Borris-Ileigh end 25-year wait to win U21A hurling crown at Kiladangan's expense

North Tipperary U21A Hurling Championship Final

Borris-Ileigh 1-20

Kiladangan 2-15 AET

Borris-Ileigh managed to come good deep in second half extra time as they eventually downed a gargantuan Kiladangan comeback in the second half of normal time in an fantastic contest in Templederry earlier today.

Eddie Ryan was in impeccable form all day and was a man on a mission from early in the game, with his first half goal a really classy finish in the 13th minute and that helped give his side a comfortable and deserved lead at 1-8 to 0-5 at the break, with Kiladangan struggling to lay a glove on their opponents.

But, as is always the case with Kiladangan teams in finals, they are never easily beaten and with a few positional changes they fought their way back into the game through a pair of Sean Hayes goals at either end of the second 30 minutes, and with a point in it with time nearly up, Conor Byrne stitched a phenomenal sideline cut with his side on their last legs to force extra time.

However, Borris-Ileigh’s greater experience and composure won the day in extra time, with points from Dan Ryan, the brilliant Eddie Ryan, and captain JD Devaney taking the game away from Kiladangan who had no answer late on.

Coming into this game as firm favourites after defeating their final opponents well earlier in the championship, Borris were the tag of hot favourites well in the opening quarter of the game, answering Conor Byrne’s opening score in the second minute to take the lead through points from Eddie Ryan (free) and a booming effort from Colm Boyle on the run from deep.

Sean Hayes levelled the game in a pretty even first ten minutes with a well taken point from play, but Borris owned the next ten minutes of play as they reeled off 1-4 without reply up to the 18 minute mark with a first coming from JD Devaney along with three Eddie Ryan frees, with Ryan’s goal coming in the 13th minute, breaking onto possession in behind the 21 before giving the faintest of dummies coming in on goal before flashing the ball to the top corner off his right.

Kiladangan were yet to get into any groove in their forward division and were simultaneously taking on water at the back, but Darragh Butler did manage to stop that sequence of Borris scores with a good score off the back foot a few minutes later, but it didn’t change the direction the game was going in, as Borris extended their lead to eight points with two further points from Sam Patton and Eddie Ryan by the 25th minute.

The match was in danger of getting away from Kiladangan fast, and to their credit they battle hard for the last eight or so minutes of the half to pull it back to six points after placed balls from Shane Gleeson and Conor Byrne to leave it 1-8 to 0-5 to Borris at half time.

A big upturn in performance would be needed for the reigning north champions to get back into contention, and that’s what they got when, despite conceding the first score of the half from a JD Devaney point, their talisman Sean Hayes got his first chance to run at the Borris goal and he made no mistake from 25 yards out to power a low effort to the net for a big score in the context of the game.

That made it a four point game and with a few positional changes at the break, Kiladangan began to find their way into the game slowly but surely, and they hadn’t long to wait after that goal before their next score, with half time substitute Noel Gleeson making an instant impact by dispossessing Kevin Maher before pointing the breaking ball a minute after Hayes’ goal.

Borris were slightly stunned by that quick purple patch from their final opponents, but it was the impressive Eddie Ryan who once again stood up to be counted with a well taken score from distance in the 35th minute.

The intensity of the game went up significantly from the first half though, as Kiladangan were ready to fight to the bitter end in this game, and they had another two scores in succession in the next few minutes, coming from a Shane Gleeson free and a second of the day from Darragh Butler whose move to the half forward line was causing problems for Borris.

Once again though, it was Eddie Ryan steadying the Borris ship with two points of his own up to the 41st minute but Kiladangan were now finding space to get scores and by the 51st minute, there was only a single point in it with three points in a row in a dominant ten minute period through Shane Gleeson frees put the game in the melting pot.

However, it was the same pattern emerging time and again when Kiladangan got the tails up, with Eddie Ryan along with help from team captain JD Devaney finding vital scores from play to push it back out to three points by the 55th minute, as that looked like it might be enough to see it out for Borris.

