Newport hurling continues its growth with a comprehensive victory in the U17A North final

North Tipperary U17A Hurling Championship Final

Newport 3-22 

Ballina 0-14

By James Hayden 

Newport were deservedly crowned North Tipperary U17A hurling champions following a comfortable victory over an outclassed Ballina side at a sun-splashed Borris-Ileigh on Sunday afternoon last.

READ NEXT: Another Murray and Rossiter masterclass seals another Mid U17A hurling title for Durlas Óg

Despite the gulf in class between the sides, both teams served up an entertaining hour’s hurling in what was a novel pairing for a North U17 final, and the first-ever decider between the sides in either U17 grade or the former U18 minor grade.  

Newport were red hot favourites to capture the title for the first time since 2014, when, joined with Ballinahinch, they annexed the North minor title (U-18 grade) and in doing so bridged a 90-year gap since their previous title win in 1924.

Ballina, on the other hand, were seeking to land their second title inside five years, with their last title coming in 2020, but they were up against an unbeaten Newport side, who have impressed throughout this year’s championship.  

Playing with the aid of a stiff enough diagonal breeze blowing towards the Thurles Road end, Newport were quickly out of the blocks with a trio of unanswered points from Cormac Shanahan, Harry Noone and Liam McIntyre. 

Ballina managed to open their account with a third-minute Josh Moroney free before a scything Charlie Tobin run through the heart of the Ballina defence provided the dangerous Cormac Shanahan with the opportunity to rattle the Ballina net, and rattle it he did with a cracking low finish.

Newport added to their tally thanks to a sweet Oisin Kennedy free off his right-hand side before a second Josh Moroney free kept Ballina within touching distance. Ollie Roche responded in kind from a close-range free for Newport before an innocuous enough shoulder resulted in a suspected broken collar bone for Newport’s captain and talisman, Kevin Fitzpatrick.

The loss of their captain appeared to unnerve Newport for a few minutes and Ballina took advantage with Tom Russell and Sam Collins both on target from play to reduce the gap to just four points.

Newport eventually settled back into a cohesive rhythm with a brace of Ollie Roche points, the first from play and the second a well-struck free, opening up a six-point lead before Cormac Shanahan, Luke McIntyre, and Roche (free) fired the boys from the banks of the Mulcair nine points clear.

Ballina were struggling to hang on to Newport’s coat tails with further unanswered points from Charlie Tobin, Cormac Shanahan, and Ollie Roche (free) before Josh Moriarty responded with a fine point from play for the boys in blue. 

Ballina added a sixth to their tally deep in injury time thanks to a sweet Luke McKeogh strike, but they still trailed by a sizeable margin at the break, 0-6 to 1-13.

Newport emerged determined to put the game well and truly beyond Ballina’s reach, and within five minutes, they had effectively provided Ballina with an insurmountable challenge. Charlie Tobin arrowed over in the 33rd minute before a sweeping and incisive Newport attack involving Oisin Kennedy, Sean Carrig, and Charlie Tobin provided Cormac Shanahan with the opportunity to rattle the Ballina net once more, 2-14 to 0-6.

Two minutes later, the game was effectively over as a contest after a marauding Oisin Kennedy shrugged off the attentions of corner-back Fionn Coonan before unleashing a low drive past the advancing David Nolan in the Ballina goal.

Credit to Ballina, they refused to let their heads drop and responded with a brace of Josh Moriarty points on the 40-minute mark, but efforts from Colm Ryan and Charlie Tobin kept the scoreboard moving for Hugh McLoughlin’s charges.

As the game trundled towards its inevitable conclusion, Josh Moriarty provided Ballina with three further pointed frees while Colm Ryan and Ollie Roche added to Newport’s tally as they ran out convincing seventeen-point winners.

For Newport, it will be a title that will be warmly welcomed by the club following a disappointing campaign at the Intermediate level this year and will undoubtedly provide hope for the future for the ‘saffron and purple’. 

Newport: Cian Donohoe; Ronan Gaffney, Aaron Lane, Stephen O’Brien; Cathal McNamara, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Michéal Shanahan; Conor McLoughlin, Harry Noone (0-1); Oisin Kennedy (1-1), Charlie Tobin (0-3), Luke McIntyre (0-2); Colm Ryan (0-3), Cormac Shanahan (2-3), Ollie Roche (0-9, 0-6f).

Subs used: Sean Carrig for Fitzpatrick (13); Harry McKeogh for Shanahan (57); Jack Powell for Shanahan (57); Cathal Ryan for Roche (59); Eamon O’Biorogra for Colm Ryan (59).

Ballina: David Nolan; Fionn Coonan, Jack Grace, Ger McWey; Donnacha Morgan, Tadhg McKeogh, Ollis Shanahan; Stephen Bissette, Enda Tormey; Tom Russell (0-1), Josh Moroney (0-11, 0-10f), Luke McKeogh (0-1); Sam Collins (0-1), Liam Hannon, Gary Slevin.

Subs used: Quan Morgan-O’Brien for Morgan (HT); Gearoid O’Shaughnessy for Russell (45); James O’Malley for McWey (60); Cian O’Callaghan for Coonan (60).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh)

ALSO READ: McGrath injury the only concern for Loughmore after win in quality contest with Moyle Rovers