Magnificent Mooncoin crowned All-Ireland Junior hurling champions

Mooncoin are the All-Ireland Junior hurling champions after they edged past Ballygiblin of Cork in a cracking final  in Croke Park this evening.

Mooncoin now become the 10th club from Kilkenny to win at the grade since it's inception and the minimum margin success will taste very sweet tonight after they were on the wrong end of a similar result when losing out to Mayfield in 2017.

Mooncoin made a brilliant start to the game as they sailed into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead but Ballygiblin gradually seized the initiative and by the half-time break, the Cork side led by a point.

Mooncoin were brilliant in the second half though and the third quarter laid the platform for the victory.

During that spell Killian Hogan got three points from play and although Dean Barry netted for Ballygiblin in the 37th minute, Mooncoin came roaring back and with ten minutes remaining they were three points to the good (0-18 to 1-12).

Mark Keane was pushed into full forward for the Cork side in the final few minutes and he succeeded in causing Mooncoin defensive issues that resulted in Joseph O'Sullivan knocking over a series of frees.

Ballygiblin got the margin back to a point but Mooncoin weren't to be denied with Patrick Walsh and Adam Croke knocking over points before Martin O'Neill put the seal on the result with an incredible sideline cut score in stoppage time.

Ballygiblin threw everything at Mooncoin as they tried to force an equaliser but the Kilkenny side stood tall to hold out for a famous victory.

Teams and Scorers

Mooncoin- Patrick Walsh (0-6, 0-4f), John Fitzgerald (0-5, 0-1 65), Martin O’Neill (0-4, 0-1f), Killian Hogan (0-3), Adam Croke (0-2), Kevin Crowley and Ciaran Quilty (0-1 each)

Ballygiblin- Joseph O’Sullivan (0-9, 0-8f, 0-1 65), Darragh Flynn (0-4), Dean Barry (1-0), Sean O’Sullivan (0-2), Colin English, Michael Walsh and Ryan Donegan (0-1 each)

Mooncoin- Eoin Purcell; Aidan Doyle, Cormac Daly, Mark Kearns; Martin O’Neill, Paul Henebery, Jim Delahunty; Mairtin Gannon, Sean Gannon; Ciaran Quilty, John Fitzgerald, Kevin Crowley; Adam Croke, Patrick Walsh, Killian Hogan.

Subs: Sean O’Dwyer for Crowley 40 mins.

Ballygiblin- Christopher Noonan; Brian O’Gorman, Fionn Herlihy, James Mullins; Barry Coffey, Mark Keane, Michael Lewis; Ryan Donegan, Darragh Flynn; Joseph O’Sullivan, Colin English, Michael Walsh; Kieran Duggan, Sean O’Sullivan, Dean Barry.

Subs: Dillon Sheehan for Duggan 47 mins, Aidan Donegan for Barry 56 mins.

Referee- Brian Keon (Galway)