Upperchurch-Drombane 4-20 Tooreen 2-24 AET
Extra-time goals from Paddy Phelan, Conor Fahey and Paul Shanahan propelled Upperchurch-Drombane to All-Ireland club IHC success at Croke Park.
But there was so much more to this schizophrenic Saturday evening encounter than just those scores as the Tipperary champions eventually got the better of their Mayo opponents after 80 or so chaotic minutes.
Tooreen have been here before having lost to Monaleen of Limerick in the decider three years ago. But they went down swinging at least, turning a 10-point deficit late in extra-time into a mere two-point game as they reeled off 2-02 without response in the dying moments.
Liam Lavin and David Harrison grabbed those late goals for Tooreen and they were followed by points from Fionn Delaney and Fergal Boland.
Remarkably, if Mayo football star Boland had only been a few inches lower with his point attempt, they might have grabbed the goal they needed to tie it up all over again.
But the Church escaped to victory and are the first team from Tipperary since Kiladangan in the very first instalment of the competition, in 2005, to win it.
Fahey struck two goals in all for them while Luke Shanahan top scored with seven points in front of 5,916 hardy souls on a freezing evening in Dublin.
Injuries ruled Paudie Greene and Paddy Phelan out for the Munster champions, two big losses though not immediately felt.
Fresh off big wins over the Cork, Waterford and Kilkenny champions since being crowned premier intermediate county champions, Upperchurch hit the ground running.
In fact, with 25 minutes on the clock the near 50-50 pre-match billing seemed generous to Tooreen.
The side in black and amber had surged 0-04 to 0-01 clear initially and were 0-09 to 0-02 to the good with just five minutes remaining in the half.
Mikey Griffin, wearing number 21 though a starter in the semi-final win over Danesfort, grabbed an eye-catching point. Gavin Ryan followed his lead with a couple of long-range missiles. And when Pat Ryan crouched down and chopped a sideline cut over the bar from beneath the Hogan Stand to leave seven points between them, it looked ominous.
Conor Fahey of Upperchurch-Drombane in action against Stephen Coyne of Tooreen
Surprisingly, Liam Dunphy’s side didn’t score again until the 36th minute. Tooreen, in turn, closed out the first half by outscoring their opponents 0-07 to 0-01.
The 35-time Mayo senior champions picked off the last five points of the first half, capitalising on pockets of space they created in the middle third to convert a series of monster scores.
Joe Boyle drilled over two of those though for sheer inspiration it was hard to top Eoin Delaney’s 29th and 31st minute points which were followed by a couple of guttural roars.
Tooreen still trailed by a point at half-time, 0-09 to 0-10, but kept the foot on the throttle after the restart.
And it was no surprise to see them open up a 0-14 to 0-11 lead 10 minutes into the second half. Now they were the ones who looked to be on a highway to success.
If the Church ever needed divine inspiration, it was now. Conor Fahey duly responded with a 41st-minute goal. He beat his man on the left wing, raced clear and sneaked a low shot in below Tooreen goalie Bobby Douglas.
And that’s how it was for the last 20 minutes, Tooreen hitting some big blows in the form of Kenny Feeney and Brian Morley scores, Tooreen counter-punching with heavyweight shots from Pat and Gavin Ryan.
They were tied again at the hour, 1-16 to 0-19. Morley thought he’d won it for Tooreen in the 63rd minute but Ryan popped up with a huge score from his own half for Upperchurch to force extra-time at 1-17 to 0-20.
Two Church goals in the first-half of extra-time left them sitting pretty with a 3-17 to 0-22 advantage. Sub Phelan grabbed the first after being set clear by Fahey who then turned poacher and registered their third himself.
Upperchurch were a full 10 points clear with 78 minutes on the clock when Tooreen launched that scoring siege to leave just two in it at the death.
Upperchurch-Drombane: Ciaran Shortt; Mikey Lavery, Keith Ryan, Dean Carew; David Harrison, Gavin Ryan (0-05, 0-04f, 0-01 65), Niall Grant; Diarmuid Grant (0-01), Aaron Ryan; Conor Fahey (2-00), Colm Ryan (0-01), Paul Shanahan (1-01); Mikey Griffin (0-01), Luke Shanahan (0-07, 0-05fs), Pat Ryan (0-03, 0-01sl).
Subs: Paddy Phelan (1-00) for Colm Ryan (42), Jack Butler (0-01) for Aaron Ryan (49). Aaron Ryan for Diarmuid Grant (64), Ger Grant for Corbett (69).
Tooreen: Bobby Douglas (0-01, 0-01f); Conal Hession, Michael Morley, Oisin Greally; David Kenny, Stephen Coyne, Joe Boyle (0-03); Fergal Boland (0-06), Sean Kenny (0-02); Eoin Delaney (0-03), Brian Morley (0-04), John Cassidy; Liam Lavin (1-00), Shane Boland (0-01, 0-01f), Keeny Feeney (0-03).
Subs: Daniel Huane for Michael Morley (22), Sean Regan for Cassidy (43), Fionn Delaney (0-01, 0-01f) for Feeney (56), Padraig Mooney for Hession (59), Jake Glavey for Kenny (70), David Delaney for Brian Morley (74), David Harrison (1-00) for Shane Boland (74).
Ref: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).