St Brendans dethrone Ballyduff to win county minor hurling title

CHAMPIONS: St Brendans celebrate after winning the Kerry minor hurling title. Pic: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus LTD.

KERRY MINOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

ST BRENDANS 3-13 BALLYDUFF 1-13

A sensational first half display by St Brendans saw them claim the County Minor Hurling Championship for the first time since 2013 when they defeated holders Ballyduff at Austin Stack Park.

Man of the Match Liam Óg O’Connor set the ball rolling when he opened the scoring with a point after just eight seconds and by the 15th minute, St Brendans had raced 0-8 to 0-3 lead thanks to Liam Óg contributing 0-6 while Tiernan O’Sullivan and Maurice Lenihan fired over one each.

Killian Boyle and Luke Rochford kept Ballyduff ticking over but St Brendan’s defenders Adam McDonagh, Gary O’Riordan, Odhran Ferris and Hugh Lenihan were ravenous for the ball and Ballyduff were not at the races in the opening half expect for the outstanding Evan Boyle at midfield. 

Liam Óg O’Connor then hammered the ball to the Ballyduff net in the 22nd minute and St Brendans led 1-10 to 0-5 at half time.

But Ballyduff were not about to surrender their crown without a fight as they exploded into life on resumption with Evan Boyle firing over two points from the sideline as Ballyduff hit an unanswered 1-4, with Luke Rochford getting the goal.

Suddenly it appeared game on, as the lead was a point (1-10 to 1-9).

But St Brendans responded with a two goal salvo from Maurice Lenihan and Keelan Best that settled the issue as Ballyduff never recovered in the final quarter and St Brendans gained revenge for last year’s final defeat.

Scorers for St Brendans: L Óg O’Connor (1-8, 2f’s, 2’65’s), M Lenihan (1-2), K Best (1-0), T O’Sullivan (0-2), E Flaherty (0-1).

Scorers for Ballyduff: K Boyle (0-6), E Boyle (0-4, 1f), L Rochford (1-2), J Enright (0-1).

ST BRENDANS: J Moriarty; R Hickey, G O’Riordan, A O’Sullivan; O Ferris, T Flaherty, H Lenihan; W Bellchambers, K Best; L Óg O’Connor, H Wallace, M Lenihan; A McDonagh, T O’Sullivan, E Flaherty.

Subs: B Doyle for W Bellchambers (44), N McMahon for A O’Sullivan (58) 

BALLYDUFF: C Murphy; G Murphy, A Whyte, R Whelan; R McGrath, L Kennelly, R O’Rourke; O Healy, E Boyle; S Carrig, J Enright, C Sheehy; L Rochford, J Curtin, K Boyle. 

Subs: A Lynch for R O’Rourke (25), J Rochford for C Sheehy (41), S Murphy for J Curtin (61), C Carey Sheehy for G Murphy (62) 

Referee: Mike Sexton (Limerick)