Adamstown on cloud nine
Third time lucky as crown captured after extra-time
ADAMSTOWN CELEBRATED Saturday’s Permanent TSB Junior ‘B’ hurling championship final replay success over Crossabeg-Ballymurn in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, as if they had won the Senior All-Ireland, and just a cursory glance at this team’s recent history explained exactly why.
It was a case of third time lucky for the black and ambers as they lost the deciders of 2015 and 2016 to Duffry Rovers and Craanford respectively, but that only tells half the story.
In actual fact, this was their sixth successive year to emerge from New Ross District, but their first three attempts ended in defeat at the county semi-final stage.
Given the journey they’ve endured and the many disappointments along the way, their outpouring of unbridled joy was perfectly understandable as they eventually got over the line, adding their name to the Junior ‘B’ roll of honour in the process with a first-ever success.
The title was earned the hard way, and that cannot be denied. Adamstown needed a replay to dismiss Taghmon-Camross for that sixth successive District title before pipping Oylegate-Glenbrien by one point in the penultimate round, and the same tight margin divided the sides on Saturday after a replay and extra-time.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn contributed a great deal also to this absorbing contest as they sought to add to their sole previous county championship in the grade from 1995.
The outcome could have gone just as easily in the other direction, and anyone of the belief that Junior ‘B’, the sixth and lowest grade of adult hurling, is an irrelevance would have been forced into a re-think after having a look at this gripping battle.
Clearly it meant so much to players on both sides as they thundered into every challenge, and any lack of quality was amply compensated for with the sheer honesty of the exchanges.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s last three games had been goal-less, so there was a clear reversal in that trend when they won the toss and set about establishing a 2-4 to 1-3 interval lead with the benefit of the wind.
Adamstown’s star man, full-forward Johnny Connors, gave them the ideal start with a brace of points inside five minutes, the first from play after a Tomás French delivery.
Eoghan Kehoe opened the Wexford District side’s account after a foul on Cormac O’Rourke, and they hit the front in the ninth minute with an excellent goal.
Outstanding centre-back Declan Byrne, arguably the most polished hurler on the field, delivered a clearance to Josh Whitehead who showed a clean pair of heels to two chasing defenders before slamming the sliothar into the roof of Paul Cooper’s net.
It was a well-taken goal and, after Eoghan Kehoe (’65) and the lively Tomás Harrington swapped points, Crossabeg-Ballymurn raised the green flag once again in the 19th minute.
The chance arose from another clearance by Declan Byrne, and it was no surprise to see him promoted to the higher grade of Intermediate in his club’s replayed semi-final just under 24 hours later.
The ball broke favourably in a central position for Eoghan Kehoe who picked it up in full stride and raced through before crashing home goal number two for a 2-2 to 0-3 lead.
Adamstown replied less than two minutes later, though, when a Tomás Harrington delivery from the right was missed by a defender, and Johnny Connors was lurking behind him to take full advantage and find the corner of Noel Scallan’s net.
A brace of Eoghan Kehoe frees before the break left Crossabeg-Ballymurn with a four-point advantage, with a Josh Whitehead handpass almost finding Paul Larrissy in added time as they sought a third goal.
Adamstown slowly but surely made inroads into the gap during the third quarter, with the wind now in their favour. In fact, just seven seconds had elapsed when they pulled back the first point, with Tomás Harrington obliging after Paudge Wickham won the throwin and fed him with a handpass.
Johnny Connors converted a long-range free and substitute Andrew French was picked out by Michael Curtis to make it 2-4 to 1-6 just over five minutes after his introduction.
The goal that gave Adamstown the lead was good enough to grace any occasion, arriving in the 43rd minute.
Shane Bradley had actually split the posts from a tight angle on the right, but linesman Willie Wickham had his flag up beforehand for a line ball. Tipperary man Vinnie Doheny directed it into the danger zone at head-high level, and Johnny Connors made a marvellous connection in the air to first-time it to the net - the type of goal that was part and parcel of the game in the 1950s and 1960s but is sadly only seen on rare occasions nowadays.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn didn’t crumble, though, to give them their due, with Martin Redmond setting up Paul Larrissy for a point with a swift reply.
Cormac O’Rourke then brought them level from long range before a lengthy battle for possession, conducted mainly on the ground, finally ended when substitute Seán Kehoe pushed the Over The Water side one clear with just under ten minutes left (2-7 to 2-6).
Johnny Connors earned and converted the free in the 56th minute that would ultimately lead to extra-time, with the sides shooting one wide apiece and both surviving some anxious moments before they were able to draw breath.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn won the toss again and once more took wind advantage first, with Eoghan Kehoe restoring their lead from a free before a Johnny Connors piledriver went over via the crossbar after a James Delaney delivery.
A foul on Delaney was then punished by the deadly-accurate Connors before Crossabeg-Ballymurn hit a brace of points in added time to lead by the minimum at the last change of ends (2-10 to 2-9).
Cormac O’Rourke latched on to a loose Adamstown clearance for the first, and ‘Snowy’ Kehoe gave his side one final advantage from a ’65.
They didn’t score again though, with Adamstown hitting two unanswered points in the second period of extra-time to finally emerge triumphant from this tense battle.
Substitute Michael Foley got the first after just 19 seconds from a Tomás Harrington handpass, and he was also fouled for the free that Johnny Connors knocked over in the 77th minute.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn did have ample chances to bring the contest to a third game thereafter, and I don’t think anyone would have complained if that had transpired.
The best opening fell to joint captain Michael A. Doyle who shot to the left and wide from a Cormac O’Rourke handpass.
Netminder Noel Scallan later landed a couple of frees into the danger zone, but they ended with the 17th and 18th wides for his side. In contrast, Adamstown only had six misses chalked down beside them, and that made the world of difference in such a tight contest.
Adamstown: Paul Cooper; James Furlong, Colm Boland (capt.), J.P. Furlong; Mosey Delaney, Michael Curtis, Michael Doran; James Delaney, Paudge Wickham; Tomás Harrington (0-2), Vinnie Doheny, Tomás French; Shane Bradley, Johnny Connors (2-7, 0-5 frees), Paudge Kavanagh. Subs. - Shane Wickham for Kavanagh (HT), Andrew French (0-1) for T. French (34), Michael Foley (0-1) for Bradley (52), Tomás French for Wickham (70), Kavanagh for Doheny (77), also Liam McDonald, Pat Delaney, Mark Dunphy, Eoin Furlong, Rory Foran, Donal Cosgrave, Stephen English, Thomas Furlong, Eddie Connors, Ollie Furlong, Patrick Roche, Laurence Roche.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Noel Scallan; Daithí Redmond (joint capt.), David Scallan, Michael A. Doyle (joint capt.); Conor Barlow, Declan Byrne, Robert Byrne; Martin Redmond, Cormac O’Rourke (0-2); James White, James Grannell, Eoghan Kehoe (1-6, 0-4 frees, 0-2 ’65s); Mark Campbell, Paul Larrissy (0-1), Josh Whitehead (1-0). Subs. - Seán Kehoe (0-1) for Whitehead (45), Eoin O’Connor for D. Scallan (46), Shane Conroy for S. Kehoe, temp. (46-47), Conroy for White (56), White for Larrissy (63), Whitehead for Conroy (68), Evan Kinlough for Grannell (70), also Emmett Kehoe, Lorcan Cummins, Shane Whelan, Michael Eviston, Lorcan Lacey.
Referee: David O’Leary (Rathnure).