Oranmore-Maree 2-18

Charleville 1-15

Kevin O’Brien reports from Croke Park 

AN INSPIRED SECOND-half performance saw Oranmore-Maree pull-off a come-from-behind victory over Cork’s Charleville in the All-Ireland IHC decider.

The Galway champions trailed by seven points shortly before half-time but a tally of 1-11 from county player Niall Burke helped his team deliver the title.

They were helped in no small part by indiscipline from Charleville, who had Jack Doyle and Cathal Carroll sent-off during the second-half for off-the-ball incidents. 

Oranmore became the first club from the county to lift the All-Ireland title at this grade. Galway sides were beaten on each of their six appearances in the decider until Oranmore put that record to bed this afternoon. 

Charleville went with a 1-10 to 0-7 half-time lead but Doyle was dismissed for striking the midriff of Sean Bannon with his hurley and 14 minutes later Carroll received his marching orders for a similar incident right in front of the referee.

Jack Doyle receives a red card from Colum Cunning. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

With Gearoid McInerney driving the Galway men forward from centre-back and Burke in excellent form up front, the pendulum swung firmly in Oranmore’s favour.

Burke dispatched a goal from the penalty spot and Sean McInerney raised their second green flag in the closing stages to seal the victory.

Darragh Fitzgibbon battled a medial ligament knee injury in the build-up to this game, but he started the game on fire. Seven of his ten points arrived in the opening period as Andrew Cagney’s goal left Charleville 1-10 to 0-7 ahead at the break.

Charleville goalkeeper Cian Collins was booked early in the second-half for using an unofficial match sliotar. Up front, the Cork men struggled for scores and the scored just one from play in the second period.

At the far end, Oranmore were finding plenty of holes with Niall and Alan Burke, and Sean McInernery extremely dangerous. McInerney was hauled down for Burke’s 58th-minute penalty, which the wing-forward buried to put Oranmore three in front.

As Charleville desperately chased a late equalising goal, an Oranmore counter-attack saw McInernery net a stoppage-time three-pointer to put the icing on the cake.

Scorers for Oranmore-Maree: Niall Burke 1-11 (1-0 pen, 0-6f, 0-1 65), Sean McInerney 1-2, Alan Burke 0-2, Gearoid McInerney, Padraic Keane, Eanna Burke 0-1 each.

Scorers for Charleville: Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-10 (0-7fs, 0-1 65), Andrew Cagney 1-1, Daniel O’Flynn, Kevin O’Connor, Jack Doyle, Conor Buckley 0-1 each.

Charleville

1. Cian Collins

2. Darren Butler
3. Jack Meade
4. Finbarr Cagney

5. Alan Dennehy
6. Jack Buckley
7. Cathal Carroll

8. Jack O’Callaghan
9. Kevin O’Connor

11. Darren Casey
10. Darragh Fitzgibbon
12. Jack Doyle

13. Andrew Cagney
14. Daniel O’Flynn (C)
15. Conor Buckley

 Subs:

19. Eanna Burke for Quinn (44) 

Oranmore-Maree

1. Rory McInerney

2. Sean Bannon
3. Shane Geoghegan
4. Alan Bannon

5. Mark Hannify
6. Gearoid McInerney
7. Liam Keane

8. Niall Geoghegan
9. Rian Maher

10. Marcus Quinn
11. Alan Burke
12. Niall Burke (C)

13. Ross Malone 
14. Padraic Keane
15. Sean McInerney

Subs:

19. Eanna Burke for Quinn (44)
17. Noel Qualter for Keane (50)
18. Simon Dunne for Geoghegan (57)

Referee: Colum Canning (Antrim).