Ballinora seal first P1 U16 Hurling Championship title in style with late flurry against Ballyhea/Milford
Charlie Lynch, younger brother of Ballinora corner forward Jamie Lynch clasps the cup as Ballinora celebrate their victory over Ballyhea Milford in Rebel Óg U-16 Premier 1 Hurling Final. Picture by Noel Sweeney
Oh, so sweet for Ballinora.
A first ever Premier 1 U16 Hurling Championship title, and one they were forced to work for all the way, both in this decider on Monday evening and across the championship this year.
The scoreline doesn’t reflect how finely poised this one was. But in the closing 10 minutes, Ballinora kept their cool and kept tacking on the scores, leaving Ballyhea/Milford to watch their fairytale finish fade away.
The gap at the interval here in the Mardyke had been three points. It was three still – Ballinora in front – right until the 47th minute, when they found their moment.
Fionn Murphy – who was without a doubt the best player on the evening – fired in a ball from deep that broke for Donagh Conway, and he was there to smash home and leave it 2-12 to 2-6.
Ronan Hayes cut the deficit back to four with a couple of frees for the north Cork amalgamation, but they needed goals.
And, unfortunately for Ballyhea/Milford, there would be no stopping the last Ballinora burst. Peter Kelly teed up Billy Mehigan for one. Then Mehigan sent one over from an outrageous angle out wide.
Then Fionn Murphy popped up with his third from play at centre-back, before Conway rounded out Ballinora's scoring with a flick to intercept Ballyhea/Milford goalkeeper Páraic Crowley and send it over the bar.
By now, their lead had swelled to eight. Ballinora would not be caught. Redemption for those who lined out in last year’s U16 semi-final. The job finished after bringing down Ballincollig in this year’s semi.
It was a gut-wrenching end for Ballyhea/Milford, they had been excellent this year and were the one side to scalp Ballinora in the group stages.
They had started superbly too, Ronan Hayes catching out everyone with a thunderbolt from a close-range free to the net after six minutes. Finn Curtin tacked on another, and that put the north Cork side 1-2 to 0-1 ahead with seven played.
Ballinora responded well to the goal, Billy Mehigan (two points, one free) and Donagh Conway hit the other to leave the gap at one. Then in the 15th minute, Ballinora nudged in front.
Fionn Murphy sent one in from deep, it skipped through several Ballyhea/Milford shirts and found Jamie Lynch. He picked, carried and buried across goal.
Immediately though, their one-point lead was wiped out. Within 40 seconds Finn Curtin was through at the other end to get the north Cork side back on top, 2-3 to 1-4 with 15 played.
From there though, Ballinora chipped away until they had wrestled control.
Lynch was electric, Mehigan jabbed away with placed balls, and their lead stood at 1-10 to 2-4 going in at the break.
Ballyhea/Milford started the second period well, but white flags were sparsely found. Hayes slotted over a free he had done well to win and Curtin slotted over another good point, but once Conway netted Ballinora’s second major, it started to slip away.
And so, Ballinora made history.
B Mehigan 0-7 (0-3 f, 0-1 65), D Conway, J Lynch 1-2 each, F Murphy 0-3, D O’Mahony, J O’Riordan 0-1 each.
R Hayes 1-7 (1-5 f, 0-1 65), F Curtin 1-2.
C O’Mahony, D Lynch, C Noonan, P Kelly; D Fenton, F Murphy, C Murphy; D O’Mahony, P O’Mahony; B Murphy, B Mehigan, K O’Mahony; J Lynch, D Conway, J O’Riordan.
P Crowley; D Daly, L Hogenes, F Riordan; E Broderick, B Ronan, P O’Brien; M O’Riordan, F Curtin; P Sexton, R Hayes, O Geary; J Larkin, H O’Connor, J Ronan.
R Manning for Daly (HT), M Collins for O’Connor (43-46 temp), Collins for Geary (55).
T Cooper (Bishopstown)
App?