But the drama was far from concluding, with the equalising second goal for Kiladangan coming two minutes later, after goalkeeper Paul Seymour was deployed out the field, he sent a cross field ball inside the Borris 45 for Shane Gleeson who linked up with Darragh Butler to set Sean Hayes in on goa once again and the senior star made no mistake to bury his effort and draw the match with a fistful of minutes to be played.

It looked like Borris had found the winning score in added time though, after Mikey Kennedy manufactured a late free for Eddie Ryan to fire over from midfield, but Kiladangan fashioned one more chance, as Conor Byrne lined up a sideline down near the ballwall 45 and he produced an unbelievable sideline considering the conditions, as it flirted with the far post but managed to sneak in and over the bar to send the match to extra time at 2-12 to 1-15.

Extra time ensued and the nerves of the two teams was becoming evident in the first five minutes, but it was Kiladangan who struck first to take the lead for the first time since the opening point of the match, with Sean Hayes producing a lovely piece of interplay to set up Shane Gleeson to fire over a beauty off his left after five minutes of play.

Borris didn’t let that turnaround ruffle them too badly though and they had managed to regain the lead by half time in extra time, once again through Eddie Ryan who mopped up two free opportunities in the last few minutes before the break to give them a slender one point lead.

It was all to play for as the tension was palpable in Templederry, which became even more strenuous when Shane Gleeson’s pointed free in the third minute of the second half levelled the game once again, and it was going to be a photo finish at the rate it was travelling between these sides.

But it was a moment of real ingenuity that got Borris-Ileigh into the ascendency two minutes later, when a speculative long range Kevin Maher free landed inside the 21 and the injured figure of Dan Ryan managed to get his hurley to the dropping ball and send the ball flying over the bar to give Borris a precious lead once again.

That score seemed to be the shove on Borris needed and from here they saw out the game with the familiar figures of Eddie Ryan and a fabulous effort from JD Devaney with the clock ticking into added time giving Borris a 1-20 to 2-14 lead with time petering out.

Kiladangan went onto throw the kitchen sink at Borris in the finish and did manage to win a free at an angle in the 21 yard line, but Shane Gleeson’s powerful effort was saved over the bar by a brilliant reflex from Paudie Stapleton in the Borris goal and that was all she wrote as the final whistle sounded and sent the Borris men to their first U21A crown since 1997.

Scorers: Borris-Ileigh: Eddie Ryan (1-13, 0-9f), JD Devaney 0-4, Colm Boyle, Dan Ryan, Sam Patton all 0-1 each.

Kiladangan: Shane Gleeson (0-8, 0-6f), Sean Hayes 2-1, Conor Byrne (0-3, 0-1 65, 0-1sl), Darragh Butler 0-2, Noel Gleeson 0-1.

Borris-Ileigh: Paudie Stapleton; Harry Gould, Cathal Hogan, John McGrath; Mikey Kennedy, Kevin Maher, Colm Boyle; Adam Galvin, Dan Ryan; Sam Patton, Eddie Ryan, JD Devaney; Paddy McCormack, Fintan Holland, Jack Fitzgerald.

Subs used: Paddy Brett for Galvin (48); Bryan Murray for Holland (58); Fintan Holland for D Ryan (79).

Kiladangan: Paul Seymour; Cian Ryan, DJ McGrath, Jack McGrath; Darragh Ryan, John O’Meara, Stephen Mulvhill; Conor Byrne, Darragh Butler; Bill Cleary, Darragh Tucker, Aidan Ryan; Neil Cahalan, Sean Hayes, Shane Gleeson.

Subs used: Noel Gleeson for Tucker (HT); Ryan Gillick for D Ryan (HT, ET); Cathal Ryan for Cleary (78); James O’Meara for A Ryan (78).

Referee: Philip Kelly (Ballinahinch)