Corcoran hits stoppage time winner as Graigue-Ballycallan come out on top in Under 21 B Final

Palmerstown was the venue for the JJ Kavanagh & Sons U-21B Hurling County Final last Sunday.

A large crowd turned out in the November sunshine for what was a super, hard-hitting game that went down to the wire, with the Graigue Ballycallan men coming out on top by the slimmest of margins in a nail-biting finish.

After a shaky start, Graigue Ballycallan, playing against a strong wind in the first half, opened the scoring when Conor Walton found his corner forward Aaron McEvoy and the white flag was raised in the third minute.

Oisin Egan was on target in the sixth minute, putting his side two points up. It was the eight minute before Lisdowney registered their first score from an Aidan Tallis placed ball.

The next play went Graigue Ballycallan’s way as the ball fell favourably for Patrick Foley and Patrick tapped it over the bar.

Aidan Tallis kept his Lisdowney side in sight with another converted free in the 14th minute.

A Jack Walton layoff to Aaron McEvoy moments later was efficiently dealt with and McEvoy was on his way to claiming the honour of being his side’s top scorer in this County Final.

Lisdowney didn’t take advantage of the strong wind in that first quarter and it was the 16th minute before they registered their first point from play, when Killian Dunne eventually pointed following an Aidan Tallis pass.

However, they began to grow in confidence and ran at the Graigue Ballycallan defence, scoring the next five points, three from Aidan Tallis (two from placed balls) and two from Charlie Brennan – Eoin Delaney at left wing back had acres of space and was able to feed ball into his forwards at his leisure.

An Aaron McEvoy converted free in the 30th minute brought Graigue-Ballycallan to within three.

Well into injury time, Oisin Egan drove the ball into Aaron McEvoy in the corner.

McEvoy ran at the Lisdowney goal and as he took aim, his strike was partially blocked – this changed the ball’s trajectory which caught goalkeeper James McEvoy off balance and it ended up in the bottom right corner of the net.

The sides were level as the half-time whistle blew.

With the wind at his back, Graigue Ballycallan’s Billy O’Neill opened the second half scoring with a monster point from about 70m out.

Converted frees from both sides’ free takers, Aidan Tallis and Aaron McEvoy, brought us to the 38th minute.

Graigue Ballycallan went on the attack and a high ball in from Finn Lanigan looked to go sailing over Aaron McEvoy’s head out near the sideline but McEvoy somehow managed to catch it on his back foot – he regained his balance, turned and sent it high over the bar.

In the 41st minute, a lineball in from Jeff Neary found the hand of Oisin Egan and Egan was perfectly placed out in front of the Lisdowney goal and he wasn’t going to miss from that angle.

Lisdowney pushed on and Aidan Tallis scored three points in as many minutes, two from placed balls.

Aaron McEvoy kept the scoreboard ticking over with another from a placed ball in the 52nd minute, which levelled the game.

Graigue Ballycallan broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Jeff Neary ran onto a breaking ball and put it over the bar.

Lisdowney responded when Marty McEvoy spotted Eibhan McEvoy on his own just inside his own half and Eibhan’s point levelled the game yet again.

In the 62nd minute, substitute Ryan Corcoran took a pass from Billy O’Neill, steadied himself and put it over the bar. That would be the winning point, much to the delight of the Graigue Ballycallan supporters.

Graigue Ballycallan: Eoin Egan, Jack Walton, Simon O’Dwyer, Sean Roberts, Conor Walton, Stephen Keoghan (capt), Billy O’Neill (0-1), Jeff Neary (0-1), Billy Dowling, Jack Butler, Finn Lanigan, Oisin Egan (0-2), Jake O’Brien, Patrick Foley (0-1), Aaron McEvoy (1-6, 0-3f).

Subs: Ryan Corcoran (0-1) for Patrick Foley, Dean O’Brien for Jack Walton.

Lisdowney: James McEvoy, Dean Brophy, Alan Dunphy, Brandon Brophy, Richard McEvoy, Marty McEvoy, Eoin Delaney, Luke Campion, Killian Dunne (0-1), Eoin Kenny (capt), Eibhan McEvoy (0-1), Charlie Brennan (0-3), Luke Moore, Aidan Tallis (0-9, 0-2f), Luke Holohan.

Subs: Andrew McEvoy.

Referee: Richard Dowling (Kilmacow)