Bullish Ballingarry take Munster SHL title in extra time

Ballingarry 1-22 Na Piarsaigh 2-15 (After-extra-time)

In the end, the Tipp men's superior strength and fitness in extra-time got them through after some superb passages of play.

However, Limerick referee John Sexton was kept busy all afternoon. He flashed yellow cards aplenty and sent off Na Piarsaigh corner-back Darren Mannix near the death.

Some five minutes into added time, with Na Piarsaigh trailing 0-14 to 1-9, it looked all over for the Cork champions. A tremendous half hour's hurling from Ballingarry substitute Donal Shelley, in which he fired over five cracking points, had swung the game Ballingarry's way after a poor first-half display in which the winners failed to score from play.

But there was to be one more sting in Na Piarsaigh's tail, as a tremendous low free from Mark Prendergast was saved by Ballingarry keeper Shane Ivors, only for the lion-hearted John Gardiner to knock the rebound in. It looked like celebration time only for Shelley to spoil the party with his fifth point from the puck-out to send a titanic struggle to extra-time.

Na Piarsaigh had their chances in extra-time, with John Gardiner having a penalty saved by Ballingarry keeper Shane Ivors after substitute Leonard Cunningham was upended. But entering the second period and leading 0-19 to 2-11, corner-forward Sean Cahill scored the all important goal from which Na Piarsaigh were never to recover. With Shelley and Trevor Ivors now working a tired Na Piarsaigh defence hard, Ballingarry had the class and skill to take the Jack Lynch Cup, a terrific achievement as only last year they won the Division Two title by beating Ballybrown.

Yet it looked all so different in the opening half, when Na Piarsaigh were the masters. Liam Cahill, so skilful, scored all Ballingarry's five points from frees as Na Piarsaigh led 1-6 to 0-5 at the break. David Gardiner was in control at centre-back, with Ronan McGregor and Mark Prendergast comfortable at midfield, but it was wing forward Ger Shaw who was producing the magic, giving Paul Cleary a torrid time. Prendergast was the goalscorer in the 21st minute, his shot deceiving Ivors for a fortuitous goal, but the Corkmen were well worth their lead.

Inspired second-half substitutions Shelley, Johnny Holohan and William Maher played huge parts in Ballingarry's comeback and despite John Gardiner, now at centre-forward, stretching Na Piarsaigh's lead just after the restart, three points from Shelley and two from Ivors had Ballingarry level entering the final quarter.

There was just a point between the sides with time running out, but Ballingarry were in the ascendency. When Cahill sent over his sixth free and Mannix got his marching orders, it looked all over for Na Piarsaigh, until Gardiner's 66th minute heroics and Shelley's equally dramatic equaliser lit up a cold Fermoy afternoon with 30 more minutes of brilliant action in which Ballingarry emerged winners.

Scorers for Ballingarry: L Cahill 0-8 (frees), D. Shelley 0-7, T. Ivors 0-4, S. Cahill 1-1, N. Cleere and J. Holohan 0-1 each,

Na Piarsaigh; J. Gardiner 1-5 ((0-2 frees), D. Gardiner 0-4 (0-2 frees), M. Prendergast 1-0, P. O'Sullivan and G. Shaw 0-2 each, S. O'Sullivan and D. Walsh 0-1 each.

BALLINGARRY: S. Ivors; M. Ivors, D. Norton, B. Cooney; P. Cleary, E. Cahill, A. Cooney; J.P. O'Brien, P. Ivors; D. Cashin, L. Cahill, T. Ivors; S. Cahill, D. Lyons, P. Ivors. Subs: N. Cleere for Cleary, J. Holohan for Cashin, D. Shelley for J. P. O'Brien, W. Maher for Cooney.

NA PIARSAIGH: M. O'Sullivan; D. Mannix, R. O'Byrne, D. Murphy; S. O'Sullivan, D. Gardiner, M. White; R. McGregor, M. Prendergast; R. Healy, S. P. O'Sullivan, G. Shaw; P. O'Sullivan, G. Coughlan, J. Gardiner. Subs; S. Guiheen for McGregor, C. O'MAhony for P. O'Sullivan, McGregor (15th man extra-time), L. Cunningham for Coughlan, P. O'Sullivan for J. Gardiner.

Referee: J. Sexton (Limerick).