Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 1-20

Meelick-Eyrecourt 1-16

(After extra-time)

FRANK FARRAGHER IN BALLINASLOE

THERE was no dust rising from the edge of the square and the sun sat low in the heavens, but for all that backdrop of winter, this Finnerty Plant Hire intermediate county hurling final replay at Ballinasloe on Saturday was a red hot encounter between two sides of flawless character and honesty.

It mightn’t always have been open and flowing fare but if ever a game captured the parish heartbeat of the GAA then this was it . . . a parcel crammed with passion, honesty and a spirit from both sides which simply refused to die.

This was as hard and a competitive game of hurling as has been played in Galway all season with players from both sides doing everything, apart from separating body and soul, in their quest to be crowned intermediate champions and show their heads again in the big pool.

Every catch and puck of the sliotar was contested with a vigour and drive which would have done sportsmen at any level proud, and over the course of the 90 odd minutes required to draw a line between the two sides, there wasn’t a player who once pulled out of a 50-50 challenge.

For the partisan supporters in the crowd of close on 2,000, the tension cauldron had to be almost unbearable but even for the neutral observer, the sympathy pendulum oscillated from one side to the other with each passing minute.

Over the course of the normal time-span, Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry looked to have just done about enough to see them through only to be caught in the dregs of injury time when a 63rd minute Noel Kenny point from play put Meelick/Eyrecourt one in front for the first time in the match. Meelick’s timing looked to have been perfect but an epilogue was to follow.

Referee Michael Dolan still had 30 seconds to go, during which Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry launched one last attack, honed straight out of desperation and the spirit which sustained them all through the day — the sliotar broke to wing back Padraig Shiel, and from nearly 50 yards out, he drove it between the posts.

That tied the sides at 1-12 apiece as the referee blew up for full-time allowing both teams to re-charge in the dressingrooms after a 10 minute break. Meelick finished the game the stronger but Tynagh staged a miracle recovery at the death to keep the tie alive.

Eyrecourt had played with the second half breeze and continued playing the same way for the first period of extra-time but Abbey-Duniry had re-energised themselves after their last gasp equaliser. Former county and St. Raphael’s All-Ireland winner, Kevin Broderick, snapped up loose balls to shoot points at either end of the first period of extra-time with Ronan Madden also tacking on points from two frees.

Niall Lynch, Sean McCormack and the never-say-die Brendan Lucas replied for Meelick, but after playing with the breeze, they still trailed by one point, at 1-16 to 1-15, with the final segment of the game about to unfold.

A Noel Kenny point at the start of the second period of extra-time levelled the match again but that was to be the last time Eyrecourt would enjoy parity.

Broderick, although clearly hampered by a knee injury, burgled another point before Ronan Madden landed one of the scores of the match with a sideline cut from under the stand, well over 50 yards from goal. Gerry Burke put Abbey-Duniry 1-19 to 1-16 ahead before in the final two minutes Meelick-Eyrecourt secured a ‘21’ in front of the posts, after keeper Devine had saved well before being pulled by the referee for a pick-up off the ground.

The winners seemed to bring back half the parish to defend the free and Brendan Lucas’ well hit effort, caught a piece of Tynagh ash before ricocheting out for a fruitless 65 — Abbey-Duniry broke upfield and Brian Cunningham landed the insurance point from a close range free.Every score was hard earned in this tie with the goals coming in the first 11 minutes and both arrived via 20 metre frees. Ronan Madden drew first blood for Tynagh in 8th minute but three minutes later Brendan Lucas also hit the net for Eyrecourt.

The Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry half backline of Mark Gordon, Karl Kavanagh and Padraig Shiel was proving to be a major stopping point for Meelick-Eyrecourt attacks with their scoring threat confined mainly to frees from Brendan Lucas. The second quarter was a very productive one for Tynagh with Michael Dervan, Kevin Broderick, Ronan Madden, Brian Cunningham and Declan Donnelly all hitting the target, in the process steering them into a 1-8 to 1-3 interval lead.

With 12 minutes left in the match, Meelick-Eyrecourt were still four behind at 1-10 to 1-6, but three inspirational points from Brendan Lucas reduced the deficit to one, before once more Abbey-Duniry looked to have weathered the storm. A Brian Cunningham free put them 1-11 to 1-9 ahead with just four minutes left but then a magnificent point from Lucas, and a well taken effort from Niall Lynch, drew Meelick-Eyrecourt level before the late exchange of scores between Kenny and Shiel.

Extra-time told its own tale but there had be real sympathy at the end for Meelick-Eyrecourt and their manager Seamus ‘Ogie’ Moran, whose passionate sideline invocations to his young charges, also captured the heart and spirit of this match. The pain of defeat will of course hurt them deeply this week but their contribution to this sporting occasion was immense, and they can hold their heads high this week. They didn’t make it in the end, but they left blood, sweat and tears behind them in a noble quest for glory.

Damien Howe, Trevor Moran, Peter Stones, Ronan Larkin, Martin Larkin, Martin Corcoran, Niall Lynch, Noel Kenny and Trevor Moran epitomised the spirit of the side, while the scoring heroics of Brendan Lucas would have been enough on a normal day, to have him end up on the winning side.

Kevin Devine was very solid between the posts for Abbey-Duniry while Liam Hodgins, Paul Gordon, Mark Gordon, Karl Kavanagh, Padraig Shiel, Anthony Burke — who sent in some great deliveries from midfield — Ronan Madden, Kevin Broderick and Declan Donnelly all played big parts in a famous victory which brings them back into the senior ranks.

Few observers of the game would disagree with the assertion that this was undoubtedly the game of the season in Galway club hurling and despite the intensity of the exchanges, not a yellow card had to be displayed by referee Michael Dolan. This was amateur sport and the GAA at its most wholesome and endearing – both sides did themselves and their clubs proud.