Tooreen 0-13 Ballyhaunis 0-08
More history was made by the Tooreen hurlers when they secured their 33rd Mayo senior championship title in style in Ballyhaunis on Saturday afternoon.
The defending champions captured their third successive TJ Tyrell Cup after producing a barnstorming last quarter to leave the homeside trailing in their wake.
Ray Larkin's well-drilled outfit outscored Ballyhaunis by seven points to two in the last 15 minutes as Shane Boland (3), Kenny Feeney (2), Seán Kenny (free) and Liam Lavin were all on target for the rampant visitors.
All Ballyhaunis could manage in reply were efforts from Adrian Philip and Cormac Philips (a '65) as their challenge faded out in the closing stages.
Four-time All Star winner Keith Higgins, and current Mayo football defender Jack Coyne, did try their best to get Ballyhaunis going, but the challengers could find no way through a well-organised and very disciplined Tooreen defence.
Last year's All-Ireland Intermediate championship finalists had led at the end of an entertaining first half by 0-06 to 0-05.
They opened the scoring with a free from Shane Boland in the second minute but the homeside levelled through a Cormac Philips free six minutes later.
This set the tone for the rest of the half with neither side able to get on top for long. Ballyhaunis did open up some daylight after Michael Farrell struck a couple of excellent points from play in quick succession.
But, despite missing a string of chances due to the swirling wind, Tooreen were back on level terms after 16 minutes as David Kenny and Liam Lavin hit the target from distance.
Ballyhaunis’ top scorer in the competition, Cormac Philips (free) and Tooreen’s Eoin Delaney then traded points to maintain the status quo before Philips drilled the lead score from open play in the 26th minute.
Tooreen lost key forward, Fergal Boland, to an injury but his team-mates finished the half with a flourish as Seán Kenny (free) tied the game up before Daniel Huane struck a magnificent point from an acute angle to leave the visitors ahead at the short whistle.
A free from Cormac Philips levelled the match for the fifth time just after the restart, but that was as good as it got for the homeside.
The likes of man of the match Conal Hession, Joe Boyle and David Kenny were outstanding in the Tooreen defence while Seán Kenny and Daniel Huane took control around the middle.
This meant that the likes of Shane Boland, Liam Lavin and the experienced Kenny Feeney got the supply they needed to shoot the match-winning scores as Tooreen claimed their sixth Mayo SHC title in seven seasons.
Tooreen: B Douglas; J Cassidy, M Morley, C Hession; J Boyle, S Coyne, D Kenny (0-01); S Kenny (0-02, 2fs), D Huane (0-01); L Lavin (0-02), F Boland, O Greally; S Boland (0-04, 2fs), K Feeney (0-02), E Delaney (0-01). Subs used: S Regan for F Boland (inj); G Nolan for Coyne; B Morley for Greally (inj).
Ballyhaunis: D O’Brien; Jack Coyne, S Hoban, D Keadin; B Hunt, K Higgins, D Hill; K McDermott, E Collins; C Philips (0-05, 3fs, ‘65), A Philips (0-01), P Kiely; M Farrell (0-02), M Philips, Jason Coyne. Sub used: E Ryan for Farrell.
Referee: E Shaughnessy (Castlebar Mitchels)
In the Leitrim SHC final, Carrick defeated Glencar Manor 1-13 to 1-11.
Carrick led 1-09 to 0-04 at half-time, boosted by a James Mc Nabola goal just before the break.
Chris Guilfoyle got Glencar Manor's goal in the second half but Carrick held on to claim the title.
