Ronan keeps cool to edge dramatic victory for Ballyhea

Neil Ronan was the hero for Ballyhea when his late free from the touchline sealed a 0-13 to 0-12 win over Newcestown in a heated Premier IHC meeting in Mallow yesterday.

Ballyhea were deserving winners, having battled with 14 men for the majority of the game and fought their way back from a three-point deficit in the second half. But Newcestown will rue a string of late wides which could have won them the game.

The tone of the contest was set inside two minutes when Ballyhea’s Timmy Shanahan was shown a yellow card for an off-the-ball incident with Cárthach Keane. Three minutes later, Ballyhea found themselves a man down.