This one had a bit of everything!
CENTAL CARLOW DIVISION 2 MINOR HURLING FINAL
Ballinkillen 4-10, Naomh Eoin 3-10
By Leo McGough
“The young people of to-day” said with a shake of the head by someone like the title role in ‘A man called Otto’. “Aye sure blackguards every one of them” agrees another grumpy old man. “True, no manners” nods another. “Can’t get them off their phones and their x-boxes” chimes another. “Teenage terrors” condemns the old female in the company
Tired of their moaning this grumpy old man moves away only to have the ‘pleasure’ of eavesdropping on a different conversation. “Ah the good old GAA, the Grab All Association, all they are interested in is money, money and more money” says a pint swilling bear-bellied middle-aged man sporting a jersey of a cross channel soccer team. “Exactly” agrees his friend, wearing a Munster rugby jersey even though he lived all his life in Leinster and was never at an actual rugby match, not even in Tullow’s Blackgates or Carlow’s Oak Park, this rugby alikadoo adding, “look at how the oval ball guys can fill Croke Park but what a pity those GAA robbers get a share of the money from it and they stoppung the people who paid good money to get in from bringing alcoholic drink out to their seats, clowns.”
This grumpy old man, content that where ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to be wise, moved on again, seeking pastures new and what better pasture than the County Grounds for the Carlow Minor Hurling finals, the Division 2 final due to throw-in at 6.30 ….
Fast forward 45 minutes or so, forward to the closing quarter of that Division 2 final where standing in splendid isolation beneath the old Press Box on the Dr Cullen Park terrace this grumpy old man experienced an epiphany of such emotional force that he just shook his head in complete awe of what the young people of today and the Gaelic Athletic Association combined can produce day after day, week after week, year after year, going right back to the foundation 140 years ago.
Ballinkillen and Myshall’s Naomh Eoin, near neighbours, were beneath the county ground floodlights engaged in a mighty battle for Minor B honours, the skill on show superb, but the heart, the guts, the bravery of these U-18s (and some U-16’s) was exceptional, warriors one and all.
Every block, every hook, every tackle was cheered to the echo, not to mention the scores that saw the lead change hands in the closing minutes as the verdict hung in the balance. It was the combination of this bravery and cheering that caused the epiphany …
Epiphany is defined as a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization and as that last quarter ebbed and flowed it was the realization of what this hurling match meant to every single player on the field, every sub, every mentor, every parent and guardian in the stand and on the terrace, every old club stalwart, every young Primary School kid. Everyone was totally invested in the game, even the quietest person promoted to shout and roar. It was a lovely, lovely moment, a sort of renewal of vows with the game we have loved all our lives. Keep your corporate boxes, your once-a-year All-Ireland event-junkies, give me a club game down the country with the honour of the little village is at stake and I’m in hurling heaven. I was in hurling heaven last Monday night and if Ballinkillen went up the steps of the Tommy Lennon Stand to collect the Cup then Naomh Eoin can console themselves in playing their part in a memorable contest.
Inside 30 seconds of the throw-in Naomh Eoin had goal-chance that ended in the side-netting, then 30 seconds later Ballinkillen had a goal chance that located the inside of the net, alert Evan Nolan applying finish from close range after a high ball was kept in play by an outstretched stick. Myshall then reeled off four points in a row to take the lead, Ciaran Kavanagh, Jack Kelly (2 frees) and Aodhn Keogh (a marvellous long range strike in the 15th minute) the flag-raisers. Ballinkillen captain Cian Kenny levelled at the end of the first quarter, the lead up to this score involving beautiful control on a high ball by Kyle Cummins and we were marvelling again a minute later when diminutive Myshall raider Eamonn Lawler rifled over a majestic point from the stand side-line before Thomas Sheehan, the scoring hero of Ballinkillen’s U-16 ‘B’ final win converted two frees, one from half way to give his side a 1-3 to 0-5 advantage by the 22nd minute.
