What a ding dong battle that was.
Without a doubt, Na Piarsaigh and Cuala are the two best club hurling teams in the country. And by a long way too. The Limerick and Dublin champions met in Croke Park in the All-Ireland club final on St. Patrick’s day and what they delivered wasn’t a spectacle for the ages, but it was one of the most ferociously contested club finals we’d seen in many a year.
Fittingly, they couldn’t be separated and will do battle again. Lucky are we that we’ll get to witness it once more.
It all boiled down to the last puck of the game after 60 minutes of enthralling action. After some creditable chasing of a seemingly lost cause by Con O’Callaghan and Colm Cronin, Cuala earned a debatable 21 yard free.
With eight Na Piarsaigh men manning the goals, Cuala’s player of the day and behemoth of a centre back Sean Moran stepped up and buried it past the lot of them. Heroic, indeed.
GOAL!!! Cuala's Seán Moran brings the game to extra time! pic.twitter.com/BBSbAew7sz
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 17, 2018
Na Piarsaigh could have felt aggrieved, because their gutsy but polished second half display should have been enough. Shane Dowling raced off the pitch to the sanctuary of the dressing room with tears rolling down his face.
He thought they had it signed, sealed and delivered, so did everyone else. That wasn’t a good sign for them heading into 20 minutes of extra time. But given their performance up to then, any man would have backed them to rise it once again.
Rise it they did, but they still couldn’t shake off Cuala. The scores were tied 2-19 to 1-22 after 80 minutes and they’ll do battle again soon. Na Piarsaigh will wonder how they hadn’t won this one.
Shane O’Neill’s were the marginally the better team over the course of the hour.
Peter Casey was the best of the lot, and his peach of a second half goal looked like it would be the winning of this game. Marked out for big things from a young age, the lively corner forward showed he’s a man for the big occasion here.
GOAL for Na Piarsaigh's Peter Casey! pic.twitter.com/K6Zko31d2H
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 17, 2018
David Dempsey on the wing wasn’t far behind him. So cool, composed and calm in possession, he tacked on some vital scores here, while Kevin Downes also showed well.
As for Cuala, Mattie Kenny’s men weren’t at their brilliant best, but they deserve so much credit for always grinding something out when they need it. For every blow Na Piarsaigh landed, these boys just wouldn’t go away.
The tight nature of the game was perhaps best summed up by Con O’Callaghan. Being man-marked by Na Piarsaigh’s stocky soldier Michael Casey, O’Callaghan threatened but he was well marshaled throughout. He wasn’t given an inch and that would prove crucial in the outcome of this game.
Casey won that battle, and by the time the chances came to O’Callaghan in extra time to win it for his side, he was so ground down after a tough day at the office that he wasn’t able to take them.
That’s a credit to 22-year-old Casey, who is one of the best man-markers around.
Players like Sean Moran and David Treacy and Jake Malone stood up for Cuala when they were needed most.
80 minutes couldn’t separate them. Na Piarsaigh will be kicking themselves, but Cuala live to fight another day.
