Fennelly: We got a second chance and we took it

No prizes for guessing what the Christmas toast will be around the hurling homes of Ballyhale — to second chances.

Colin Fennelly wasn’t too proud to admit that, not for the first time this year, his team profited from the mistakes of others.

He and Kilkenny won their All-Ireland final at the second attempt, of course, when John O’Dwyer’s missed free necessitated a replay.

Kilkenny also required extra-time to see off Tipperary in the National League final.

Yesterday, in keeping with the theme of ‘if at first you don’t succeed’, Ballyhale took advantage of their opponents’ errors and won in extra-time.

“To be fair, with their frees, they should have put us away,” admitted Fennelly, referencing the five Kilcormac-Killoughey missed in the second half.

“They were unlucky with the frees today. We got a second chance and we took it.

“At the end of normal time, we just said it in the dressing room, ‘just take your points’. And that’s what we did in extra-time.”

Fennelly paid a rich tribute to his forward colleague Henry Shefflin who rolled back the years and demanded possession when a cool head was required late on.

“He was absolutely brilliant,” said Fennelly. “In the second half we got one point along the sideline the same as the game against Galway, the Leinster semi-final. It was an unbelievable point and then in extra-time he came up with one over the shoulder from the sideline again.

“It was just absolutely amazing to watch, to see points like that. He’s the lead man in our team and we follow him.”

Ballyhale boss Andy Moloney agreed that they escaped with the spoils.

“If Kilcormac-Killoughey had won today we could have no qualms because in my eyes we got out of jail,” said Moloney.

Kilcormac-Killoughey manager Danny Owens said they wouldn’t dare blame errant free-taker Ciaran Slevin for the loss.

“Ciaran Slevin has been our hero so many times that I’ve lost count,” said Owens. “Everybody is totally supportive of him and all the fellas because everybody put their shoulder to the wheel.”

Owens said full-back Ger Healion’s departure before extra-time with a calf injury was a major blow.

“It meant rejigging the team and that did have an effect,” he added. “We had to reshape our team and it probably did have an adverse affect on the result alright but we’re immensely proud of the lads. They played the way we thought they would play.”