Desmond finds goal touch at the death to bring final joy for Watergrasshill 

Seán Desmond’s late goal settled a tremendous All-Ireland IHC final

Watergrasshill's Sean Desmond is challenged by Kevin Moloney and Garry McHugo of Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

All-Ireland Club IHC final: Watergrasshill 2-15 Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-18

Seán Desmond’s recently-found self-belief was the difference. A man who for so long didn’t back himself backed himself to the hilt when the game-winning moment presented itself.

This full throttle All-Ireland intermediate club hurling final was 12 seconds into the fifth and final minute of injury-time when Anthony Cronin’s delivery took a wicked deflection and broke in behind for Desmond. Thirty or so metres out, Desmond carried and carried before carrying his team to All-Ireland glory with a killer-cool finish.

Had Watergrasshill lost or been forced to extra-time, they would have been disgusted with themselves. They threw away white flag after white flag after white flag. They finished with a dozen wides. They still managed to finish as champions, only the fourth Cork club - after Blarney, Ballymartle, and Kanturk - to lift the silverware in question.

Watergrasshill, four ahead at the break, drifted in the third quarter. Their shooting drifted most of all. Only one third quarter score.

At the same time, Shane Moloney drifted centre stage. The former Galway senior lit up this second half with a collection of outstanding points. On 44 minutes, Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry returned in front for the first time since the seventh minute.

The final then went tit for tat. Level six times in the final quarter. Ben Moran took over from Moloney as Tynagh's leading contributor. Adam Murphy, Brendan Lehane, Desmond, and sub Dylan Roche were the men on target for the Hill.

Extra-time was now scribbled all over this decider. Desmond, with his sixth goal of the campaign, decided otherwise.

It had not started well for Watergrasshill. Or rather, it had started very well for Tynagh. David Jordan had the Galway and Connacht champions on the board inside 10 seconds. A foul on Johnny Conroy enabled Shane Moloney to double their lead little over a minute later.

The same two men partnered for Tynagh’s third to cancel Anthony Cronin’s Watergrasshill opener, with half-back Kevin Moloney then streaming forward to stretch their lead to three on seven minutes.

Watergrasshill, by this juncture, had left behind 1-2. Watergrasshill knew by this juncture there was goals to be mined amid a Tynagh full-back line not exactly the picture of stability or sure footing.

Adam Murphy was the forward to have failed with their opening green flag opportunity. It was the first of four Watergrasshill goal opportunities in the opening 10 minutes.

Garry McHugho’s superb block on Brendan Lehane denied their second. Their third, which fell to Murphy, was bounced in on nine minutes to hand Watergrasshill a lead they would hold onto until the 43rd minute. The lead and their goal count looked certain to be increased a minute and a half after Murphy’s opener. Tynagh goalkeeper Brendan Lynch intervened with a brilliant save to deflect around for a converted 65 Lehane’s stinging drive.

Murphy’s green flag was part of an unanswered Hill 1-4. Murphy, Desmond, and Lehane all pointing. Enright’s men 1-5 to 0-4 ahead. An early seven-point swing. That lead grew to five later in the half.

Watergrasshill finished the opening period with a pair of poor wides. That wastefulness would become more and more pronounced in the second period. That wastefulness very nearly cost them.

Seán Desmond and that green flag touch he has developed over the last year and a bit saved them and saturated them in All-Ireland elation.

Scorers for Watergrasshill: A Murphy (1-8, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘65); S Desmond (1-3); B Lehane (0-2); A Cronin, D Roche (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tynagh/Abbey Duniry: S Moloney (0-10, 0-4 frees, 0-1 65); B Moran (0-4, 0-2 frees); K Moloney, D Jordan, P Killeen, N Moloney (0-1 each).

Watergrasshill: A Foley; S Field, D McCarthy, I O’Callaghan; A Spriggs, D O’Leary, K O’Neill; A Cronin, S O’Regan; C O’Leary, S Desmond, L Foley; B Lehane, A Murphy, P O’Leary.

Subs: D Roche for L Foley (45); P Cronin for Spriggs (49); J McCarthy for P O’Leary (60).

Tynagh/Abbey Duniry: B Lynch; J Whelan, M Power, G McHugo; S Fitzpatrick, D Jordan, K Moloney; P Killeen, S Moloney; B Moran, J Conroy, N Moloney; P Breheny, J Dervan, C Jordan.

Subs: N Quirke for C Jordan (53) Referee: C McDonald (Antrim).