Pádraig Pearses 2-14
Killimordaly 1-16
Billy Coss, Tuam Herald
They’ll be talking about this in Gurteen and Ballymacward for a long, long time. Coming out on top in a county final is a special achievement for any club player. Scoring the winning goal with the game’s last puck is on a whole other level.
And so it was under the Duggan Park floodlights last Wednesday evening as Jonah Donnellan experienced his Roy of the Rovers moment in deciding the destination of this year’s Galway U-20 B1 Hurling Championship title.
One of the stars in the county’s run to the All-Ireland final at the grade this summer, Donnellan stood over a 25-metre free in the knowledge that referee Peter Campbell’s final whistle would soon follow, come what may.
The equation was pretty straightforward. Two points down. The clock deep in the red. Tapping over a routine point was a futile exercise. It was ‘goal or bust’ time.
Donnellan’s strike carried venom, but also accuracy and had the top right corner of the Killimordaly net rippling as Pádraig Pearses players, management and supporters were soon celebrating a rip-roaring comeback.
Equally, it was utter heartbreak for a Killimordaly side that didn’t trail until that decisive moment in the fifth added minute. With Shane Earls netting a first half goal and Galway U-20 Ronan Cahalan becoming more and more influential, Killimordaly were in control and leading 1-13 to 0-7 lead in the 43rd minute. However, they would only add just three further points as Pádraig Pearses struck 2-6, 2-4 of it from the man of the match, to snatch victory.
Earls’ well-taken goal in the 14th minute was the headline score as Killimordaly led 1-7 to 0-7 at the break. Their points came from captain Owen Earls (two), Ronan Cahalan, Michael Lewis, Luca Walsh, Shane Earls (free) and Isaac Earls. Darren Moran (three frees), Donnellan (sideline cut), Tadhg Harte (two) and Diarmuid Ryan provided the replies for Pearses.
The sides were level eight times during their drawn clash a fortnight earlier. But a run of six points without answer in the opening 12 minutes of the second half from Ryan Taylor, Owen Earls, Shane Earls (free), Jerry Hardiman and Ronan Cahalan (two) appeared to tilt the balance in favour of Killimordaly.
Moran and Sean Kelly had goal chances denied before Pearses grew in stature and cut the deficit to 1-13 to 1-10 with a run of 1-3 in eight minutes. Diarmuid Ryan and Jonah Donnellan (two frees) supplied the points either side of a Donnellan sideline travelling all the way to the net in a major stroke of fortune.
Despite that setback, Killimordaly steadied with Taylor, Shane Earls and Cahalan scores cancelling out Pearses efforts from Jack Kenny and Donnellan (two, one free) as the scoreline stood at 1-16 to 1-13 entering four added minutes.
Donnellan pegged the difference back to just two with his latest free in the third minute and though Killimordaly remained under the cosh, they were one defensive stand away from getting their hands on silverware.
Captain Harry Mitchell, one of the main reasons why Pádraig Pearses came away with a draw the first day, launched a free into the danger zone that Padraic Kelly gathered and drew a foul with. Up stepped Donnellan to sprinkle a bit of stardust and secure a famous win for Pearses.
PÁDRAIG PEARSES: H. Mitchell (captain); J. Queeney, C. Hillary, H. Tierney; A. Feeney, J. Kenny (0-1), P. Kelly; D. Lydon, J. Donnellan (2-6, 1-4 frees, 1-1 sideline cuts); D. Ryan (0-2), C. Walsh, T. Harte (0-2); D. Moran (0-3, 0-3 frees), D. Scarry, J. Sommers. Subs: S. Kelly, for Scarry, 42 mins; D. Roche, for Moran inj., 52 mins.
KILLIMORDALY: D. Mulhern; L. Earls, L. Janssen, S. Monahan; I. Earls (0-1), I. Broderick, B. Whisriskey; M. Lewis (0-1), O. Earls (captain, 0-3); J. Hardiman (0-1), L. Walsh (0-1), R. Cahalan (0-4); D. Monahan, S. Earls (1-3, 0-2 frees), R. Taylor (0-2). Subs: N. Whisriskey, for B. Whisriskey, 44 mins; R. Davey, for I. Earls, 60+3 mins.
REFEREE: Peter Campbell.