U17 Hurling Shield Final (AET)
Cumann Pheadaír Naofa 7-14
Ballycran 6-16
In a thrilling contest the young lads from south Down, rated as underdogs, put in a spirited display of hurling to beat Ballycran this afternoon in Kilclief.
Having got off to a slow start, they trailed by 6pts, with Ballycran’s Rory Corcoran striking for two early goals before the 1st water break (0-3 to 2-3). The second quarter saw the blues midfield start to dominate proceedings, a Mark Campbell goal kept the blues chasing the ‘Crans, but they still couldn’t close the gap as the teams went in at half time 1-6 to 3-6 in favour of the Ards lads.
The third quarter saw the blues kick on as the gap between the sides started to diminish. As the 2nd water break beckoned, Mark Campbell got a 2nd goal, followed up by an Oran Murney goal shortly after to level matters, only for Ballycran to reply with one of their own. A grand stand final 15mins saw the blues up by 2pts only to be pegged back once more as Ballycran struck again to see the full time score 5-12 each.
Extra time is when the blues dominant midfield bossed the game, another Oran Murney goal ensured the blues pushed for a nerve tingling result outscoring their opponents 2-2 to 1-4 in the final 20mins.
Captain Matthew Duffy gladly accepted the shield from county official Conor Watson, much to the delight of the ecstatic parents & supporters.
