Kilcormac-Killoughey fall across the line in epic dogfight as gutsy Ballinamere come up agonisingly short

HOLDERS and red hot favourites Kilcormac-Killoughey sort of fell across the line in an epic Senior Hurling Championship final at a throbbing O'Connor Park on Sunday afternoon as a devastated Ballinamere fell agonisingly short of a historic first win.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship final

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-16

Ballinamere 1-11

Played in a very windy, blustery conditions with rain adding to the difficulty in the second half, both sides deserve huge credit for serving up an absolutely compelling game of hurling. It provided a wonderful spectacle as a superb Ballinamere forced K-K into a real dogfight in the second half and almost pulled it off.

It was a great advertisement for Offaly hurling. Considering the weather, there was some great hurling and both sides very much left it all on the field. It was full of commitment but there was so much more to whet the appetite here. It was difficult to hurl in and O'Connor Park was no place for the faint hearted or weak willed. Neither side had many of these, they had characters all over the field and like the football final a week earlier, the result could have went anyway – and while you can't argue that K-K deserved to win, there would also have been plenty of merit in a Ballinamere win and a draw.

The strong wind, blowing across field but favouring the team playing into the Park Avenue end, was a definite factor here but it in no way spoiled the game and it fully justified the County Board's early call on Sunday morning that it was going ahead. They had to deal with plenty of adverse comments about that decision on social media but the weather was never bad enough, or anywhere remotely near dangerous enough, to justify a postponement.

It had to go ahead and the winners were the 5,684 supporters who ;paid into O'Connor Park. There are two big take aways from this game. One is that Ballinamere have what it takes to win a Senior Hurling Championship. They have the quality, the players, the strength, the desire and the characters to get there and their day may come in the not too distant future. They gave K-K an examination that many observers did not expect.

The second one is that Kilcormac-Killoughey had the character and the reserves to win a real dogfight. We knew the free scoring hurling they are capable of playing, their scoring ability from all over the field, the big scores they can put up and the way they can run riot when they get a run on a team. We were not sure how they would fare when a gun was put to their head, the opposition rattled into them with everything they had and when things went wrong.

There were plenty of things that didn't go according to plan, that they didn't envisage happening but they dug deep, fought like tigers for everything, found the right answers and eventually stumbled into the winners' enclosure in a frantic closing few minutes. K-K also really missed their injured centre half back Cillian Kiely – the vastly experienced powerhouse is arguably their most influential player and the conditions on Sunday and the physicality that prevailed were tailormade for him.

They won mainly because of a sensational display from Adam Screeney, who got six of his ten points from play, got all their second half scores after Colin Spain got their first in the 32^nd minute and could have ended up with a bigger tally. He almost got in for a couple of goals, had a couple of wides but he was the main man on the day.

Ballinamere had first use of the wind and were in trouble for much of the first half. Adam Screeney caused fierce early problems on a struggling Chris McDonald and it took the switch of Sam Bourke to limit his influence – for a while at least, which allowed Ballinamere to catch their breath. And in fairness to McDonald, he ended up having a very good game in the other corner, mopping up good ball and seeing his new man Daniel Hand replaced – Hand was heavily strapped because of a quad injury and wasn't running as freely as he did in the semi-final.

Things were very tight for much of the first half but K-K also looked to be the better team – and by a distance. Ballinamere led twice and the teams were level on five occasions in the opening sixteen minutes before K-K found another gear. Daniel Hand, Conor Mahon and Colin Spain got breathtaking points from play as they opened up a 0-8 to 0-5 lead after 27 minutes. Their hurling was way crisper but Ballinamere were given a lifeline just in first half injury time when Dan Bourke and Brian Duignan combined brilliantly to send Dan Ravenhill in for a goal.

That levelled it up at 1-5 to 0-8 each at half time and was a major help to Ballinamere but even with that, K-K very much held the initiative for the second half.

Rain started to fall at half time and this may have hampered K-K but the biggest obstacle to them was a vastly improved display by Ballinamere in the second half. There was a vast difference in intensity and quality between their first and second half displays. Their hurling got much slicker, they began to move off each other's shoulders, their work rate increased dramatically, they forced turnovers and for a good while, K-K had feet of clay. Ballinamere did not have a single wide in the second half and their economy and patience was quite remarkable.

It almost brought Ballinamere to a famous win. The sides were level three more times in the opening ten minutes, tied at 1-8 to 0-11 after 40 minutes and in the next few minutes Ballinamere made their push for glory. Ter Guinan and Adam Screeney missed clear chances for the winners and Aaron Maher and Dan Bourke got points to put Ballinamere 1-10 to 0-11 ahead after 45 minutes.

Everything was falling Ballinamere's way. Aaron Maher won a great ball in the build up to Bourke's point which came after Brian Duignan had miss-hit a free. Staring a shock defeat in the face, K-K stood up to be counted. Adam Screeney got a delightful point from play and then equalised from a free in the 55^th minute.