Then enter centre stage Myshall full-forward Sean Treacy, wearing No 14, who netted twice in a minute, the first a great catch and strike goal after Ryan Carroll had crossed the ball into the danger area, the assist to the second down to Daniel O’Neill whose cross was again gathered by Treacy who took delight in again rattling the Deerpark end net. 2-5 to 1-3 then at half-time, Treacy opened the second half scoring with a point and suddenly it was a double-scores game. Not for long. Within 2 minutes of the restart Ian Craddock had pilfered a Ballinkillen goal and he and Sheehan sniped points to leave it 2-6 to 2-5 before Treacy pointed a Myshall free after the Ballinkillen goalkeeper Ben Kelly brought off a great save to deny Jack Kelly. The lead changed hands in the 40th minute when Thomas Sheehan was quickest to react when a long free broke in the square and he first time to the net. 3-5 to 2-7.
The Myshall goalie Tristan O’Shaughnessy brought off a great save to deny Jack Kehoe in the 41st minute , Sheehan pointed another free in the 47th, Cian Meaney pounced for his second point in the 48th to put his side 3-7 to 2-7 in front, free-takers Treacy (close range) and Kelly (long range) register Myshall points in 49th and 50th minutes, Thomas Sheehan replies with two of his own, one from play, one from a free, the one from play from the Oak Park terrace wing just sneaking inside the near post. 3-9 to 2-9, 56 minutes on the electronic scoreboard. Ciaran Kavanagh points for Myshall, leaving Ballinkillen with that ‘dangerous’ two point lead.
The decibel levels, already high, go even higher as Daniel O’Neill puts the ball in the Ballinkillen net and the lead for Myshall, maybe the title for Myshall. Wait, Ballinkillen’s long puck out yields a free maybe 90m out. Pressure? What pressure? Thomas Sheehan pilots it over to a cacophony of nose, level again 3-10 apiece, 61 minutes on the clock extra-time surely ..
Wait, here come Ballinkillen again, a long ball into the square, a mass of bodies go for the ‘break’, one is No 11 Ian Craddock …
‘Whip’ this grumpy old man would have roared in his coaching days. But sure ‘the young people of today don’t play any ground hurling, sure the young people of today are always on their phones, wouldn’t have practiced the skill, teenage terrors one and all …
Ian whips, let’s fly first time on the rolling ground ball and sends the sliotar sizzling to the net, what a perfect finish to a mighty match.
Thank you lads, thank you for a wonderful night’s entertainment, you don’t reach attain that level of skill or fitness without a lot of hard work and dedication, without listening to and respecting your mentors, keep it up, be proud of your generation, upholders of the hurling flame.
Ballinkillen: Ben Kelly; Dara Nolan, Manus Murphy, Jack Regan; Kyle Cummins, Ciarán O’Neill, AJ Dooley; Charlie Byrne, Padraig O’Brien; Jack Kehoe, Ian Craddock 2-1, Lee Maher; Cian Meaney (Capt) 0-2, Thomas Sheehan 1-7 0-6f, Evan Nolan 1-0. Subs: Zach O’Hara for Maher (h-t), Adam Kelly for E Nolan (36), Sam Hughes for Kehoe (56)
Naomh Eoin: Tristan O’Shaughnessy; Tomás Doyle, Eoghan Kavanagh, Daniel McAsssey; Liam Murphy, Evan Kavanagh, Aodhan Keogh 0-1; James Kenny, Andy Jordan; Ciaran Kavanagh 0-1, Jack Kelly 0-4 3f, Daniel O’Neill 1-0; Ryan Carroll, Sean Treacy 2-3 0-2f, Eamon Lalor 0-1 Subs: Alex Carroll for E Kavanagh (43), Jack Kavanagh for R Carroll (45)
Referee: Seamus Ivers (Mount Leinster Rangers)
