Na Fianna 1-18 (Dublin) O'Loughlin Gaels (Kilkenny) 0-22
Former Kilkenny captain Mark Bergin struck 11 points, including the winner, as O'Loughlin Gaels edged a Croke Park thriller to regain the Leinster club SHC title.
The Kilkenny city outfit had their eyes on the big provincial prize from the moment they beat Ballyhale Shamrocks in the county decider and have duly delivered.
But their third provincial crown didn't come without a big battle and first-time Dublin winners Na Fianna took them right to the wire in an epic.
The scores were tied six times in the second-half and Niall O'Ceallachain's Na Fianna led by one with 58 minutes on the clock, 1-18 to 0-20.
But a point from Luke Hogan levelled the game and Bergin struck what proved to be the winner in the 60th minute from a free.
"Lifts. Strikes. The response is positive."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) December 2, 2023
Mark Bergin slots over what did indeed turn out to be a Leinster title-winning point. A cracking provincial Club SHC final at Croke Park.
📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer
📻 Updates on Saturday Sport on @RTERadio1 pic.twitter.com/nc5cY13rEc
There was a huge performance too from county man Paddy Deegan who blasted five points from play for O'Loughlin Gaels while half-back colleague David Fogarty was immense too.
Brian Hogan's Gaels will be back in action on the weekend of 16/17 December against the winners of the Ulster championship, Slaughtneil or Cushendall.
A terrific season for O'Loughlin Gaels has the potential to run and run as they will be big favourites for that pre-Christmas encounter.
"They talk about building your team around your centre-back. No matter man for that than Paddy Deegan..."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) December 2, 2023
Level. Again.
📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer
📻 Updates on Saturday Sport on @RTERadio1 pic.twitter.com/ng52RafS6h
Truth be told, their supporters probably would have been happy enough with just winning a county title this year given the dominance of six-in-a-row chasing Ballyhale in recent seasons.
But after scoring a landmark county final win over the All-Ireland title holders they pushed on impressively with big provincial wins over Mount Leinster Rangers and then Kilcormac-Killoughey.
They entered this final with an enviable record of 10 wins from the 12 games they'd contested in the province, a run that dates back to their first provincial game in 2001.
All eyes were on how Gaels boss Hogan would arrange his chess pieces with star defenders Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler and Deegan all given key roles at the back.
Lawlor picked up Na Fianna sharp-shooter AJ Murphy, Butler tracked Ciaran Stacey, a goal-scorer for Na Fianna in their semi-final win over Naas, while Deegan was stationed at the centre of the Gaels defence.
Experienced Kilkenny man Deegan had much more than just a defensive role though and picked off two first-half points before adding three more after the break.
Free-taker Bergin, who played on the same pitch for Gaels in their All-Ireland final loss to Clarinbridge all of 12 years ago, helped himself to seven points in the opening 30 minutes or so.
Owen Wall troubled the Na Fianna defence with his pace too.
O'Loughlin Gaels led by 0-11 to 0-09 at the interval but it was far from one-way traffic. Two-time Dublin All-Star Liam Rushe performed a similar role to Deegan, at the centre of Na Fianna's defence.
Brian Ryan, an All-Ireland medallist with Limerick who transferred to the Dublin club this year, drilled two terrific first-half points, one of those a sumptuous volleyed effort after some slick control.
Colin Currie drilled five points from frees in that period as the side from just a couple of kilometres away on the Mobhi Road in Glasnevin gave as good as they got for long stretches of an enjoyable encounter.
The second-half was even better and back to back Colin Currie points after the restart levelled the game up at 0-11 apiece.
"Seán Currie won't miss from there."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) December 2, 2023
And he didn't. Na Fianna lead O'Loughlin Gaels at Croke Park in the Leinster Club SHC final...
📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer
📻 Updates on Saturday Sport on @RTERadio1 pic.twitter.com/NT1S0w6x6A
Na Fianna conjured the only goal of the game in the 38th minute. Colin Currie was the provider this time for his brother Sean who burst in from the right, cut inside Lawlor and fired a rasper to the Gaels net.
From there on, it was virtually score for score, point for point, and they were level on another five occasions as the race for the provincial title went all the way.
Fogarty drilled a couple of titanic scores for Gaels who just hung on despite a remarkable effort from Na Fianna.
O'Loughlin Gaels: Stephen Murphy; Tony Forristal, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler; David Fogarty (0-02), Paddy Deegan (0-05), Jordan Molloy; Jack Nolan (0-01), Cian Loy (0-01); Conor Heary (0-01), Mark Bergin (0-11, 0-09f), Eoin O'Shea; Paddy Butler, Owen Wall, Sean Bolger.
Subs: Luke Hogan (0-01) for Paddy Butler 26, Conor Kelly for Loy 49, Jamie Ryan for Nolan 54.
Na Fianna: Jonathan Treacy; Sean Burke, Conor McHugh, Diarmuid Clerkin; Paul O'Dea, Liam Rushe, Kevin Burke; Brian Ryan (0-03), Peter Feeney; John Tierney (0-01), Micheal Murphy, Sean Currie (1-01); Ciaran Stacey, AJ Murphy (0-02), Colin Currie (0-11, 0-09f).
Subs: Donal Ryan for O'Dea 13, Shane Barrett for Feeney 46, Sean Baxter for Stacey 53, Gavin King for Tierney 60.
Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).
