Ballinkillen come out on top after sensational final
Ballinkillen minor hurling captain Cian Meaney lifts the CENTAL MHC 'B' trophy Photo: Pat Ahern
Ballinkillen won an amazing Cental Under 18 Division 2 Hurling Final on Monday at Netwatch Cullen Park. With the game going into the final minutes they held a two-point lead but Naomh Eoin hit back with a three-pointer from Daniel O’Neill to go ahead. The eventual winners replied and Tomas Sheehan levelled matters with a 90m free. Extra-time loomed but in their last attack, a high ball fell nicely for Ian Craddock and the Ballinkillen centre-forward found the net from an angle on the left.
Naomh Eoin had two minutes to rescue the game but their rivals dug in and held on for a deserved win.
Ballinkillen had got off to a great start when a first minute attack into the scoreboard end of the ground yielded a goal for Evan Nolan. Naomh Eoin might have been shocked but they recovered well and scored the next four points through Ciaran Kavanagh, Jack Kelly (two frees) and Aodhan Keogh.
A Cian Meaney point stemmed the Naomh Eoin momentum but the Myshall side were looking strong. Ballinkillen persisted and Tomas Sheehan raised two (one free) white flags to narrow the gap to a single point on 21 minutes.
Ballinkillen coughed up a goal chance when Naomh Eoin erred in defence but Lee Maher was unlucky not to make full contact on the sliotar which flew into the side-netting.
It was a miss he was to rue as in Naomh Eoin’s next two attacks of substance, Sean Tracey scored two goals. Those brace of three-pointers had Naomh Eoin in the ascendancy when leading 2-5 to 1-3 at the break.
The start of the second half eventually set up the nerve-jangling finish with Craddock scoring a 32nd goal. Sheehan and the goal scorer added points. Now Ballinkillen sensed the comeback was on. They went ahead with a Sheehan goal towards the end of the third quarter.
The eventual winners were the better side now but any hurling game can turn in the blink of an eye. And so did this one. Not once but twice. Ballinkillen prevailed while Naomh Eoin were left to reflect on what might have been. It was all so close.
T Sheehan 1-7 (4fs), I Craddock 2-1, E Nolan 1-0, C Meaney 0-2
S Tracey 2-3 (0-3fs), D O’Neill 1-0, J Kelly 0-3, C Kavanagh 0-2 (fs), A Keogh, E Lalor 0-1 each.
Ben Kelly; Dara Nolan, Manus Murphy, Jack Regan; AJ Dooley, Ciaran O’Neill, Kyle Cummins; Charlie Byrne, Padraig O’Brien; Lee Maher, Ian Craddock, Jack Kehoe; Evan Nolan, Thomas Sheehan, Cian Meaney. Subs: Zach O’Hara for Maher (h/t), Adam Kelly for E Nolan (36), Sam Hughes for Kehoe (56).
Tristan O’Shaughnessy; Tomas Doyle, Eoghan Kavanagh, Daniel McAssey; Liam Murphy, Evan Kavanagh, Aodhan Keogh; James Kenny, Andy Jordan; Daniel O’Neill, Jack Kelly, Ciaran Kavanagh; Eamon Lalor, Sean Tracey, Ryan Carroll. Subs: Alex Carroll for E Kavanagh (43), Jack Kavanagh for Carroll (45).
Seamus Ivers (Mount Leinster Rangers).
