Drom Inch 1-19 Clonoulty-Rossmore 2-14:THE LONG wait is finally over for Drom Inch. In 2005, '07 and '09, the Mid-division team were bridesmaids on county final day, but yesterday they were crowned Tipperary senior hurling club champions for the very first time.

Fittingly, captain Séamus Callanan accepted the Dan Breen Cup as Drom Inch supporters in the attendance of 7,038 spectators struggled to take in what they had witnessed. A club so accustomed to heartbreak in recent years had unlocked the door to success.

And they did it the hard way, coming from five points down early in the second half to register a two-point victory. Clonoulty-Rossmore were tasting county final defeat for the second successive year. For them, the long wait for a first success in this competition since 1997 will go on.

Ultimately, it was Callanan who turned the screw in the second half, registering six points after he was held scoreless before half-time. The county team player popped over a 35th-minute 65 and would add two frees and three points from play before the finish. But when fellow county senior panellist John O’Neill, a 2010 All-Ireland under-21 medallist, banged home a 33rd-minute goal for Clonoulty, his side led by 2-10 to 1-8. Drom Inch were in trouble but they would respond in style, hitting 10 of the next 12 points.

Clonoulty were held scoreless for 14 minutes before their leading marksman, Timmy Hammersley, converted a 57th-minute free. Callanan responded before Hammersley concluded the scoring in perfect conditions for hurling.

At half-time, Clonoulty led by 1-9 to 1-8, having opened up a 1-4 to 0-1 lead after just 13 minutes.

Seán Maher’s goal sent Clonoulty six points clear but Pat Lupton responded in kind just a minute later as Drom Inch, without ever hitting the heights in the first half, hung in there.

Callanan should have netted in the 24th minute but he was denied by goalkeeper Declan O’Dwyer, who performed similar heroics against the same player early in the second half.

Ciarán Quirke had chances for Clonoulty but the Drom Inch net would not bulge again until O’Neill blasted home three minutes into the second half. O’Neill’s strike was the last real highlight for Clonoulty, as the absence of key players caught up with them.

Drom Inch upped the ante, with Eamonn Buckley supreme at centre back. Up front, Callanan was aided and abetted by David Collins and David Butler, exceptional in the corner.

DROM INCH: D Young; Martin Butler, Micheál Butler, M Costello; James Ryan, E Buckley, P Stapleton; Johnny Ryan (0-2, one free), J Woodlock; D Ryan, S Callanan (0-6, two free, one 65), D Collins (0-3); P Lupton (1-2), S Butler (0-2), D Butler (0-4). Subs: K Butler for D Ryan (half-time), L Ryan for Martin Butler (39 mins), M Ryan for Johnny Ryan (60+2 mins).

CLONOULTY-ROSSMORE: D O’Dwyer; K Horan, J Heffernan, Joey O’Keeffe; P Heffernan, J Devane, John O’Keeffe; S O’Connor, T Butler (0-1); S Maher (1-2), C Ryan (0-1), J Moloney (0-1); J O’Neill (1-2, 0-1 sideline), T Hammersley (0-6, three frees, one 65), C Quirke (0-1). Subs: M Sadlier for Horan (half-time), F O’Keeffe for Moloney (45 mins), A Kearney for O’Connor (46 mins), M Coen for Ryan (54 mins), M Heffernan for Quirke (58 mins).

Referee: P Gibson (Burgess).

Munster First Round (Sun, Oct 30th)

1: Drom Inch v Ballygunner Thurles

Semi-finals (Sun, Nov 13th)

1 v Na Piarsaigh Tipp/Waterford venue

Carrigtwohill v Clare Cork venue