Abbeyleix St Lazarian’s secure first senior final appearance since 1949

Abbeyleix are into their first Senior Hurling Championship final in 74 years after overcoming Rathdowney-Errill in extremely testing conditions on Sunday afternoon. 

The wind and rain battered O’Moore Park, but much to both team’s credit they produced a magnificent game of hurling for the huge crowd in attendance. 

ABBEYLEIX 3-20

RATHDOWNEY-ERRILL 3-18

Enda Rowland was outstanding for Abbeyleix, although the same could be said for every man in the yellow and blue, they put on their best display of the year and battled when they were up against it. 

It was the first of the double header in O’Moore Park and it gave the second game a lot to live up to after 80 minutes of non-stop action. 

Abbeyleix had the wind in their favour in the first half as they hurled into the town end, but they did struggle to find their range at times. 

Liam Delaney got them off the mark early on and Colm Walsh added a second. 

Rathdowney-Errill battled well as they had to deal with the elements and they went a point ahead thanks to three excellent scores from play by Mark Kavanagh, Ross King and Eric Killeen in the opening eight minutes. 

Fionan Mahony and King traded scores before the first of the game’s six goals was scored, and it was truly remarkable. 

Enda Rowland was landing his puckouts on the opposite square with the assistance of the wind but this particular one bounced off the ground and flew into the net for a goal. 

Seven minutes later Rowland was called into action when Paddy Purcell drilled a shot but it was saved and rebounded straight to Mark Kavanagh who finished for a goal. 

Eoghan Fennelly hit the next two scores form frees and Colin Byrne got his first from play alongside Mahony to put Abbeyleix three ahead. 

King stemmed the flow of Abbeyleix scores but The Fung did notch up another three before the break from Byrne, Fennelly and Aaron Brennan. 

Abbeyleix led by five at half time, but they were going to be facing a severely tough wind in the second half as the conditions began to worsen. 

They got a dream start to the second half with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes. Mahony and Jack Kelly traded points early on before Fennelly found the net from close range on the ground. 

Purcell and Padraig Rafter slotted scores either side of a Colin Byrne point, but the Abbeyleix youngster did further damage when brother Ciaran played the ball inside to him and after getting caught up in the wind the ball landed in his path and he rifled it home for a goal. 

Rathdowney-Errill trailed by 10 points with 20 minutes on the clock, but they did have the monstrous wind on their side. Joe Fitzpatrick started the comeback trail with a point from well inside his own half and Ross King launched one over from midfield. 

The gap was cut to just five points when Tadgh Dowling scored a goal just seconds after coming on and Rathdowney-Errill were rolling, with two points from play by Ross King to bring it to just a goal between the sides. 

After going 10 minutes without a score Abbeyleix got back on the board through an Eoghan Fennelly free on 50 minutes, but Eoin Bourke responded immediately. 

Ross King added another free in the 55thminute but Rathdowney-Errill were starting to run out of time and ideas. Abbeyleix were awarded a free on the 65 out on the right wing in injury time and Enda Rowland slotted it between the posts, an amazing feat given the pressure and conditions. 

There was time for one more Rathdowney-Errill offensive and they eventually got the goal they needed when the ball was played inside to Paddy Purcell and he threw everything behind it to volley the ball home and force extra time. 

Abbeyleix had the wind for the first half of extra time and they went in front early on through Liam Delaney, but King quickly replied. Fennelly and King traded scores for the remainder of the opening 10 minutes and Abbeyleix led by a point at half time in extra time, a slender lead given that they would be up against it in the second half given the conditions. 

As it turned out that mattered little and they went into a two-point lead thanks to another Fennelly free. 

Rathdowney-Errill’s second half in extra time was littered with frees, at one point they hit seven in a row as Abbeyleix’s tenacious defending forced them into high pressure shots. 

King and Fennelly traded another free each before the referee blew the final whistle and the Abbeyleix crowd went into raptures.