Ryan Crean stars as Glen Rovers capture U16 Premier 1 Hurling Challenge Cup title

Glen Rovers 1-14 

Kiltha Óg 1-11 

An outstanding display from Ryan Crean was crucial in Glen Rovers U16 Premier 1 Hurling Challenge Cup final victory over Kiltha Óg at the Mardyke on Monday evening.

They were made fight for it in the final five minutes, when they saw their six-point lead become a three-point lead after some individual brilliance from Kiltha sharpshooter Conor Ronayne. 

He did brilliantly to win possession in a ruck, turn and bat home to the net, leaving it 1-13 to 1-10 after 55 minutes.

From there, Will Collins won the next free and Ronayne slotted over to leave Kiltha only two behind, but Crean stepped up for his seventh point from play to get Rovers three in front once more.

In the closing minutes Ronayne twice threatened to goal, first from a 61st minute free which was saved out for a 65, and Roan Kelleher – excellent all game – dropped one in that Ronayne pulled, but again he was denied by a Glen Rovers defence that would not relent.

They prevailed, deservedly.

It was their purple patch from the start that set the tone, even if the first half was finely poised. 

Glen Rovers pulled away early to lead 0-5 to 0-1 up after seven minutes, and it was that run that ensured they enjoyed the lead for the rest of the game. 

But their opponents never made it easy. Conditions at the Mardyke were dire, the rain falling relentlessly and with it every ball was fiercely contested. 

The battle for the lead in the first half came down to the placed ball takers, Ronayne spearheading for Kiltha Óg and Cillian McGuckin leading the way for the Glen. They had 0-6 and 0-4 to their names at the break.

But it was Crean who fired the Glen five in front just before the short whistle, a brilliant low finish to the net after a quick offload from Harry Quirke following Keelan Geaney’s delivery in.

That left it 1-9 to 0-7 at the break, but Kiltha had fought back well in the second quarter, Ronanyne on target three times – once from a free – while Bill Collins battled relentlessly at the back.

On the restart it was Crean once again – twice on target for the Glen – and their advantage grew to seven, 1-11 to 0-7 after 34 minutes.

Ronanye though, excellent every time with the sliotar in hand kept Kiltha in check until they found the moment to strike for goal. 

And while that would not come until the 55th minute, they made sure the Glen were forced to fight for every possession. 

Scorers for Glen Rovers: R Crean 1-7, C McGuckin 0-5 f, J O’Donovan, H Quirke 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Kiltha Óg: C Ronayne 1-10 (0-8 f), W Collins 0-1. 

GLEN ROVERS: D Hickey; C McSweeney, K Barry, K McCarthy; L Tynan, M Gale, C McCarthy; J Murray, R Crean; Z Creamer, D McCarthy Coade, K Geaney; C McGuckin, J O’Donovan, H Quirke.

Sub: M Finnegan for McGuckin (59 inj).

KILTHA ÓG: D Hayes; A Falahee, L O’Riordan, B Leahy; S Padden, R Kelleher, B Walsh; R Costigan, D Murphy; D Óg McCarthy, W Collins, T O’Brien; J Hayes, C Ronayne, B Fitzgerald.

Subs: L O’Riordan for O’Brien (33), J Forrest for Costigan (44). 

Referee: M Maher (St Finbarr’s).