A good year at underage hurling for the Holycross/Ballycahill GAA Club got a whole lot better with a fairly comprehensive eight points victory over Clonmel side St Mary’s in the FBD Insurance County U19A Hurling Championship Final played at Bansha on Sunday afternoon.

Already 2022 county champions at under 17 grade, the Holycross/Ballycahill under 19s had too much skill, craft and hurling nous for the South champions who, while they battled gamely all through, never looked likely winners, the more so as the game progressed in the second half.

A young Holycross team, with 10 players from the under 17 team starting, came to Bansha with a big reputation and the weight of favouritism to carry and ultimately they didn’t disappoint their followers in the over-flowing John Moloney Stand.

Only once were they headed all day long - the very first point of the game going St Mary’s way - and while Holycross led by just a single point at half-time having played into a stiff breeze, the Mid side commanded the second period and never looked like being denied their magnificent underage double.

Within the first six minutes of the start of the second half they hit three unanswered points to give themselves breathing space and they maintained that advantage for the remainder of the game. They were still five up with two minutes to go when the game’s only goal arrived. 

Robbie Ryan was Holycross’s tormentor-in-chief all day long and intelligently he picked out Audie Lohan with a superb pass on the edge of the square. Lohan might have needed two bites of the cherry to beat a combined goalie/defenders block, but when his effort billowed the back of the net the cup was going nowhere else only to the Abbey side village.

Just 16 seconds after the throw-in St Mary’s took the lead for their only time in the hour, a well-taken point from wing-forward and captain Dean Cagney. But soon the well-flagged threat of Robbie Ryan, starting at corner-forward for the Mid side, was clear to see. He sent over a free from the sideline at half-way in the third minute and then added two from play within 30 seconds of each other, off the right and off the left, for a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after four minutes.

There was much to admire in the brand of hurling coming from the young Mid side, long crossfield passes and a coolness when space presented itself to look up and find a better placed team mate, and their next two points came from such moves, James Doyle and Jimmy Lahart pointing for a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage after 13 minutes. Having failed to score with the wind since the opening few seconds, Peter McGarry landed a long-range free for the Clonmel side in the 15th minute, to which the impressive Holycross midfielder Tadgh Gould responded almost immediately from 45 metres out.

The Clonmel side were beginning to figure out their opponents better and had the next three scores from play, unanswered, with Shane Ryan hitting two excellent points under pressure from a tight defence, and the other from Anthony Keeley in the 23rd minute to put them within one of their opponents. Robbie Ryan with his fourth of the first half stemmed the tide briefly, but full credit to the southerners, they were soon back to parity, after Peter McGarry from play and a Ruairí Leahy free tied it all up at 0-7 apiece in the 27th minute.

But even-steven didn’t last long, within 30 seconds wing-back Liam Doyle hit a huge point into the wind from half-way and the Mid men doubled that advantage to two when their captain, the hard-working David Fogarty, pointed. The last score of an entertaining first half was another Ruairí Leahy free after a defender overcarried and so at the break Holycross/Ballycahill led by the minimum at 0-8 to 0-7 with the advantage of the strong breeze to come for them in the second period.

Within seconds of the restart ‘The Marys’ had a great chance to equalise but missed it and they weren’t to get that opportunity again as within six minutes the advantage was out to four with two Robbie Ryan frees followed by a point on the run from wing-forward Jimmy Lahart, but to their credit all day long, the Clonmel side gave everything and tried desperately to hang in, a free from Peter McGarry, and his third point of the day from play from Shane Ryan, left Holycross ahead by just two, 0-12 to 0-10, ten minutes into the second half.

Four of the next five went the way of Holycross, from Tadgh Gould and a real battling hard-earned effort from David Fogarty quickly stretching the lead to four before Peter McGarry hit another long range free. By the three quarters mark the margin was out to five points after Robbie Ryan raised another white flag from a tight angle and then sent over a free. As the game was developing it seemed the hopes of the Clonmel side were slowly dissipating. 

Anthony Keely, who put in a great shift, pointed in the 48th minute but there was no way Holycross were going to allow any momentum to build up against them and once more Tadgh Gould came up trumps with his third point of the day.

It was then point for point over the next eight minutes, two McGarry frees for St Mary’s nullified by an excellent point from play by James Doyle and a long range Jim Ryan free from well inside his own 65 metre line.

Already five points up and looking well on their way, the game-clinching goal for Holycross/Ballycahill arrived in the 58th minute with Audie Lohan doing the damage after being picked out by Robbie Ryan on the left wing. The last few minutes were played out with another pair of points apiece shared.

Holycross went all of nine up with another monster long-range Jim Ryan free, with the honest Peter McGarry replying from halfway from play. And Holycross/Ballycahill’s final score of the day was a hugely-deserved point in the 60th minute by wing-back Toby Lambe who put in a magnificent day’s work for the winners. Peter McGarry, with a sideline cut from 30 metres out, concluded the scoring.

Overall it was a very entertaining game and it looks like Holycross/Ballycahill have a fine crop of young hurlers developing that will give the club much promise for the future.

The skill of the players and the brand of hurling they were attempting to play at times almost belied their youth. It looks like they have everything to build on with this squad, talent in abundance, and a combination of excellent stickmen with determination all round. 

As a unit the back six were excellent with the half-back line of Liam Doyle, Jim Ryan and Toby Lambe in particular impressing. Joe Caesar and Tadgh Gould in midfield, aided at times by James Doyle, combined well, while in the forwards Jimmy Lahart, David Fogarty and the superb Robbie Doyle stood out. But in all fairness this was a mighty team effort from goalkeeper James O’Dwyer up to Audie Lohan.

Having battled to overcome Roscrea in extra-time in the semi-final a week previously, this will be a big disappointment to the Clonmel boys. But that club’s boat is rising too and in the likes of the stand-out James Morris at centre-back, the midfield pairing of Tadgh Sheehan and Anthony Keely, and sharp shooters Peter McGarry and Shane Ryan they have plenty material to develop also for days ahead. Darragh Landers also made an impression when he came on.

TEAMS AND SCORERS:

Holycross/Ballycahill: James O’Dwyer, Jack Lahart, Evan Morris, Seanie McGrath, Liam Doyle (0-1), Jim Ryan (0-2F), Toby Lambe (0-1), Joe Caesar, Tadgh Gould (0-3), James Doyle (0-2), Eoin Craddock, Jimmy Lahart (0-2), Robbie Ryan (0-8, 0-4F), David Fogarty (0-2), Audie Lohan (1-0). Subs: Rory Fleming for Jack Lahart (58th minute); Aidan Ryan for Jimmy Lahart (59); Lee Ferncombe for J. Doyle (60); Conor O’Sullivan for L. Doyle ((60+2)

St Mary’s: Adam Brannigan, Oisin Power, Ross Slattery, Conor Guiry, Darragh O’Connor, James Morris, Jake Murray, Tadgh Sheehan, Anthony Keely (0-2), Dean Cagney (capt., 0-1), Peter McGarry (0-7, 0-4F), Shane Ryan (0-3), Alex McSherry, Ruairí Leahy (0-3F), Oisin Forristal. Subs: Darragh Landers for Guiry (38th minute); James Power for McSherry (54); Conor Parker for Forristal (55).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers).

Match report by Jeddy Walsh - Nationalist.