Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-16 Ballinamere 1-11
Kilcormac-Killoughey were pushed to the pin of their collar before retaining their Offaly Senior Hurling Championship title in a tremendously shootout with a Ballinamere side, attempting to capture their first title.
Red hot favourites going in, K-K showed they could also grind out results as they came from a point down with four minutes left to win by three.
Ballinamere had first use of a swirling cross field wind that favoured the team playing into the Park Avenue goal. Some supporters had called for the game to be called off on Sunday morning but the wind was not strong enough to justify such a decision and the Offaly County Board made an early announcement that it would proceed.
The wind posed different challenges for players, forcing them to judge it and be clever in their shot selection.
Kilcormac-Killoughey impressed as the better side against the wind and were that bit sharper in their use of the ball. Ballinamere were actually relieved to go in level at half time, 1-05 to 0-08 thanks to a well worked injury time goal, finished by Dan Ravenhill after a good build up involving Dan Bourke and Brian Duignan.
Adam Screeney caused a lot of early problems for Ballinamere as Kilcormac-Killoughey edged into a 0-05 to 0-04 lead after 15 minutss. Three points without reply from Daniel Hand, Conor Mahon and Colin Spain had them 0-08 to 0-05 ahead after 27 minutes and K-K were not far from getting in for a goal.
Dan Ravenhill's goal was just the boost Ballinamere needed but they still had it all to do in the second half.
That goal, however, changed the whole game and Ballinamere were a much different outfit in the second half. Their work ethic increased as they turned over ball and the quality of their play also went in the right direction.
For much of the second half, it looked like it would end in a historic win with Screeney eventually winning the day for K-K – Screeney got all K-K's points from the 32nd minute and his last three were from play in a wonderful man of the match display.
Ballinamere gave a heroic second half with key players such as Ciaran Burke, Ross Ravenhill, Dan Bourke and Brian Duignan driving their team on. The sides were level at 1-8 to 0-11 when scores from Aaron Maher and Bourke gave Ballinamere a two point lead with 45 minutes gone.
In a thrilling last quarter, Screeney levelled it up with a free and point from play before Brian Duigan put Ballinamere back in front with four minutes left. The underdogs could almost smell the Sean Robbins Cup but Screeney fired over the last three points, two of them after sensational catches by Conor Mahon, to win the day.
Kilcormac-Killoughey: Conor Slevin; Tom Spain, Oisin Mahon; James Mahon; Jordan Quinn, Brecon Kavanagh, Enda Grogan; Damien Kilmartin, Colin Spain (0-02); Leigh Kavanagh, Conor Mahon (0-01), Ter Guinan (0-01); Daniel Hand (0-01); Charlie Mitchell (0-01); Adam Screeney (0-10, 4f) Subs – Alex Kavanagh for Hand (41m), Jack Screeney for Grogan (45m), Peter Geraghty for Leigh Kavanagh (51m), Thomas Geraghty for Conor Mahon (63m),
Ballinamere: Mark Troy; Chris McDonald, Ciaran Burke, Eoin Boland; Jack Fogarty, Ross Ravenhill, Sam Bourke; David Magner, Kevin McDermott; Dan Ravenill (1-00), Dan Bourke (0-02), Aaron Mahe (0-02); Joe Maher, Brian Duignan (0-07, 5f), John Murphy. Subs – Darragh Wyer for Joe Maher (55m), Mike O'Brien for Murphy (57m), James Scully for McDermott (62m),
Referee: Joey Deehan (Clara).
