Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-22
Erin’s Own 0-20
They didn’t look like it for large spells on Saturday afternoon, but Ballyhale Shamrocks finished as champions as 2020 and 2021 Young Hurler of the Year Eoin Cody struck two points in additional time to help his side edge out a brave Erin’s Own team in UPMC Nowlan Park.
Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen and Liam Barron helped Ballyhale Shamrocks race into a 0-06 to 0-01 lead early on as Erin’s Own struggled to cope with their opponents unparalleled quality throughout the pitch.
Declan Dunne, Niall McMahon (2) and Stephen Daly (2) kept the Castlecomer men in the game midway through the first half as they refused to back down from their unenviable task of trying to get the better of the four-in-a-row champions.
The sides continued to exchange scores as they game progressed with Erin’s Own closing the gap through a cluster of points in a promising ten-minute spell.
Brian Cody and Eoin Kenneally pushed the Shamrocks ahead in a game that lacked intensity and was shrouded in a lack of physicality and excitement.
With the scoreboard reading Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-12 to 0-11 Erin’s Own at the start of the second half, it was all to play for after the interval with two precious points up for grabs.
The lively Kenneally opened the scoring in the second period which was responded to by corner forward Stephen Daly who got his fourth point of the day.
Darragh Brennan and Ronan Corcoran exchanged scores soon after before Robbie Moran equalised for Niall Rigney’s side, Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-14 to 0-14 Erin’s Own.
Substitute Mark Gorman and Jack Buggy kept the scoreboard ticking for both teams as the crowd began to get engaged in a close encounter.
Daly and Buggy moved Erin’s Own into a three-point lead before Eoin Cody, Ronan Corcoran and Darragh Corcoran brought the sides level once more as the game entered its closing stages.
With the game in the melting pot, it was Eoin Cody who stood up when it mattered most to get two late points and seal the well-earned victory for Pat Hoban’s team.
