St Pat’s Maghera inflict another All-Ireland final defeat on Tralee CBS

SUNNY SAINTS: St Pat’s Maghera ensured Tralee CBS suffered the pain of All-Ireland final defeats in both codes. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

ST PAT’S MAGHERA 3-19 TRALEE CBS 2-14

An unanswered scoring burst of 1-6 did the damage for an outstanding St Pat’s Maghera as Tralee CBS suffered the pain of All-Ireland final defeats in both codes following this Masita PPS ‘B’ senior hurling championship decider at a very sunny Kinnegad.

Having led by four points at half-time (2-9 to 1-8), the ‘Green were still a point up (2-14 to 2-13) by the 46th minute, but they simply ran out of steam in the game’s finale, as their opponents raised the tempo several decibels when everything was in the melting pot.

Centre-back Odhran Doherty, an absolute colossus for the Maghera side from beginning to end, was a machine from long-range frees down the stretch.

The Slaughtneil powerhouse hit four placed balls to break their opponents’ hearts well before the final whistle.

Padraig O’Kane, captain Rian Collins and Sean O’Kane combined for 2-9 in the winners’ full-forward line and, when St Pat’s dropped back a sweeper in the second half to curtail the influence of the hitherto rampant Oisin Heaton, the fizz went out of the ‘Green attack.

It all looked so much brighter for the Kerry school when they struck for two goals in three minutes in the first half – Heaton the provider for Rory O’Halloran’s excellent rocket to the St Pat’s net, Heaton the finisher soon after following good work by Eoin O’Flaherty.

However, St Pat’s responded resolutely to those two body-blows and, when the magnificent Doherty created an opening for Padraig O’Kane to bury a low drive to the ‘Green net in the 26th minute, the Ulster kingpins were right back into the picture.

On the changeover, Tralee CBS remained in the ascendancy before Fionn Cartin tapped home the Maghera side’s second goal in the 42nd minute to level matters (2-11 apiece), though the ‘Green edged back in front entering the last quarter.

Shutting up shop at the back at this stage with tremendous tenacity in defence, it was St Pat’s who took complete control, with Collins’ injury-time penalty putting extra gloss on the scoreboard. A second half tally of 2-11 to 0-5 says it all about why the Paddy Buggy Cup is heading to Maghera.

Scorers for St Pat’s Maghera: R Collins 1-4 (0-3fs, 1-0pen), O Doherty 0-6(fs), P O’Kane 1-3, F Cartin 1-1, S O’Kane 0-2, N McNicholl, PJ Glover, C McCloskey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tralee CBS: E Costello 0-7 (0-6fs), O Heaton 1-1, R O’Halloran 1-0, M O’Sullivan (fs), S Shanahan 0-2 each, J Rochford, E O’Flaherty 0-1 each.

ST PAT’S MAGHERA: D Collins; P Pio Peoples, D O’Neill, O Burke; C Gallagher, O Doherty, D McEldowney; D McCloskey, N McNicholl; C McCloskey, F Cartin, PJ Glover; P O’Kane, R Collins, S O’Kane.

Sub: R O’Loughlin for C McCloskey (48).

TRALEE CBS: C Harris; Brandon Leen, J O’Donovan, R Hurley; M O’Sullivan, M Corridon, L Hanafin; Brody Leen, C Hurley; J Rochford, R O’Halloran, E O’Flaherty; E Costello, S Shanahan, O Heaton.

Subs: J Gaynor for Rochford (37), A Relihan for O’Halloran (50), D O’Flaherty for Hanafin (52), Rochford for C Hurley (54), L Fitzmaurice for Brody Leen (57).

Referee: C Ryan (Tipperary).