Cooney inspires Ballyroan in nail-biting championship triumph

Roinn 3 Hurling Championship 

Scoil Eoin Phóil Naofa II Ballyroan 3-9 

Naomh Pius X NS Ballacolla 1-10 

Ballyroan were crowned Division 3 hurling champions after an intense and hard-fought battle with Ballacolla that went right down to the wire.

Oliver Cooney produced a standout performance for the winners, finishing with an impressive tally of 2-7 in an action-packed display. The final began at a fierce pace, with Lucas Lalor going close for Ballyroan early on, forcing a fine save from Evan Hanlon, before Conor Delaney opened the scoring for Ballacolla with a point.

Brian Coonan also came close to raising a green flag, while Kian Delaney stretched Ballacolla’s advantage with a pointed free to move them two ahead. Ballyroan soon settled into the contest, with Cooney registering their first score midway through the half, only for Kian Delaney to respond immediately.

Delaney then added another spectacular score, landing a long-range free from deep inside his own half. Parity was restored when Lucas Lalor won a free, and Cooney made no mistake, blasting the resulting effort to the net after previously testing the goalkeeper.

The sides exchanged further scores through Conor Delaney and Tadhg Brennan, before Ballacolla edged back in front with two unanswered points from Cian and Conor Delaney.

Cooney kept Ballyroan in touch with a free and a point from play, and he added another before the interval, but Ballacolla struck a crucial blow when Conor Delaney converted a free into the net to leave them 1-7 to 1-5 ahead at half-time.

Ballacolla made a bright start to the second half, with Brian Coonan extending their lead, though Cooney once again replied for Ballyroan. Conor Delaney pushed the margin back to three, with a shot that deflected over the line off a defender.

A superb block from Delaney later denied Cooney a second goal, though he was still forced to settle for a point on that occasion. Cooney dragged Ballyroan back to within a point entering the final stages, before a remarkable score from a long-range free dipped into the top corner to put them ahead.

Brian Coonan responded to cut the gap again, but Conor Ryan quickly restored Ballyroan’s cushion. Cooney then added another score to make it a three-point game in injury time, before Johnny Delaney sealed the victory with a brilliant late goal to secure the title for Ballyroan.

SCORERS:

Ballyroan: Oliver Cooney 2-7, Johnny Delaney 1-0, Tadhg Brennan and Conor Ryan 0-1 each.

Ballacolla: Conor Delaney 1-4, Kian Delaney 0-4, Brian Coonan 0-2.

SCOIL EOIN PHÓIL NAOFA II BALLYROAN: Charlie Moran, Seán Cass, Harry Moran, Charlie McDonald, Johnny Delaney, Oliver Cooney, Tadgh Brennan, Conor Ryan, Lucas Lalor, Arthur Grimes, Ross McWey, Frankie Connolly, Jack Burtenshaw, Saul Dunne O’Shea, Anthony Knowles.

NAOMH PIUS X NS BALLACOLLA: Evan Hanlon, Will Doyle, Harry McEvoy, Kian Delaney, Conor Delaney, Brian Coonan, Rachel Hanlon, Jack McGann, Joe Coonan, Kieran John Campion, Veronica Vashchieniuk, Alisha Porter Coogan, Sarah McEvoy, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Bill Campion, Aisling McEvoy, Eibhlín Dunphy, Lily Kavanagh.