McEvoy shoots Graigue Ballycallan to shield success over O’Loughlins
Graigue Ballycallan 1-17 O’Loughlin Gaels 0-19
This Senior Shield Final had all the hall-marks of a good if not great hurling contest. Both sides featured decent if not full strength teams, but with more pressing demands coming over the mountain within a very tight time frame, it was understandable.
Both sides created huge acres of space for their respective outfits. There were a few tussles, and elements of hard contact were rare. The quality of the hurling was quite good, and the accuracy from long-range shooting was seriously impressive.
Both sides burst from traps and Conor Kelly and Aaron McEvoy swapped points within the opening couple of minutes. Both sides were upsides with each other on six occasions. Both Kelly and Mc Evoy ended the first half with four points in the bag, but it was the city side who led at the break by the odd point in seventeen.
A strong wind favoured the eventual winners in the first half as they played towards the O’Loughlins end. One felt that the ultimate late late winners would be hard pushed in the second half to get over the line in front given the strength of the wind.
But the men from Graig were not for capitulation. Their half back line was making life a difficult challenge for the city lads. Even though Stephen Murphy was drilling deliveries down the throats of the Ballycallan defence, the likes of Billy O’Neill flanked by Billy Dowling and Steven Keoghan, and fronted by Jeff Neary who had a thundering powerful- game around the midfield area gobbled up most of what challenged them in the middle third of NowlanPark.
A Conor Kelly point in the 40th minute would have sealed the opinions of the O’Loughlins support that their being first past the winning post was a distinct possibility, and such an opinion in the opposite corner was rather evident in the features of the Ballycallan support.
Kelly’s point presented a three point gap between the sides. Mc Evoy reduced the advantage to a single for his side. David Fogarty and Fionnan Mackessy pushed out their side to a three- point advantage again. The Graig lads were pushing for the wire - they had unfinished business to complete.
It was time to go big or go home. At 56 minutes a Ballycallan clearance arrived to Tommy Ronan who off-loaded to McEvoy who, in turn, worked the ball to Conor Walton and he shot to the back of the net.
Paddy Deegan and Paddy Butler then hit quickfire scores before another McEvoy effort levelled up proceedings once again.
McEvoy shot a wide from an easy placing; panic spread among the Graig support in the stand; but as quick as one could say Aaron McEvoy the score-keeper was chalking up a point by the brilliant Graig half forward as Ballycallan claimed a narow win.
Teams and Scorers
Graigue Ballycallan: Aaron Mc Evoy 0-10, 6 frees ; Conor Walton 1-0 Tommy Ronan .Billy O’Neill, Oisin Egan, Patrick Foley, Ryan Corcoran, Eoin Cahill (0-1 each).
O’Loughlin Gaels: Conor Kelly 0-8, one free, Ruarc Sweeney 0-4, four frees, Paddy Deegan 0-4, David Fogarty, Fionan Mackessey, Paddy Butler 0-1 each.
Graigue Ballycallan: Padraig Dunphy, Billy Dowling, Tom Dunphy (C), Steven Keoghan, Billy O’Neill, Jeff Neary, Richie Keoghan, Sean Ryan, Tommy Ronan, Aaron Mc Evoy, Patrick Foley, Ryan Corcoran, Eoghan Cahill.
Subs: Sean McGrath, Conor Neary, Killian Egan, Dara Egan, Jessie Roberts, Conor Walton.
O’Loughlin Gaels: Stephen Murphy, Mikey Butler, Eoin O’Shea, Jack Lawlor, David Fogarty, Paddy Deegan, (C ), Fionan Mackesy, Cian Loy, Jamie Ryan, Greg Kelly, Owen Wall, Mark Bergin, Conor Kelly, Ruarc Sweeney, Jack Nolan.
Subs: Jack Nolan, Alex Sheridan, Cian Byrne, Paddy Butler, Eoghan O’Brien.
Referee: Patrick O’Reilly.