Holycross/Ballycahill retained their FBD Insurance County Under 19 A Hurling Championship title at Golden on Saturday afternoon, but they were pushed all the way by a battling St Mary’s in a pulsating final.

With the sides level deep into injury time, it took one piece of bad luck and another one of brilliance to decide the outcome.

Holycross had taken the lead for the first time in the 49th minute through substitute Audie Lohan, and then went two ahead from a long-range Robbie Ryan free.

That was still the margin after Aaron Cagney from a free and Robbie Ryan exchanged points, but St Mary’s looked poised for a famous victory when Joe Higgins from play and Cagney from another free tied the score one minute into injury time.

The Clonmel side were playing with confidence and conviction and looked the more likely to hit the winner. But they were undone when a defender fouled the ball on the ground and Robbie Ryan tapped over an easy free. In the next move, before St Mary’s could regain their composure, Ryan won possession again from the puckout and hit a brilliant insurance point.

It was heartbreak for St Mary’s, who were much the better side in the first half. Playing with the benefit of a strong breeze, they led by 1-8 to 0-4 after 21 minutes, the goal a brilliantly-worked score from Cagney after great work from Higgins and Harry Lawlor. They were still in front at the break, 1-9 to 1-5, the Holycross goal a crucial score from Jimmy Lahart when it looked like the game might be slipping from them.

Holycross were slow to get into their stride in the first half, and weren’t helped by a rising total of wides, but with Robbie Ryan eventually finding his best form in the second, they looked like a side determined to retain their title.

The mercurial Ryan hit ten points, eight from frees and two fine scores from play, with Jimmy Lahart’s 1-2 from play also crucial to the outcome. Tony Maher and Pierce Briody also impressed in attack; James Doyle was in fine form at midfield; centre back Jim Ryan was outstanding at the heart of defence, with good displays also from Liam Doyle, Cathal O’Reilly and substitute Audie Lohan.

St Mary’s will rue the late lapses that proved so costly. The least they deserved was to take the game to extra time after an outstanding team performance. Tadhg Sheehan, Darragh O’Connor and David McSweeney were rock solid in defence and Jamie O’Keeffe and Darragh Landers hurled with conviction around the centre of the park.

County minor star Aaron Cagney led the attack in sparkling fashion, accounting for all but four points of his side’s total. He was unerring from placed balls and hit 1-3 from play, with good displays also upfront from Niall Deely, Joe Higgins and Harry Lawlor.

St Mary’s opened in stunning fashion, Darragh O’Connor putting them into the lead in the first minute and Cagney points from a free and a 65 making it 0-3 to no score after four minutes. Cathal O’Reilly got the Mid side off the mark a minute later in their first attack.

But all the momentum was with the town side, and after a good Joe Higgins goal chance drifted across the goal, the green flag eventually came when Higgins was again involved, with Harry Lawlor providing the final pass for Cagney to blast home past James O’Dywer in the Holycross goal. Robbie Ryan hit back with the first of his eight frees for Holycross to make it 1-3 to 0-2, but they were struggling to make inroads against the strong breeze.

The margin was still four points, 1-5 to 0-4, midway through the half, with St Mary’s points from Harry Lawlor, after a great move from defence initiated by Thomas Charles, and another from Alex Creed, to Holycross scores from a Robbie Ryan free and Jimmy Lahart, following a great pass from Jim Ryan.

St Mary’s then hit three in a row to open up a seven-points lead, all three from the unstoppable Cagney – the first following a sharp turn and shot when under pressure, the second with quick reactions after James O’Dwyer had just pulled off a great save from a Harry Lawlor shot, and the third from a free.

Holycross needed a response before the game slipped out of their grasp. Robbie Ryan reduced the deficit from a free, and they were back in the game following sustained pressure when a Pierce Briody shot came back off the crossbar and Jimmy Lahart was first to react and tap to the net past Cian Corcoran.

Cagney hit the last point of the half from a Harry Lawlor assist, but a 1-9 to 1-5 lead was less than they deserved after a dominant first half, especially as they faced into the breeze in the second.

The second half began with a superb run from Sean Ryan through the heart of the St Mary’s defence, but his final shot didn’t match the build-up, and instead it was Cagney from a free who opened the second half scoring for St Mary’s.

However, Holycross were getting into their stride and hit three points without reply to reduce the lead to just two points, 1-10 to 1-8, by the 40th minute – two pointed frees from Robbie Ryan and a great point from play from Tony Maher.

A Cagney point from a free interrupted their flow, following a great move from defence involving David McSweeney, substitute Finn Napier and James Power.

But Holycross hit back in brilliant fashion with five in a row during a dominant spell - from James Doyle, Jimmy Lahart; a Robbie Ryan free that drew them level for the first time; a great point from substitute Audie Lohan putting them ahead for the first time; and then Ryan from a free pushing the score to 1-13 to 1-11 for the Mid side with nine minutes to go.

St Mary’s were struggling to contain the Holycross surge, but then Cagney pointed a free for their first score in ten minutes, following a foul on Higgins. Ryan from a free pushed it out to a two-points game again but St Mary’s – showing the indomitable spirit that has been a feature of their performances in the campaign – dug deep once more, and Higgins pointed from distance after taking a pass from the outstanding Tadhg Sheehan. After Cagney was wide from a sideline cut, and Higgins off-target from play, Cagney held his nerve to hit the equaliser from a free one minute into added time.

The next three minutes of injury time are ones that St Mary’s will want to forget, as one lapse of concentration, followed by a moment of brilliance from Robbie Ryan, saw their title hopes fade and the cup return to Holycross.

Holycross/Ballycahill: James O’Dwyer, Cathal O’Reilly 0-1; Evan Morris, Cian Ryan, Jack Lahart, Jim Ryan, Liam Doyle, James Doyle 0-1; Sean McGrath, Tony Maher 0-1; Sean Ryan, Jimmy Lahart 1-2; Tiarnan Ryan, Robbie Ryan, 0-10, 8 frees; Pierce Briody.

Sub: Audie Lohan 0-1 for Cian Ryan.

St Mary’s: Cian Corcoran, Max O’Dwyer, David McSweeney, Thomas Charles, Jack Lawlor, Tadhg Sheehan, Darragh O’Connor 0-1; Jamie O’Keeffe, Darragh Landers, Aaron Cagney 1-10, 6 frees, 1 ’65; Niall Deely, James Power, Joe Higgins 0-1; Alex Creed 0-1; Harry Lawlor 0-1.

Subs: Marc Corcoran for Jack Lawlor, Daniel Charles for James Power, Finn Napier for Alex Creed.

Referee: Donie Horan (Eire Óg Annacarty).

Match Report from Michael Heverin -  Nationalist Newspaper. 

As a club, we are extremely proud of our team who performed brilliantly throughout the year, just coming up short in a game we were right in contention for. Our thanks go to Richie Gunne, Michael Murphy, Gearoid Buckley and Richie Crowe for their efforts with the team, the players themselves and indeed the huge following who came out on Saturday to cheer on the team. 

Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach!