Kilkenny SHC final replay: O'Loughlin Gaels 2-12 Young Ireland's 2-10 A brilliantly-executed goal 40 seconds into injury time from Seamus Cummins proved to be the winner for O'Loughlin Gaels as they claimed their second Kilkenny senior hurling championship title in this thrilling replay at Nowlan Park yesterday.
Thirteen minutes from the finish it looked all over for the winners when a point from DJ Carey put defending champions Young Irelands into a commanding 2-10 to 0-9 lead. However, the champions failed to score again as O'Loughlins came with a powerful charge that even surprised themselves to some degree.
"With about 10 minutes to go I had given up the ghost, but all of a sudden things began to happen for us," admitted O'Loughlins captain Andy Comerford, the Kilkenny All-Ireland winning captain of last year, after he received the trophy.
The O'Loughlins comeback started in somewhat unusual circumstances. In the 50th minute, Young Irelands goalkeeper Martin Carey delayed his puck-out, the referee penalised him by awarding a throw-in and when the ball broke county star Seán Dowling slipped over a point for O'Loughlins.
Two minutes later Colin Furlong fielded a ball on the edge of the Young Irelands square, and he worked an opening for Nigel Skehan to shoot a goal.
A pair of points from young Skehan left the minimum between the sides as the final seconds ticked away. Then into injury time a long delivery from Seán Dowling was again claimed by Furlong on the edge of the square and he created the opening for Cummins to shoot the winning goal.
"That was a victory for character and nothing else," insisted Comerford. "We have been getting through in tight finishes throughout the championship, but we stretched our luck to the limit this time."
The game started in a rather robust fashion and the heavy tackles went in thick and fast. Although backed by the wind Young Irelands made little progress during the opening quarter, at the end of which the scores were level at 0-3 each.
The first half was something of a scoring show from DJ Carey, whose participation was in doubt up to the last minute because of a hamstring injury. Carey, although his right leg was heavily strapped, showed little ill-effects and he shot 1-5 as Irelands went in at the break leading 1-6 to 0-4.
Although Comerford and Skehan pulled back early points for the winners after the restart, Young Irelands got a boost in the 34th minute when Dick Carroll booted a goal to take them 2-6 to 0-6 in front. Passing the third quarter that lead was still intact and Carey extended it to seven in the 47th minute.
Afterwards the game belonged to O'Loughlins in a scoring sense, and the title was snatched in dramatic fashion in the dying moments by midfielder Cummins, much to the delight of the O'Loughlins fans in the near 10,000 crowd.
O'LOUGHLIN GAELS: K Cleere; B Kelly, B Hogan, B Murphy; A O'Brien, A Comerford (0-1), S Dowling (0-1); S Cummins (1-0), A Geoghegan (0-2); M Comerford, C Furlong, N Skehan (1-7); J Comerford, M Nolan, B Dowling (0-1). Sub: N Bergin for J Comerford 49th minute.
YOUNG IRELANDS: M Carey; C Carroll, E Farrell, C Phelan; S Byrne, T Drennan, D Phelan; J McDermott, O Carter; C Carter (0-2), J Carey, J Fitzgerald; D Carroll (1-1), DJ Carey (1-7), D Carter. Subs: P Carroll for O Carter half time, O Carter for McDermott 54th minute.
Referee: P Dunphy (Carrigeen).
