Brilliant Boyle bags hat-trick and 25th title for Ballyduff

A FIRST-HALF hat-trick from full-forward Aidan Boyle laid the foundations for Ballyduff completing their drive for 25 in a thrilling replay at Austin Stack Park.

Ballyduff’s confidence that could beat Lixnaw was a result of change of game plan by their manager, Blackrock native Bobby Thornhill. And also a glorious past in which Ballyduff have never lost to Lixnaw in a final.

Boyle’s goals came in the third minute, 10th minute, and the hat-trick was complete in first-half injury time – and they led 3-7 to 1-10 at the interval, with Ricky Heffernan goaling for Lixnaw in the 18th minute.

Two early Lixnaw points on the resumption were cancelled out when Aidan Boyle this time turned provider for brother Mikey to rattle the net.

Trailing 4-9 to 1-14 midways through the half, Lixnaw looked in trouble but then full-back Padraig O’Grady was red-carded and Lixnaw had the momentum.

Mike Conway kept converting frees but Ballyduff captain Mikey Boyle was now playing heroically in defence as Paud Costello and birthday boy Eoin Ross displayed warrior like qualities and Lixnaw just could not get the goal they craved.

SCORERS – Ballyduff: A Boyle 3-1; M Boyle 1-1; P Boyle

(0-4frees), D O’Carroll (0-4), L Boyle, J O’Sullivan and J Goulding (0-1 each). Lixnaw: M Conway (0-10, 9 frees), R Heffernan (1-1), B Brosnan (0-3, 2’65), J Buckley (0-2), S Conway (0-2, 1f) and J Flaherty (0-1).

BALLYDUFF: PJ O’Gorman; A O’Connor, P O’Grady, C Kearney; D Goulding, P Costello, E Ross; D O’Carroll, A O’Carroll; L Boyle, A Boyle, J O’Sullivan; P Boyle, M Boyle, J Goulding. Subs: J Hussey for L O’Boyle (45), G O’Brien for J O’Sullivan

(53), P O’Carroll for A O’Carroll (57), L Boyle for P Boyle (62). LIXNAW: M Stackpoole; D McCarthy, P Corridan, D Shanahan; B Brosnan, S Power, C O’Keeffe; J McKenna, B McAuliffe; J Buckley, R Heffernan, R Galvin; C Sheehy, M Conway, S Conway. Subs: J Flaherty for C Sheehy (h/t), M Corridan for D McCarthy (h/t), G Stackpoole for S Power

(39), L Mullins for R Galvin (46), E Galvin for J McKenna (54). REF: C McAllister (Cork).