*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Inagh-Kilnamona, O’Callaghan’s Mills/Bodyke and Tulla garnered the inaugural Minor Hurling Championship honours at Under 17 level amidst five underage hurling deciders last weekend.
It had to take extra-time to finally separate the Under 17A heavyweights as following a enthralling seesaw opening hour in which the sides were level on ten occasions, Inagh-Kilnamona duly upped the ante to match-winning effect with a six point unanswered blitz that finally shook off Clooney-Quin by 0-22 to 1-17 in Cusack Park on Sunday.
The favourites had to dig deep though as a Callum Hassett-led Clooney-Quin appeared to be n their way to a first Minor A crown in 15 years when soaring 0-13 to 0-11 clear entering the final minutes. However, talisman Sean Rynne would get his side back on track with a trio of scores in a four point blitz that actually forced Clooney-Quin to scramble for extra-time, inevitably through Hassett and impressive midfielder David Considine at 0-15 to 0-15.
Having rediscovered their mojo though, Inagh-Kilnamona seized full control of extra-time with Rynne, who finished with 13 points, grabbing five further points to carve out a 0-22 to 0-16 advantage by the second period.
To their credit, Clooney-Quin kept up the fight and along with Hassett’s tenth point, David Considine raided for 1-1 but the goal proved to be the last puck of a superb contest as Inagh-Kilnamona secured their first Minor A title in four years.
O’Callaghan’s Mills/Bodyke actually achieved a unique back-to-back of Minor B crowns in Meelick on Sunday. Despite the age alteration to Under 17, the amalgamation would keep neighbouring combo Scariff-Ogonnelloe at arm’s length to prevail by 2-14 to 1-11.
A brace of first half goals through Jamie Howard proved decisive as the holders opened up a 2-6 to 0-7 interval advantage. And thanks in the main to joint-captains Darragh Moroney, Sean Cooney, Billy Scanlon, Thomas Wiley and the lively Sean Boyce, O’Calaghan’s Mills/Bodkye managed to successfully fend off anything their opponents could throw at them.
Liam Madden’s goaled 25 metre free in the 38th minute did lower the deficit to four but that was as close as Scariff-Ogonnelloe would get to the leaders despite the best efforts of Scott Cairns, Donnacha McNulty and Aaron Collins.
In contrast, it was a brace of second half goals that finally got Tulla over the line against Newmarket-on-Fergus in the Minor C decider by 2-12 to 0-16 in Broadford on Saturday morning.
With Emmett Mulcahy (Tulla), Sean Arthur and Adam Enright (Newmarket) to the fore in the scoring stakes, this evenly-match encounter went blow-for-blow until Eanna Culloo and captain Fionn Ryan altered the narrative decisively in Tulla’s direction.
Cian Neylon’s impressive 1-11 haul kept Kilmaley on top despite second half strikes in riposte from Cillian Moroney (penalty) and Andrew McElwee in an Under 17A Shield Final derby victory over Éire Óg by 1-15 to 2-6 in Ballyea on Saturday.
However, the drama didn’t end there as Dara Hogan’s last gasp goal sealed the Under 13C Hurling Shield for Ennistymon over their heartbroken hosts Banner by 5-6 to 3-11.
