Dunloy’s hopes of a long-cherished first All-Ireland Club Hurling title were dashed as Ballyhale Shamrocks clinched a 1-22 to 1-15 triumph.
After defeats in their four previous finals, Dunloy looked up against it as they faced the eight-time champions.
Ronan Molloy’s early goal put Dunloy ahead but Eoin Cody’s strike helped Ballyhale lead 1-9 to 1-7 at half-time.
Dunloy trailed by only one with 10 minutes left but Cody’s two late points kept Ballyhale in control.
Man of the match Cody finished with 1-5 with TJ Reid notching 0-7 with Ballyhale’s ninth title emphasising their status as the most successful side in club hurling as they move five triumphs ahead of Birr and Portumna.
After ending Slaughtneil’s run of dominance in Ulster, Dunloy had reached the decider after surprising Galway champions St Thomas’ in the All-Ireland champions.
But that left them facing a Ballyhale side determined to regain the Thomas Moore Cup after a last-gasp defeat by Ballygunner in last year’s decider.
Dunloy’s hopes soared early on as Molloy beat two defenders to fire into the net after Conal Cunning got in front of his marker Joey Holden before finding the charging half-forward.
However, the Antrim club were held scoreless for the next nine minutes as two Reid points – including a superb effort from a tight angle – helped move them into a 0-4 to 1-0 lead.
Dunloy keeper Ryan Elliott then produced the first of two sensational first-half stops to deny the lively Cody and spurred by the reprieve, superb points from Paul Shiels and corner-back Oran Quinn had the Cuchulainns ahead again by the 14th minute.
However, Dunloy’s advantage was shortlived as Cody poked past Elliott following a perfect pass from Colin Fennelly and while points from Cunning and late inclusion Nicky McKeague got the Antrim side on terms by the 17th minute, they never again led the contest.
Ballyhale’s dominance in winning Elliott’s long puckouts helped them take control with full-back Holden largely winning his battle with Cunning in open play and his fellow defenders also cutting out a number of Dunloy attack.
With Dunloy opting for an extra defender, Ballyhale brilliantly utilised half-back Evan Shefflin as the spare man and he was able to pick out the on-fire Cody and Reid in the Shamrocks attack as the Kilkenny men moved four up before points from Seaan Elliott and Cunning reduced the margin to two by half-time, which was a good outcome for the Antrim man on the balance of the play.
To their credit, Dunloy appeared to rattle Ballyhale in the third quarter as Cody briefly faded with three Cunning frees cutting the margin to 1-13 to 1-12 by the 44th minute.
With Dunloy’s change of tactic to shorter puckouts bearing fruit, they remained just one in arrears with only 10 minutes left but a sensational Cody score was then followed by another from 90 minutes from midfielder Paddy Mullen.
After looking wobbly minutes earlier, suddenly Ballyhale were back in control and while points from Shiels and Cunning left only a puck of the ball between the sides as the game entered injury-time, Cody’s final score was followed by three more as the Kilkenny men clinched a seven-point success.
O’Kane hails Dunloy efforts
Dunloy manager Gregory O’Kane, who played in the club’s four previous final defeats, spoke about his pride about his team’s efforts against the Kilkenny men.
“That team are not going anywhere. The experience they got today of playing in an All-Ireland Final, it’s massive. The team are a credit to themselves and their families, how they performed today. Ballyhale are a serious outfit but I felt today, they had to fight for everything they got,” said the Dunloy boss.
“We left a few chances behind. Under hit ball, ball dropped short into their keeper and then they are able to build attacks out of that.
“In a game like that the margins are so small and that’s probably where we left a few scores behind.
“They scored four points in the last two or three minutes, in injury-time. Probably at that stage lads are just out on their feet.”
