Minor glory as Éire Óg Corra Choill leave it late
Éire Óg Corra Choill joint captains Simon Connolly and Donnchadh Fitzpatrick receive the Minor B Hurling trophy from Kildare GAA treasurer Alan Dunney Photo: Sean Brilly
Éire Óg Corra Choill edged out Clane in a thrilling Future Ticketing Minor B Hurling Championship Final at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday afternoon.
When Callum Durnin’s free for Clane three minutes from full-time levelled matters the game seemed set for extra-time and no one in the ground would have quibbled with that given the high standard fare on offer over the hour.
But when man-of-the-match Oisín Curran was fouled in front of the posts, Rian Curran converted the free and in the first minute of injury time wing forward Donnchadh Fitzpatrick landed a beauty from near the left sideline, 65 metres out from the post, to put the seal on a hard-earned victory for the men from Caragh and Prosperous.
An entertaining and even first half saw Éire Óg draw first blood inside the opening minute through a Fitzpatrick point from play, but Clane settled well and freetaker Durnin landed three points to put them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead inside nine minutes.
That advantage could have been greater had EOCC goalkeeper Cillian Hennessy not denied Cian Muldoon from point blank range and three frees from Fitzpatrick helped the winners to level at four points apiece after thirteen minutes.
That set the tone for the remainder of the half with the sides trading points evenly. Aidan Maddock put Clane ahead before Simon Connolly replied for EOCC and full-forward Rian Curran sent the winners into the lead for the first time since Fitzpatrick’s opening score.
Niall Vizzard, a lively and dangerous corner forward for Clane, levelled the game at 0-6 apiece before his ‘keeper Jack O’Dea made a telling deflection to deny Rian Curran a goal from close range. Points from Curran and Fitzpatrick sandwiched two from Maddock and Durnin as the sides went in level at 0-8 apiece.
Éire Óg flew out of the traps after the interval outscoring their opponents six points, all from play, to one from Clane in the first eleven minutes. Conor Crowley started that run with Oisín Curran adding three and centre back Oisín McAfee and Rory Cooke registered singles with Clane only managing a Jack Doran single.
Clane recovered, to their credit, and a Durnin free and another Doran point from play got them back within three before Durnin blazed over from close range with the goal at his mercy.
It was all Clane at that stage and they got in for what looked like the game’s crucial score when Charlie Doran put Maddock through and his deft touch beat Hennessy for the only goal with twelve minutes remaining.
Fitzpatrick levelled with a close range free but with the game ebbing back and forth, Vizzard broke free from a tangle of legs to put Clane 1-13 to 0-15 ahead with eight minutes left. Again, Éire Óg came back and two close range frees from Rian Curran saw them ahead again before Durnin’s equaliser. But the men in maroon and yellow had a couple more tricks up their sleeve and those late points from Curran and Fitzpatrick saw them home.
Cillian Hennessy; TJ Carr, Oisin Dwane, Fionn Hamill; Rian Cramer, Oisin McAfee 0-1, Rian Duane; Morgan Dunne, Rory Cooke 0-1; Donnchadh Fitzpatrick 0-7 (5fs), Simon Connolly 0-1, Conor Crowley 0-1; Rory Thompson, Rian Curran 0-5 (3fs), Oisin Curran 0-3.
Alex Shields for Hamill 39, Eanna O’Shaughnessy for Connolly 48, Ben Brennan for Thompson 54.
Jack O’Dea; Devan O’Neill, Dylan McBride, Dan Connell; Adam Corbett, Eoghan Little, Rory Maguire; Joseph Finn, Charlie Doran 0-1; Aidan Maddock 1-2, Callum Durnin 0-7 (3fs), Jack Doran 0-2; Adam Conway, Cian Muldoon, Niall Vizzard 0-2.
Barry Delaney for Muldoon 43, Callum Fogarty for O’Neill 55.
Niall Colgan.
