THERE WERE 12 seconds gone in this afternoon’s AIB All-Ireland IHC final when Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry centre-back David Jordan strode forward to hoover up the first breaking ball of the afternoon and strike it between the uprights to open the scoring and lay down a marker of intent for the underdogs from South Galway.
There were 12 seconds left when the last breaking ball of the game saw the sliotar deflect off Shane Fitzpatrick’s hurl perfectly for Seán Desmond, and the rangy attacker was left with 35 yards of open country and just Brendan Lynch to beat. With the scores level, there must have been a temptation to just tap the ball over the bar and pray for Colm McDonald to blow his final whistle, but instead he saw enough space inside Lynch’s near post and duly sent the net dancing and sent plenty of Watergrasshill supporters dancing too.
It was a victory that most pundits expected before a ball was pucked, and that looked inevitable at half-time, when Watergrasshill led by four and arguably should have been even further in front.
Kevin Moloney added another classy point for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry who moved 0-4 to 0-1 ahead with six minutes played, but the rest of the first half was all about the North Cork club.
Seán Desmond and Adam Murphy were outstanding along the spine of their attack, picking off some majestic points. Murphy also struck a goal while Garry McHugo did brilliantly to deny Brendan Lehane another green flag, but the pressure continued to mount at the Davin End.
It fell to Paul Killeen to stride forward and split the uprights against the run of play before half-time to make it 1-8 to 0-7, leaving a little chink of light for Mattie Kenny’s side.
Whatever the former Galway and Dublin county manager said to his home club men at the interval, it worked. They dialled up the intensity and fervour in defence, they got much more pressure on Watergrasshill players in possession, and their attacking strategy for the third quarter was simple – find a way to get Shane Moloney on the ball in a position to shoot.
In the third quarter, Moloney shot six points the other 29 players on the field struck one between them, that from Murphy after he blocked down a Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry clearance.
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In fact, such was Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s dependence on Moloney that it wasn’t until the 49th minute, when Ben Moran pointed a free from out on the Hogan Stand sideline, that any of the starting six forwards for the Connacht champions had a shot on goal.
Moran quickly made up for lost time however, tacking on four points in the closing stages, including a memorable equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time.
By that stage of the game, Watergrasshill had found their feet again. Murphy was devastating from open play but he did miss three scorable dead ball chances, however at least the opportunities were being created and he – along with Desmond and Dylan Roche, got the scores that left the contest so delicately poised.
It all then came down to three long balls in the last 90 seconds. Shane Moloney sent a sideline cut in from 55 metres out, but Aiden Foley pulled it down and effected the clearance. Shane Field then dealt with the next Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry long delivery, and when he played the ball to Anthony Cronin and the midfielder sent his skyscraper pass in towards Desmond, the final chapter in the story of a magical year for Watergrasshill was about to be written.
Scorers for Watergrasshill: Adam Murphy 1-8 (0-2f, 0-1 65), Seán Desmond 1-3, Anthony Cronin 0-1, Brendan Lehane 0-1, Pádraig O’Leary 0-1, Dylan Roche 0-1.
Scorers for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry: Shane Moloney 0-10 (0-4f, 0-1 sideline), Ben Moran 0-4 (0-2f), David Jordan 0-1, Kevin Moloney 0-1, Paul Killeen 0-1, Niall Moloney 0-1.
WATERGRASSHILL
1 Aiden Foley
2 Shane Field, 3 Dylan McCarthy, 4 Ian O’Callaghan
9 Aaron Spriggs, 6 Daire O’Leary, 7 Kevin O’Neill
8 Anthony Cronin, 10 Shane O’Regan
12 Ciarán O’Leary, 14 Seán Desmond, 19 Liam Foley
13 Brendan Lehane, 11 Adam Murphy, 15 Pádraig O’Leary
Subs: Dylan Roche for Foley (46), Patrick Cronin for Spriggs (49), James McCarthy for O’Leary (60)
TYNAGH/ABBEY-DUNIRY
1 Brendan Lynch
3 Garry McHugo, 17 Micheál Power, 2 John Whelan
7 Shane Fitzpatrick, 5 David Jordan, 4 Kevin Moloney
12 Shane Moloney, 6 Paul Killeen
9 Ben Moran, 8 Johnny Conroy, 10 Niall Moloney
11 Pádraig Breheny, 15 John Dervan, 13 Conor Jordan
Subs: Patrick McHugo for Power (30-30+2, temp), Niall Quirke for Jordan (53).
