Tooreen clinch title after extra-time
Yesterday at 02:33 PM
Tooreen today won their fourth Mayo SHC title in a row, once more beating Ballyhaunis in the decider, but they had to battle all the way to the end of extra-time on their home turf at Adrian Freeman Park before getting their hands on the TJ Tyrell Cup. After a titanic contest Tooreen eventually came out on top by 1-21 to 0-22 after extra-time.
It was a tight affair right from the off. Tooreen opened the scoring with a point from play, Ballyhaunis then hitting the front on five minutes when Brian Hunt knocked over what was their third score of the day.
When Liam Lavin goaled for the defending champions midway through the half – the only green flag raised in this match – it looked like a significant turning point. That wasn’t the case, however, as instead Ballyhaunis responded with five points without reply – three of these from Cormac Phillips frees while the evergreen Keith Higgins and Ryan Kilbane pointed from play – to seize a three-point lead. A Seán Regan point for Tooreen cut the deficit to two at half-time.
The champions pulled level early in the second half, via scores from Liam Lavin and Fergal Boland. Ballyhaunis edged in front again but then Tooreen reeled off four points in a row. Three to the good coming down the stretch and it was looking good for Tooreen at that stage.
But the challengers responded in kind, firing over four unanswered points at the other end to snatch a one-point lead with five to play.
In a frantic finish pointed frees for Tooreen by Seán Regan and Bobby Douglas put them back in front before a Cormac Phillips free in injury time sent this enthralling battle into extra-time.
Three times in the first half of extra-time Ballyhaunis went a point in front only for Tooreen to peg them back each time. It was still stalemate at half-time in extra-time.
The champions then made what proved to be their decisive move. They bagged three points without reply early in the second period of extra-time to establish a lead they then held to the finish. Ballyhaunis did manage to cut the deficit back to two points but that was as close as they got at the end of a full-throated title decider.
The win sees Tooreen claim the TJ Tyrell Cup for the 34th time and they now progress once again to the Connacht Intermediate Championship, another title they’ll surely be looking to defend successfully. Congratulations to them on today’s win and commiserations to a brave Ballyhaunis team who gave their all in this afternoon’s county final.
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