Junior joy for Tramore

The sides were all square on three occasions but Tramore walked away victorious.

Confetti was flying in Fraher Field as Tramore celebrated their win over Colligan.

Tramore 3-8 Colligan 0-13

The confetti was flying in Fraher Field on Saturday night as Tramore celebrated county junior glory.

“First time I’ve seen it at a hurling match!” quipped captain Brendan Hogan.

Four second half points by Charlie Kelly and an injury time goal by goalkeeper David O’Brien from a long distance free clinched victory for the Eastern champions.

The hurt of losing a county final in 2018 and an Eastern final in 2019 drove them on. “We weren’t going to let it slip today, no way.” Waterford senior Colin Dunford struck six points from play for Colligan (five in the first half) including a stunning solo effort.

Four vans parked outside Fraher Field with fans on top of them to get a view of this junior decider.

John Clancy wriggled through the Colligan rearguard in the sixth minute before he found the bottom corner of the net. 1-1 to 0-1 at the first water break.

Tramore midfielder Dan Morrissey then delivered a point from 65 metres out.

A devastating solo run by Colin Dunford, where he left five Tramore defenders for dead, yielded a point for the county man. His second was even better as he soloed from 45 to 45 before he sent it over off his hurley.

In the 29th minute, Shane Rellis rifled a Tramore penalty over the bar. Colligan cut the gap to one with John Wall and Dunford on target.

Three minutes into injury time, Clancy got his second goal after Colligan keeper Evan McKenna miscued a free.

Dunford delivered the last two points of the half to bring his total to five and leave his team 2-3 to 0-7 down at the break.

Brian Murray (free) and Charlie Kelly gave Tramore a three-point lead eight minutes into the second period.

Points from John Wall, Ross Browne and John Morrissey levelled the match for the first time (2-5 to 0-11).

The sides were all square on three occasions. Tramore nearly threw it away as they hit ten second half wides and sixteen in total.

In the 61st minute, a free from goalkeeper David O’Brien went all the way to the net before Kelly’s fourth point of the night wrapped it up.

Scorers for Tramore: J Clancy 2-0, C Kelly 0-4, D O’Brien 1-0, S Rellis 0-2 (1f, 1 pen), B Murray (f), D Morrissey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Colligan: C Dunford 0-6, R Browne 0-3, J Wall 0-2 (1f), M Flynn, J Morrissey 0-1 each.

Tramore: D O’Brien; A Murphy Farrell, M Whelan, K Wilmott; B Whelan, B Murray, B Hogan; D Morrissey, M Walsh; C Burke, J Clancy, P Griffin; C Rellis, S Rellis, C Kelly.

Subs: S Lenihan for Griffin (37), I Thompson for Clancy (49), W Cullinane for Burke (58), E Hayes for C Rellis (63).

Colligan: E McKenna; J N Fennell, A Dunford, J Havens; L Beresford, D Booth, J Dunford; M Flynn, C Dunford; M Horgan, R Browne, J Morrissey; J Wall, R Stringer, G Whelan.

Referee: A Fitzgerald