1. A major breakthrough in Galway
It’s impossible not to admire this crop of Mountbellew-Moylough footballers. Their issue in Galway has been clear over the last while, getting so far but unable to seal the deal when it came to the senior football championship. The wait since 1986 for a title was difficult but the pain has been heaped on in modern times with the regularity at which they have visited deciders.
Losses in 2009 after a replay, 2015, 2017, 2018 after a replay and 2020 provided a succession of bitter pills to swallow. Last year seemed the hardest of all to take, after finally conquering their nemesis in Corofin in a semi-final and ending their 49-game unbeaten streak in Galway, Mountbellew-Moylough then went and lost the final to newcomers Moycullen.
So, they came to yesterday in Pearse Stadium, participating in a familiar stage but experiencing an unfamiliar outcome. A six-point success over Corofin, arguably the greatest club side ever with their feats over the last decade, proved the talent that existed in the Mountbellew setup and the resilience hardwired into their squad to come back and get the job done. They’ll savour claiming the Frank Fox Cup at last.
2. John McGrath magic in Tipperary
The highlights reel for John McGrath in the autumn and winter of 2021, shows no sign of halting. The Tipperary senior has been in electric form at club level in recent weeks, if he has undergone an indifferent phase with the county, then his tour de forces for Loughmore-Castleiney have illustrated his prowess.
In hurling he hit 4-6 in a quarter-final over Kilruane MacDonaghs a month ago, 1-12 in the semi-final against Borris-Ileigh a fortnight ago and then 0-12 in yesterday’s final draw with Thurles Sarsfields. His latest scoring input featured eight sweetly-stuck frees and four neat efforts from play, as he fired the charge that propelled Loughmore into contention. Add in the critical goal in last Sunday week’s football semi-final and McGrath is clearly a player in red-hot form.
3. Hayes steps up for Kilmacud in style
It didn’t look like the night was unfolding to the liking of Ronan Hayes on Saturday in Parnell Park. The attacking talisman for Kilmacud Crokes saw his penalty effort screwed wide and a couple point chances drift off target as his team hunted down Na Fianna in the Dublin final.
But Hayes demonstrated immense leadership to take on the last-gasp shot that found the back of the net and sent a frantic match towards extra-time. Then in the additional period he cut loose as the focal point of the forward line, finishing with 1-14 to his credit, 1-5 of that from play. Not everything went right, yet he impacted when Kilmacud’s need was greatest as they celebrated a first Dublin senior hurling crown since 2014.
4. A stunning Cork football shootout
The second senior football semi-final in Cork yesterday afternoon was touted beforehanded as a contest that could boil down to a duel between attackers Stephen Sherlock for St Finbarr’s and Brian Hurley for Castlehaven. Neither player disappointed, despite the close attention from defenders and expectation on their shoulders to perform.
Sherlock smashed in two goals in the first half, Hurley fired home two goals in the second half. Normal time concluded with Hurley rescuing his team with two kicks from placed balls, the second a shot struck from a ’45 under immense pressure in the 65th minute. Extra-time finished with Sherlock saving his side with three points in a row, the first two from play and the last a free nervelessly despatched in the 83rd minute.
Both players netted in the penalty shootout, the final count in the scoring stakes saw Sherlock shade it by 2-10 to 2-9, two eye-catching totals. He got to celebrate passage to a final while Hurley was left crestfallen after his herculean efforts.
5. Ballyea cement their Clare hurling greatness
From the outside, Ballyea’s magical breakthrough to win the Clare senior hurling crown in 2016 looked like a success in splendid isolation. But their ability to sustain their challenge has been striking and their ability to chisel out wins ever since has been hugely impressive. Another county followed in 2018 and yesterday’s success, their third in six seasons, elevates this team in the Clare standings.
Their latest title was achieved without their biggest name as injury has hit Tony Kelly but the leadership and savage desire of the likes of Jack Browne, Gary Brennan and Paul Flanagan embodies what Ballyea stand for. Between 2004 and 2014, nine different clubs won senior hurling finals in Clare, illustrating the intense competitiveness in the county.
Since then two clubs have shared seven titles. Sixmilebridge are not a surprising presence given their rich history but Ballyea’s emergence to consistently win cements their greatness.
