Killeen fires Mountrath to Roinn 3 Hurling glory

The curtain came down on two action-packed days of Cumann na mBunscol hurling and camogie finals with a cracking contest in the Roinn 3 Boys Championship decider, as St Fintan’s Mountrath edged out Ballyroan in a thrilling finish.

This was the 23rd and final final played across the two days, and it delivered high drama right to the very last puck.

Mountrath 3-10

Ballyroan 2-9

Both sides took time to settle into the game, with only two points registered in the opening ten minutes, both for Ballyroan through Malachy O’Connell and Oliver Cooney. Mountrath threatened a goal early on, but Ballyroan keeper Harry Moran was in inspired form, producing a superb save to deny Killian Killeen.

Killeen eventually opened their account and added another point shortly after. Dawid Olejnik then stormed through the Ballyroan defence and lobbed the goalkeeper for the game’s first goal. Mountrath began to take control from there, and Killeen tacked on more scores, including two excellent 45’s, to build a 1-5 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Ballyroan came flying out of the traps in the second half as Conor Ryan linked up brilliantly with Cooney for a well-taken goal that cut the gap to just a point. But Mountrath responded once again, with Killeen and Olejnik both on target before Ross Osborne hit the net to push the lead back out to six.

Ballyroan refused to give in, and O’Connell’s accuracy from placed balls kept them in touch. When he capitalised on a turnover to find the net with five minutes to go, the comeback looked on. Cooney’s 45’ left just a single point between the teams with a minute remaining.

But in a final twist worthy of the occasion, Mountrath goalkeeper Jay Sydes launched a long puck-out from his own goalmouth that somehow found its way all the way to the Ballyroan net, a scarcely believable goal that sealed the victory.

It was a dramatic end to a gripping final and a fitting conclusion to a wonderful celebration of primary schools hurling and camogie, with 23 finals played over two memorable days. TEAMS AND SCORERS BELOW PICTURE.

SCORERS– St Fintan’s Mountrath: Killian Killeen 0-9 (0-2 frees, 0-2 45’s), Dawid Olejnik 1-1, Jay Sydes 1-0 Ballyroan: Malachy O’Connell 1-5 (0-3 frees), Oliver Cooney 1-3 (0-1 45’), Conor Ryan 0-1.

St Fintan’s BNS Mountrath: Jay Sydes, Aaron Hyland, Oisín Kirwan, Jamie Rice, Ross Osborne, Killian Killeen, Dawid Olejnik. Subs: Daniel Moore, Alex Rice, Harry Dooley, Christian Burke, Jack Coughlan, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Hubert Lewandowski.

Scoil Eoin Phóil II Naofa Ballyroan: Harry Moran, Beni Marcuello, Jonathan Delaney, Lucas Lodge Galvin, Oliver Cooney, Conor Ryan, Malachy O’Connell. Subs: Lachlan Fennelly, Aidan Scully, Connor Brunton, Cillian Hughes, Jamie Dalton, Keelan Curran, Arthur Grimes, Ross McWey, Charlie Moran, Saul Dunne O’Shea, Frankie Connelly.