Éire Óg 2-20 Loughmore-Castleiney 1-16 AET
A first Munster Club Hurling final in 35 years is Clare champions Éire Óg's reward for shading an extra-time war of attrition with Loughmore-Caslteiney.
An eleventh hour switch of venue from Cusack Park in Ennis to O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge couldn’t derail the home side, who weathered the Tipperary storm before eventually finishing with an unanswered 1-05 flourish.
Locked together 13 times over the first 70 minutes, penalties appeared to be the only way to finally separate them.
Not for the first time however, it was the Ennis side’s attacking talisman Danny Russell that dragged his side over the line, scoring three points himself while also teeing up the reintroduced Darren Moroney to fire the clinching goal in the 77th minute.
Éire Óg’s most experienced performer Russell was exceptional throughout as he kept the scoreboard ticking over to rack up 1-14 in what was an ongoing duel with the ever-impressive John McGrath.
A dour opening period was ignited by an opportunist injury-time goal for captain Liam McGrath, who beat goalkeeper Darragh Stack to an Ed Connolly delivery over the top to flick the ball over the line at 1-04 to 0-06.
Hurlers of the Year Shane O’Donnell and John McGrath traded points twice on the resumption before Éire Óg put clear daylight between the sides at the 40 minute mark as Shane O’Donnell picked out Danny Russell to unleash a powerful effort that managed to beat goalkeeper Aidan McGrath at 1-09 to 1-06.
It took Loughmore-Caslteiney only five minutes to negate that goal as John McGrath (2), Ed Connolly and John Ryan ensured a 1-10 to 1-10 stalemate entering the final quarter.
Danny Russell and John McGrath predominantly led the charge as the teams went blow for blow for the remainder including a last gasp 60 metre equaliser into the wind from the former to force extra time at 1-13 apiece.
That seesaw pattern was maintained into the additional periods but Brian McGrath’s superb leading point would crucially be Loughmore-Castleiney’s last in the 68th minute as from there a more energetic Éire Óg would incrementally pull away.
Danny Russell converted a brace of points to seal a 1-17 to 1-16 half-time edge before replacements Tom Kavanagh and Rian Mulcahy put four between the sides for the very first time in the contest by the 75th minute.
The insurance score would arrive two minutes later though as an Oran Cahill blocked shot for a point broke perfectly for David Reidy to take on the visitor’s last line before offloading to teenager Moroney to billow the roof of the net.
The Tipperary champions inevitably piled on the pressure but a defiant home side held out to seal a Munster final showdown against perennial Waterford superpowers Ballygunner in a fortnight’s time.
Éire Óg: Darragh Stack; Fionan Treacy, Ciaran Russell, Jarlath Collins; Robert Loftus, Aaron Fitzgerald, Lliam Corry; Oran Cahill, David Reidy; David McNamara, Darren Moroney (1-00), Darren O’Brien; Shane O’Donnell (0-02), Danny Russell (1-14, 12f, 1’65), Marco Cleary (0-02)
Subs: Tom Kavanagh (0-01) for O’Brien (HT), James O’Dwyer for Moroney (52), Rian Mulcahy (0-01, 1f) for McNamara (55), Aidan McGrath for Collins (57), Eoin O’Regan for Cahill (60+2), Moroney for McGrath (70), Cahill for O’Regan (70)
Loughmore-Castleiney: Aidan McGrath; Lorcan Egan, Ed Meagher, Brian McGrath (0-01); Eoin O’Connell, Willie Eviston, John Ryan (0-01); Noel McGrath (0-01), Ciaran Connolly; Tommy Maher, Tomas McGrath, Ciaran McCormack; Ed Connolly (0-01), John McGrath (0-12, 4f, 2’65), Liam McGrath (1-00)
Subs: Ciaran McGrath for McCormack (39), Liam Treacy for Maher (49), Philip O’Connell for C McGrath (51-52, BS), Paul McCahey for E. Connolly (60+3), McCormack for T McGrath (75, inj)
Referee: Nicky O’Toole (Waterford)
