Ballyhale Shamrocks 6-23 Clough Ballacolla 0-14
Ballyhale Shamrocks cruised to a record 27-point victory over Clough-Ballacolla to clinch their 11th Leinster title in style at Croke Park.
The margin of victory was the biggest ever in a Leinster club final, eclipsing the 17-point defeat that Ballyhale suffered at the hands of Birr in the decider back in 1991 as the Laois champions’ fairytale journey ended in nightmare fashion.
It was much more like it from the Kilkenny kingpins, who struggled for long periods of the county final against O’Loughlin Gaels before stuttering past Mount Leinster Rangers and St Rynagh’s en route to the provincial final, though this sends out a warning to the pretenders to their All-Ireland crown as they bid for an unprecedented three-in-a-row.
Despite the lop-sided final scoreline, the game was keenly contested for much of the first half before a pair of Colin Fennelly goals approaching the break put clear daylight between the sides.
Ballyhale got off to an ominous start when Eoin Cody snaffled a goal in the fourth minute but Clough-Ballacolla responded well, hitting the next three points to draw level.
With Robbie Phelan withdrawn in a sweeping role, they lacked punch inside in the first half but slotted a string of outstanding scores from the middle third, with midfielder Aidan Corby helping himself to four.
Ballyhale had yet to find their stride but were ticking over largely through TJ Reid frees and were two points in front when Fennelly struck for their second goal in the 21st minute, Reid picking him out with a sweeping crossfield pass.
The Laois kingpins responded well with the next two points to reduce their arrears to three but Darren Maher was clearly beginning to struggle with Fennelly and after an effort to work the ball short from a puckout broke down, the former Kilkenny star waltzed in for another goal with a clever improvised finished over the advancing Cathal Dunne in the 24th minute.
Fennelly almost had a third only to strike wide with the goal at his mercy and while Clough-Ballacolla had fashioned a response to the first two goals, the stuffing was knocked out of them this time as Ballyhale found their stride approaching half-time, leading 3-11 to 0-10 at the break.
Ballacolla reverted to a more conventional formation in the second half in a bid to make inroads but it never materialised as the Shamrocks pulled well away from them, with further goals from Adrian Mullen, Brian Cody and Eoin Reid putting the seal on an emphatic victory.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: Dean Mason; Darren Mullen, Joey Holden, Kevin Mullen; Evan Shefflin, Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran (0-1); Ronan Corcoran (0-4), Paddy Mullen (0-1); Eoin Cody (1-6, 0-3f), Brian Cody (1-1), Adrian Mullen (1-0); Colin Fennelly (2-1), TJ Reid (0-6f), Eoin Kenneally (0-1).
Subs: Conor Phelan for Shefflin (42), Eoin Reid (1-1) for TJ Reid (47), Conor Walsh for Paddy Mullen (47), Brian Butler for Kevin Mullen (52), Liam Barron (0-1) for Kenneally (54).
CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA: Cathal Dunne; Eoin Doyle, Diarmaid Conway, Darren Maher; Brian Corby (0-1), Michael McEvoy, Lee Cleere (0-1); Willie Hyland, Aidan Corby (0-4); Robbie Phelan, Jordan Walshe (0-1), Mark Hennessy; Stephen Bergin, Willie Dunphy (0-3), Stephen Maher (0-3f).
Subs: Ronan Broderick for Darren Maher (36), Cillian Dunne (0-1) for Hyland (42), John Dwyer for Bergin (45), Tom Delaney for McEvoy (47), Sean Corby for Hennessy (53).
REFEREE: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).
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