Watch and Read: Holycross-Ballycahill dump out champions Loughmore-Castleiney in eight-goal Tipperary SHC scorefest
Holycross-Ballycahill have dumped out back-to-back Tipperary SHC champions Loughmore-Castleiney after an eight-goal preliminary quarter-final scorefest at The Ragg.
It was a coming-of-age performance as the Dan Breen Cup favourites avenged their defeats in the 2025 county semi-final and 2026 Mid final.
In each half, Holycross scored more than they did across the entire hour of last year’s tension-packed semi-final defeat.
John McGrath (2-8, 2-2 from play) and Liam McGrath (2-1) each had two goals, but Holycross had the greater spread of high scorers, led by Darragh Woods (1-8, 1-3 from play), Joe Caesar, and Robbie Ryan (1-4 each).
Cathal Barrett got the other goal before picking up an injury towards the end.
The game lived up to the hype from the first whistle with an explosive start featuring two goals in little over three minutes.
Holycross captain Barrett, squaring up against John McGrath in the key match-up, was out in front for the first ball and his delivery from the halfway line dropped untouched into the net.
Centre-back Bryan O’Mara pushed the lead out to four before Loughmore hit back. Brian McGrath caught the puck-out and some sharp stick-passing from Philip O’Connell and John McGrath teed up Liam McGrath to finish.
O’Mara, Ryan, and Caesar each doubled up their white-flag tally to push Holycross five clear; 1-7 to 1-2.
Corner-back Eoin O’Connell landed two huge points and Brian McGrath soon had Loughmore level for the first time at 1-8 apiece.
A penalty helped Holycross to rebuild a four-point lead by the 22nd minute. Whether Mikey Nally threw or struck the sliotar into the net, referee Michael Kennedy called the play back for a foul on the full-forward. Caesar buried his strike to the keeper’s left.
Thirty seconds later, Liam McGrath broke the sliotar into John McGrath’s path to rifle home an immediate response.
John McGrath twice brought them level, but Evan Morris became the fifth defender to score for a 2-11 to 2-10 Holycross lead at half-time.
It took until the 39th minute for Loughmore to eke out their first and only lead. Joey Hennessy was a surprise addition to the full-forward line, but he laid the sliotar on a plate for John McGrath to finish; 2-15 to 3-13.
It didn’t last long as Holycross produced some of their best scores of the day in the aftermath.
Darragh Woods finished a flowing move to the bottom corner and they extended that out to a 1-3 streak with an outrageous Woods point from the sideline and Eoin Craddock’s fourth for 3-20 to 3-14.
They managed that advantage from there, with Ryan blasting a brilliant individual goal to the net on the hour, which saw John Ryan sent off in the aftermath. Liam McGrath’s late goal proved a consolation score.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
