Thurles Sarsfields have last word after comeback by Ballygunner

Thurles Sarsfields 0-17 Ballygunner 0-16

Like a perp who suddenly realises he’s facing a 20-stretch just before the plea deal is whipped off the table, this game took its own sweet time about telling us what it knew. For most of the way, it looked like Thurles had just enough in hand to keep an honest but fairly toothless Ballygunner side at bay.

The Tipperary champions led by four points with 10 minutes to go, even after having missed a penalty early in the second half. It had been a cagey affair and they were all set to close out a carefully-managed win. But then out of nowhere, drama popped and crackled around Semple like a Halloween fireworks night.

Down the barrel

Ballygunner reeled off five of the next six points. Pauric Mahony potted three frees and missed another.

The brilliant Waterford under-21 Peter Hogan sniped his second of the day, David O’Sullivan landed his third from a couple of feet outside the Thurles dugout. Just like that, we were staring down the barrel of extra-time and the Waterford champions had all the momentum.

Thurles weren’t done, however, and managed to fashion a chance for Tommy Doyle in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Doyle checked back inside onto his left side but from only 25 metres out, he pulled what should have been a routine enough shot. But in the Ballygunner goal, Stephen O’Keeffe couldn’t tell whether or not it was going wide and stuck up his stick to deflect it for a 65.

It was a snap judgement for which Ballygunner were charged a brutal tariff. Doyle’s shot would have at best hit the post but O’Keeffe’s deflection gave Thurles one last chance. Pa Bourke nailed the 65 and the Tipp champions were out the gap.

“It was a great score,” said Lar Corbett afterwards. “Pa Bourke is the main groundsman here and I know that there’s no doubt that over the years of working here, he’s often out with the hurley making good use of his time. And believe me, there was no more important point ever scored here than that one.

“We were very lucky there at the end of the second half to get a lucky 65 from Tommy Doyle’s shot. And we got out with a one-point win. That just goes to show what it comes down to. We were delighted top come out with a one-point win because we were on the wrong side of it the last two years.”

John Mullane had this one down as a quasi-All-Ireland final four and a half months ahead of time. Good and all as Thurles are, they have a ways to go before we can throw around that sort of talk. For such a storied club, their record outside Tipperary wouldn’t write too many ballads. They have but one Munster title to their name and were only ever in two finals.

Both sides left the other with an unmatched colossus at number six – Pádraic Maher on one side, Philip Mahony on the other. Once they marked up on everyone else, both were left a man short in front of goal.

Breaking stride

The result was one of those games where everyone keeps everyone where they can see them and it all comes down to who can shoot better from distance.

For most of the way along, that was Thurles. Stephen Cahill was outstanding in the first half and put three points on the board without breaking stride. Ronan Maher tonked one from 60 metres, Stephen Lillis got in on the act from 70.

Ballygunner trailed 0-6 to 0-9 at the break and it was hard to see where any major improvement in their fortunes was going to come from.

Harder still when Thurles got a penalty just a minute after the restart for a pull on Conor Lanigan’s hurley. And even though Bourke fluffed it, failing to lift the ball and scuttling a soft shot to rather than at O’Keeffe, the Tipp champions still had the upper hand most of the way home.

Until, that is, those final 10 minutes pinballed around the place like an out-of-control dodgem. For Thurles to be still standing at the end of it owed a little more to luck than judgement but that’s how it goes sometimes.

They go on to meet Clare champions Ballyea next Sunday.

THURLES SARSFIELDS: Patrick McCormack; Stephen Maher, Ronan Maher (0-2), Michael Cahill; Stephen Lillis (0-1), Pádraic Maher, Denis Maher (0-1); Rory Dwan, Stephen Cahill (0-4); Billy McCarthy, Aidan McCormack (0-1), Pa Bourke (0-7, three frees, one 65); Conor Lanigan, Richie Ruth, Lar Corbett (0-1). Subs: John Maher for Dwan (16 mins), Tommy Doyle for Ruth (29 mins), David Kennedy for M Cahill (49 mins), Michael O'Brien for Lanigan (52 mins), Cathal Moloney for Corbett (58 mins).

BALLYGUNNER: Stephen O'Keeffe; Eddie Hayden, Barry Coughlan, Ian Kenny; Wayne Hutchinson, Philip Mahony, Shane Walsh; Harley Barnes (0-1), Shane O'Sullivan (0-1); David O'Sullivan (0-3), Peter Hogan (0-2), Pauric Mahony (0-8, eight frees); Conor Power, Brian O'Sullivan (0-1), Tim O'Sullivan. Subs: Billy O'Keeffe for T O'Sullivan (51 mins), Stephen Power for C Power (52 mins)

Referee:  Johnny Murphy (Limerick).