Brian Duignan broke to put Ballinamere back in front with a wonderful 56^th minute point but that proved to be their last score. K-K were heroic all over the field in the last few minutes. Screeney levelled in the 57^th minute and put them in front with a magical 59^th minute point. He almost flashed home a goal as it drifted into injury time and K-K missed chances as they left the door open – Charlie Mitchell could have pointed in the build up to that goal chance. Conor Mahon had made a wonderful catch in the build up to the lead point and replicated it for the “insurance” one in the 61^st minute. This left Ballinamere needing a goal to survive but the K-K defence held firm as they won back to back titles.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey): A wonderful, breathtaking display by Screeney and even the few misses he had don't put any blemish on it. The Blueball man was on fire the whole afternoon and his scoring statistics, ten points and six from play, tell their own story. His contribution, however, went way deeper than this as he showed he could also thrive when weather was not in his favour. He ensured a very uncomfortable hour plus for Ballinamere and threatened havoc every time the ball went in – Sam Bourke did win some ball on him and the Ballinamere defence tried so hard but Screeney in this form is almost unmarkable. He got plenty of punishment, there was loads of hard hitting as well as the normal verbal exchanges throughout the field, but he took it all, gave as good as he got and kept showing for the next ball, taking them on and going for his scores – the game was played with great sportsmanship and was a credit to both sides.

His attacking tour-de-force was necessary on a day when Charlie Mitchell got very little change out of the excellent Ciaran Burke and others were also short of their best – Conor Mahon did win some great ball and his assists for Screeney's last two points were match winners.

There were other players who excelled for K-K with corner back Tom Spain and midfielder Colin Spain also man of the match contenders while James Mahon had a great first half and Brecon Kavanagh mopped up a huge amount of ball, engaging in a titanic struggle with Dan Bourke. In a way, the game was a coming of age afternoon for Kilcormac-Killoughey and that was also true to an extent for Ballinamere, even if victory eluded them.

Ballinamere can be very proud of the way they performed and most of their big names did what they needed to do to give them a chance, especially in the second half. Mark Troy, Ciaran Burke and Ross Ravenhill put in great shifts in defence while Brian Duignan and Dan Bourke tested the K-K defence to the full- Burke did his role by keeping Charlie Mitchell comparatively subdued, Ross Ravenhill and Brian Duignan would have been neck and neck for man of the match if Ballinamere had won and the movement and class of Dan Bourke took the breath away at times.

David Magner foraged for everything at midfield while Aaron Maher had a very good second half and Jack Fogarty did some great defensive work.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Adam Screeney 0-10 (4f), Colin Spain 0-2, Conor Mahon, Ter Guinan, Daniel Hand and Charlie Mitchell 0-1 each.

Ballinamere: Brian Duignan 0-7 (5f), Dan Ravenhill 1-0, Dan Bourke and Aaron Maher 0-2 each.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Conor Slevin; Tom Spain, Oisin Mahon; James Mahon; Jordan Quinn, Brecon Kavanagh, Enda Grogan; Damien Kilmartin, Colin Spain; Leigh Kavanagh, Conor Mahon, Ter Guinan ; Daniel Hand; Charlie Mitchell; Adam Screeney. 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, Dan Bourke, Aaron Maher; Joe Maher, Brian Duignan, John Murphy. Subs – Darragh Wyer for Joe Maher (55m), Mike O'Brien for Murphy (57m), James Scully for McDermott (62m),

Referee – Joey Deehan (Clara).

REFEREE WATCH

Joey Deehan had a very good game. He allowed things to run but also pulled obvious frees and was very consistent and fair. There were a few contested calls late on and he probably did make some mistakes but these balanced out, he allowed for the conditions and his refereeing contributed to a very enjoyable afternoon.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Dan Ravenhill's injury time goal changed the whole trajectory of this match. A three point half time deficit would have been a disaster for Ballinamere after playing with the wind and Ravenhill's goal gave them a new lease of life for the second half.

VENUE WATCH

There was plenty of debate before hand about whether the final would proceed because of strong winds. With several games called off along the western seaboard, the County Board did have a big call to make but they made the only one they really could. While it was a big decision to go ahead, it would have been an even bigger one to call it off. There was a yellow warning in operation for Offaly and had it been orange, it would have been pulled.

Most games went ahead in Leinster and the County Board did consult with Croke Park before putting out messages that the two finals were proceeding. It was windy in O'Connor Park, with strong gusts, and it was a pity that these conditions emerged. The idea that they suited one team over another was pure rubbish and instead, the conditions were a real test of hurling. You had to be very skilful and to think on your feet to master them and while it wasn't the weather anyone would have chosen, it did make for compelling viewing. The wind was nowhere near as big an influence as many suggested it would be.

The other side of the wind was that the pitch was bone dry and as solid as you could ever get for hurling at this time of year.

The large crowd was well hosted and with both teams having huge support, there was a great atmosphere.

WHAT'S NEXT

Kilcormac-Killoughey are away to St Mullin's of Carlow in the Leinster club championship on November 16/17.

STATISTICS

Wides: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 10 (3 in first half); Ballinamere - 8(8 in first half).

Yellow cards: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 1 (Conor Mahon); Ballinamere – 1 (Kevin McDermott).

Red cards: 0.