Callanan fires Drom to first ever title

JOY unconfined for Drom & Inch yesterday in Semple Stadium as they won their first Tipperary senior hurling title, edging out Clonoulty Rossmore by two points to get their hands on the Dan Breen Cup.

A noisy crowd of 7,038 were treated to a fine game, with Drom overcoming a sluggish start to finish in fine style, intercounty star and captain Seamus Callanan storming into the game in the second-half to torment their opponents.

The beginning of the game was quite different, though. Clonoulty were aided by the wind in the first-half and settled quickly, rattling over three points in the opening seven minutes from Conor Ryan, Jamie Moloney and a Timmy Hammersley ‘65. Drom had two wides before the impressive David Butler got them on the scoreboard with a point.

The game fizzed to life on 10 minutes, when Clonoulty wing-back Padraig Heffernan put a clever clearance into corner-forward Ciaran Quirke’s hand. Quirke delayed a fraction of a second before handpassing to Seán Maher, who finished well for the game’s opening goal.

David Collins hit back with Drom’s second point just before they raised a green flag themselves: James Woodlock freed Collins, who made ground down the left wing before placing Pat Lupton, who crashed home a goal from close range: 1-2 to 1-4.

Hammersley made it a three-point game soon afterwards but Collins and Johnny Ryan (free) kept Drom ticking over. The scores were coming in twos: Timmy Hammersley’s fine crossfield pass gave Maher a point on a plate and John O’Neill pointed again, before David Butler and Lupton had Drom points, making it 1-7 to 1-6 with five minutes left in the half.

Tom Butler and Conor Ryan points gave Clonoulty breathing space – though Ryan could have goaled from his opportunity – only for David and Seamus Butler to respond with yet another Drom brace, leaving it 1-9 to 1-8 at the half. Both sides might have had another goal before the break, mind – Seamus Callanan squandered a glorious chance for Drom, with Clonoulty ‘keeper Declan O’Dwyer spreading himself to save, while at the other end, a last-gasp Eamonn Buckley interception kept Clonoulty at bay.

The second half was delayed slightly as Clonoulty defender Kevin Horan injured himself running out onto the field, but the men in green and gold still settled quickly.

A peach of a point from Timmy Hammersley out on the sideline was almost immediately followed by another Clonoulty goal. On 32 minutes John O’Neill took advantage of some defensive dithering from Drom to collect the ball and pick his spot with a clinical finish, pushing his side four points ahead.

Credit Drom, they hit back. They moved Seamus Callanan from the forty into full-forward and they began to involve him in the game: he hit over a ‘65 and two frees, with Pat Lupton striking a beautiful point from the right wing. Seán Maher and Hammersley (free) kept Clonoulty just ahead, but when Callanan got his first from play, followed by a long-range Johnny Ryan effort, the sides were level on 45 minutes, 1-15 to 2-12. All to play for, but Drom tails were up.

Callanan put his side one up within two minutes, and Collins made it a two-point lead with 10 minutes left. From then on Clonoulty struggled to regain the initiative — Collins and Butler chipping in with two more points before Hammersley kept it interesting with two late Clonoulty frees either side of a fine Callanan point.

Drom were two points up as the game went into injury time and could never relax as the clock ticked into injury-time. However, while Clonoulty never gave up – the game ended with their forwards still trying to work an opening — the all-important goal never looked a realistic option. At the final whistle a flood of white and green-clad supporters streamed onto the field, and they stayed out there for a good hour afterwards.

It’s not every day you win your first county senior title, after all; you wouldn’t blame them for wringing every last drop from the day.

Scorers for Drom & Inch: S. Callanan 0-6 (0-2 fs, 0-1 65); P. Lupton 1-2; D. Butler 0-4; D. Collins 0-3; S. Butler, J. Ryan (0-1f) 0-2 each.

Scores for Clonoulty: T. Hammersley 0-6 (0-3 fs, 0-1 65); J. O’Neill (0-1 sideline) S. Maher 1-2 each; C. Ryan 0-2; J. Moloney, T. Butler 0-1 each.

DROM & INCH: D. Young; Martin Butler, Micheal Butler, M. Costello; P. Stapleton, E. Buckley, J. Ryan; J. Ryan, J. Woodlock; S. Butler, S. Callanan (c), D. Collins; P. Lupton, D. Ryan, D. Butler.

Subs: K. Butler for D. Ryan, 27; L. Ryan for M. Butler, 37; M. Ryan for J. Ryan, 60.

CLONOULTY ROSSMORE: D. O’Dwyer; K. Horan, J. Heffernan, Joey O’Keeffe; P. Heffernan, John Devane (c), John O’Keeffe; S. O’Connor, T. Butler; S. Maher, C. Ryan, J. Moloney; J. O’Neill, T. Hammersley, C. Quirke.

Subs: M. Sadlier for Horan, HT; A. Kearney for S. O’Connor, 44; F. O’Keeffe for J. Moloney 45; M. Coen for C. Ryan, 53; M. Heffernan for Quirke, 57.

Referee: Pat Gibson (Burgess).