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Desmond the late hero as Watergrasshill claim Intermediate glory
Watergrasshill 2-15
Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-18
Kevin Egan reports from Croke Park
THERE WERE 12 seconds gone in this afternoon’s AIB All-Ireland IHC final when Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry centre-back David Jordan strode forward to hoover up the first breaking ball of the afternoon and strike it between the uprights to open the scoring and lay down a marker of intent for the underdogs from South Galway.
There were 12 seconds left when the last breaking ball of the game saw the sliotar deflect off Shane Fitzpatrick’s hurl perfectly for Seán Desmond, and the rangy attacker was left with 35 yards of open country and just Brendan Lynch to beat. With the scores level, there must have been a temptation to just tap the ball over the bar and pray for Colm McDonald to blow his final whistle, but instead he saw enough space inside Lynch’s near post and duly sent the net dancing and sent plenty of Watergrasshill supporters dancing too.
It was a victory that most pundits expected before a ball was pucked, and that looked inevitable at half-time, when Watergrasshill led by four and arguably should have been even further in front.
Kevin Moloney added another classy point for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry who moved 0-4 to 0-1 ahead with six minutes played, but the rest of the first half was all about the North Cork club.
Seán Desmond and Adam Murphy were outstanding along the spine of their attack, picking off some majestic points. Murphy also struck a goal while Garry McHugo did brilliantly to deny Brendan Lehane another green flag, but the pressure continued to mount at the Davin End.
It fell to Paul Killeen to stride forward and split the uprights against the run of play before half-time to make it 1-8 to 0-7, leaving a little chink of light for Mattie Kenny’s side.
Whatever the former Galway and Dublin county manager said to his home club men at the interval, it worked. They dialled up the intensity and fervour in defence, they got much more pressure on Watergrasshill players in possession, and their attacking strategy for the third quarter was simple – find a way to get Shane Moloney on the ball in a position to shoot.
In the third quarter, Moloney shot six points the other 29 players on the field struck one between them, that from Murphy after he blocked down a Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry clearance.
In fact, such was Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s dependence on Moloney that it wasn’t until the 49th minute, when Ben Moran pointed a free from out on the Hogan Stand sideline, that any of the starting six forwards for the Connacht champions had a shot on goal.
Moran quickly made up for lost time however, tacking on four points in the closing stages, including a memorable equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time.
By that stage of the game, Watergrasshill had found their feet again. Murphy was devastating from open play but he did miss three scorable dead ball chances, however at least the opportunities were being created and he – along with Desmond and Dylan Roche, got the scores that left the contest so delicately poised.
It all then came down to three long balls in the last 90 seconds. Shane Moloney sent a sideline cut in from 55 metres out, but Aiden Foley pulled it down and effected the clearance. Shane Field then dealt with the next Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry long delivery, and when he played the ball to Anthony Cronin and the midfielder sent his skyscraper pass in towards Desmond, the final chapter in the story of a magical year for Watergrasshill was about to be written.
Scorers for Watergrasshill: Adam Murphy 1-8 (0-2f, 0-1 65), Seán Desmond 1-3, Anthony Cronin 0-1, Brendan Lehane 0-1, Pádraig O’Leary 0-1, Dylan Roche 0-1.
Scorers for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry: Shane Moloney 0-10 (0-4f, 0-1 sideline), Ben Moran 0-4 (0-2f), David Jordan 0-1, Kevin Moloney 0-1, Paul Killeen 0-1, Niall Moloney 0-1.
WATERGRASSHILL
1 Aiden Foley
2 Shane Field, 3 Dylan McCarthy, 4 Ian O’Callaghan
9 Aaron Spriggs, 6 Daire O’Leary, 7 Kevin O’Neill
8 Anthony Cronin, 10 Shane O’Regan
12 Ciarán O’Leary, 14 Seán Desmond, 19 Liam Foley
13 Brendan Lehane, 11 Adam Murphy, 15 Pádraig O’Leary
Subs: Dylan Roche for Foley (46), Patrick Cronin for Spriggs (49), James McCarthy for O’Leary (60)
TYNAGH/ABBEY-DUNIRY
1 Brendan Lynch
3 Garry McHugo, 17 Micheál Power, 2 John Whelan
7 Shane Fitzpatrick, 5 David Jordan, 4 Kevin Moloney
12 Shane Moloney, 6 Paul Killeen
9 Ben Moran, 8 Johnny Conroy, 10 Niall Moloney
11 Pádraig Breheny, 15 John Dervan, 13 Conor Jordan
Subs: Patrick McHugo for Power (30-30+2, temp), Niall Quirke for Jordan (53).
Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim)
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