Kilcormac-Killoughey barely clung onto their Offaly senior hurling title in a cracking contest against Ballinamere at Tullamore’s O’Connor Park on Sunday afternoon. Ballinamere, in pursuit of their inaugural title, almost clinched a remarkable victory with a captivating second half performance, only to be denied by three crucial, late points from the exceptional player of the match, Adam Screeney.
Although Ballinamere had the advantage of a gusty crosswind in the initial half, they failed to capitalise on it despite their valiant efforts. They briefly held the lead twice during the opening 15 minutes as both sides equalled scores five times. At the 16-minute mark, however, Kilcormac-Killoughey took control led by Daniel Hand, Conor Mahon, and Colin Spain’s influential points earning them a 0-8 to 0-5 lead after 27 minutes, leaving Ballinamere in a tight spot.
A late strike at the final minute by Dan Ravenhill balanced the scores at 1-5 to 0-8, just in time for half-time, granting Ballinamere a chance to turn the game around.
With a revitalised second-half performance, the underdogs unsettled Kilcormac-Killoughey. Scorings from Aaron Maher and Dan Bourke helped Ballinamere gain a 1-10 to 0-11 lead after 45 minutes, hinting at a possible upset.
Despite their growing concerns, Kilcormac-Killoughey fought their way back, even when Brian Duignan’s scoring put Ballinamere momentarily ahead at the 56th minute. Showcasing extraordinary temperament under pressure, Screeney scored three final points from open play that ensured Kilcormac-Killoughey’s victory in a match that could have swung either way.
The match held between KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY and BALLINAMERE saw players giving their best game. For KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY, the team consisted of C Slevin, T Spain, O Mahon, J Mahon, J Quinn, B Kavanagh, E Grogan, D Kilmartin, C Spain who scored 0-2, L Kavanagh, C Mahon who added 0-1, T Guinan also scoring 0-1, D Hand contributing 0-1, C Mitchell adding 0-1, and A Screeney whose score was 0-10, including 4 frees. As for the replacements, A Kavanagh substituted Hand at the 41-minute mark, J Screeney replaced Grogan at 45 minutes, P Geraghty came on for L Kavanagh at 51 minutes, and T Geraghty came in for Conor Mahon at minute 63.
For BALLINAMERE, players M Troy, C McDonald, C Burke, E Boland, J Fogarty, R Ravenhill, S Bourke, D Magner, K McDermott, D Ravenill who scored 1-0, D Bourke with 0-2, A Maher with 0-2, J Maher, B Duignan who contributed 0-7, including 5 frees, and J Murphy took part. The substitution of players saw D Wyer replacing J Maher at 55 minutes, M O’Brien coming in for Murphy at minute 57, and J Scully replacing McDermott at 62 minutes. The referee of the match was J Deehan hailing from Clara.