Ballygiblin (Cork) 1-16
Easkey (Sligo) 0-11
ONE OF THE quickest goals ever scored in Croke Park sent Ballygiblin on their way to AIB All-Ireland Junior club hurling glory against a valiant Easkey side.
Defeated last year by Mooncoin, Darragh Flynn’s major after just nine seconds made sure the Cork men finally made certain of glory at the second time of asking.
In the build up to that blistering opener, former AFL player and current Cork hurler Mark Keane really set the tone, scorching down the centre from the throw-in to lay off to goalscorer Flynn.
The 12 months of pent-up hurt was dissolved in that lightning start and there was more to come.
Easkey were shaken but thanks to Andrew Kilcullen were not stirred. The Sligo star responded and kept his side in touch in the final throughout.
Kilcullen and impressive Joe McHugh in fact pulled it back to three points but that was as close as it got for the Connacht men.
After the break, Joe O’Sullivan landed three scores in a row to firmly sway the contest in the way of the two time finalists.
In a one-sided finish, Cork football panelist Cathail O’Mahony also caught the eye after the break with two stunning scores near the sideline.
Scorers for Ballygiblin: Joe O’Sullivan 0-10 (5f, 165’) Darragh Flynn 1-0, Cathail O’Mahony 0-3, Shane Beston 0-2, Dean Barry 0-1.
Scorers for Easkey: Andrew Kilcullen 0-5 (3f), Joe McHugh 0-2, Rory McHugh 0-1, Mikey Gordon 0-1, Dónall Hanley 0-1 and Thomas Cawley 0-1.
Ballygiblin:
1. Christopher Noonan
2. Lorcan Finn, 3. Fionn Herlihy, 4. James Mullins
7. Micheal Lewis, 6. Mark Keane, 5. Barry Coffey
8. Ryan Donegan, 9. Killian Roche
15. Dean Barry, 10. Darragh Flynn, 12. Shane Beston
11. Joe O’Sullivan, 14. Seán O’Sullivan, 13. Cathail O’Mahony
Subs: 20. Kieran Duggan for Barry (34), 21. Dillon Sheehan for S O’Sullivan (55), 24. Patrick Molloy for Beston (60), 22. Aaron O’Brien for Roche (62), 17. Cian O’Brien for Finn (63)
Easkey:
1. Jimmy Gordon
3. James Weir, 6. Eoghan Rua McGowan, 4. Shane Molloy
5. Ronan Molloy, 9. Niall Kilcullen, 10. Rory McHugh
8. Finnian Cawley, 7. Dónall Hanley
13. Fionn Moylan, 11. Mikey Gordon, 12. Thomas Cawley
2. Fionn Connolly, 15. Joe McHugh, 14. Andrew Kilcullen
Subs: 19. Gavin Connolly for Hanley (46), 18 Éanna Moylan for Moylan (51), 17. Bernard Feeney for S Molloy (55), 22. Luke Reddy for R Molloy (61), 26. Thomas Rolston for F Cawley (64)
Referee: Caymon Flynn (St. Loman’s)
Great performances all over the pitch. Derry are showing they can now complete at the top. RAWA
@kevbo: compete
In 26 years of following pats tonight was the first time I have ever left before the end of a game even in the dark days of jeff kenna etc. But they are so hard to watch no gameplan or structure to the team the only real positives this season have been the centre halves but tonight they looked panicked and made the wrong decisions everytime getting to tight to players trying to beat players when they were the last man
@gavin cooney a very elaborate description of a mauling for pats but rather than using such fine language you should concentrate on who the players are- like it was the horrific Jack Scott who missed from six yards not joe redmond surely that’s the basis of sports journalism getting players names right