Tooreen edge old rivals in extra-time epic for four-in-a-row
Eyes Down: Tooreen and Ballyhaunis players focus on the sliothar during the Mayo senior hurling championship A final at Tooreen last Saturday. Picture: David Farrell Photography
When referee Mel Kenny blew the full-time whistle, both Tooreen and Ballyhaunis players fell to the ground in exhaustion after one of the tightest Mayo senior hurling finals in recent memory.
It will be the Blue Devils whose adventure will continue, winning a record-extending 34th county title and a fourth in a row. Ballyhaunis, who no doubt will be gutted after coming so close, could have done little more and will count themselves very unlucky not to have won a first title since 2020.
In the end, Tooreen’s greater firepower got them over the line. They almost shot themselves in the foot after hitting 18 wides – 12 coming in the second half alone – but the experience of tight games during their Connacht and All-Ireland adventures in recent years shone through, with Fergal Boland’s four points in extra-time crucial.
Tooreen’s wayward accuracy was punished by the free-taking expertise of Cormac Phillips, whose tenth placed ball deep in injury-time ensured another 20 minutes of gruelling action after Bobby Douglas appeared to have won it with a free on his own 65-metre line.
Outside of Cormac Phillips, none of his other forwards registered more than two points. Michael Farrell, Adrian Phillips and Keith Higgins were largely kept quiet for long periods by Tooreen. They got little impact from the bench, while Tooreen substitute Shane Crinnigan scored two vital points in the second half.
Ballyhaunis, playing with the aid of the breeze, led 0-6 to 0-5 by the end of the first quarter. Largely on top for that period, Tooreen would hit them with a trademark quick attack as they found the net through Liam Lavin after a well-worked move involving Joe Boyle and Daniel Huane.
That goal would be Tooreen’s last score until first half injury-time as Ballyhaunis had the perfect response to the major with five unanswered points. The accuracy of Cormac Phillips from frees would punish needless fouls given away by Tooreen, with Keith Higgins and Ryan Kilbane also pointing late on, as Ballyhaunis took a 0-11 to 1-6 lead into the break.
Ballyhaunis would only split the posts once through another Cormac Phillips free in the third quarter as Liam Lavin (two), Fergal Boland, Shane Boland and Shane Crinnigan edged Tooreen ahead 1-11 to 0-12 and it appeared the reigning Mayo and Connacht champions were going to pull away.
Tooreen’s accuracy in front of the posts, normally so reliable, deserted them. As the nerves ramped up around the ground, Ballyhaunis got themselves back level before injury-time through Cormac and Adrian Phillips. It would be the former who would hold his nerve as Cormac Phillips nailed a tenth free to take it to extra-time, 0-17 to 1-14, after a monster free by Douglas.
It remained level after the first period as both Tooreen and Ballyhaunis scored three points apiece, with points by Cormac Phillips, a free, Michael Farrell and Patrick Kiely were matched by Fergal Boland, Liam Lavin and Eoin Delaney.
Fergal Boland fired over another three points in the second period, with another from Sean Kenny, while Ballyhaunis could only muster scores from Cormac Phillips and Keith Higgins as Tooreen ensured the TJ Tyrell Cup remained in Adrian Freeman Park.
