan Giroudiere, JP Mbokha, Jack Quinn; Thomas Collins, Cian Molloy, Dara King; Conor Bourke, Jack Grace; Brian Burke, Conor Shanahan, Ben King; Tadgh McKeogh, Cathal O’Donnell, Gary Slevin.

Subs used: Jerry O’Brien for Mbokha (29, inj); Brian Hurley for Shanahan (HT); Luke Power for T McKeogh (45); Corey Ryan for Giroudiere (57, inj).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)