Corrigan and Cassidy lead winning Kilbeggan surge

Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan 1-18, St Peter's Dunboyne 3-11

Showing resilience and strength, Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan secured a narrow victory over St Peter’s Dunboyne in the Leinster PPS Senior Hurling ‘D’ final at Lakepoint Park, Mullingar on Thursday.

An ability to respond every time the Meath side threatened to take control was a feature of this exciting match and the two teams are to be credited for the overall standard of hurling.

At half-time, Mercy Secondary School held a 1-10 to 1-7 lead thanks to Michael Devine’s well taken goal and Dunboyne made them work really hard for victory as they drew level twice before taking a four-point lead in the 47th minute courtesy of an unanswered 1-3.

The remaining 17 minutes saw the Kilbeggan side notch five points without reply to claim victory as Adam Cassidy and Dylan Corrigan led a winning surge.

Afterwards, Michael McHugh, representing Leinster PPS, presented the trophy to the successful Mercy Secondary School captain Neale Pierson and the celebrations began.

The game started at quite a lively pace on the fast all-weather surface, with Kilbeggan seizing early momentum. Just 20 seconds in, Adam Cassidy split the posts after a neat pass from Neale Pierson. Moments later, Dylan Corrigan added a fine score from 50 metres to double their lead. Dunboyne responded swiftly through a Seán Cregan free in the second minute, but Kilbeggan almost struck for a goal when Corrigan’s effort cannoned off the post following another incisive Pierson delivery.

Cregan levelled matters for Dunboyne with another free, but Kilbeggan were quick to reassert themselves. Pierson hit a fine point in the fifth minute, only for Cregan to tie it again with a free a minute later. Corrigan then edged Kilbeggan ahead before the game’s first goal arrived.

In the seventh minute, Dunboyne’s Charlie Gallagher unleashed a powerful shot after a clever pass from Michael Padden. The ball rattled the stanchion at the back of the net and rebounded into play. The umpire reacted fast and immediately signalled it as a goal, giving Dunboyne a 1-3 to 0-4 lead.

Kilbeggan responded well, with Corrigan converting a free, followed by a point from wing-back Paddy Maloney. Corrigan added another free and two further points from placed balls to push Kilbeggan ahead, 0-9 to 1-3, by the 15-minute mark. Dunboyne kept themselves in touch with a Cregan free and a point from full-forward Conor Murphy, who showed he had the prowess to cause Kilbeggan’s defence problems.

As the half progressed, Kilbeggan continued to edge the exchanges. Cassidy struck a fine score, but Murphy responded for Dunboyne. Then, in the 27th minute, Kilbeggan swooped for a crucial goal. Pierson, from tight on the sideline, brilliantly played a dangerous ball across the face of the goal, and Michael Devine showed sublime skill to control the sliotar and finish clinically to the net.

Dunboyne managed a late pointed ’65’ from Cregan to keep them in touch, but it was Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan who had a three-point lead at half-time.

The second half began in a whirlwind fashion. Kilbeggan midfielder Aaron Jackson pointed within 15 seconds after excellent work by Eoin Carey and Corrigan. Dunboyne responded through Murphy, and in the ninth minute, Murphy struck for their second goal. Sent clear by Ciaran McCormack, he shrugged off a partial hook to fire the sliotar to the net, levelling the game at 2-8 to 1-11.

Devine quickly edged Kilbeggan back in front, and Pierson added another after excellent play by centre-back Cian Kinnarney. Dunboyne hit back through Cian Duggan, but the game was briefly disrupted by a disputed score when Murphy’s shot was initially given as a point, only for the umpire and referee to overturn the decision and signal it wide.

Dunboyne took control for a spell, with points from Luke Loftus and Murphy, before McCormack struck an unorthodox one-handed goal in the 16th minute after a dangerous delivery from Cregan. The goal capped a run of 1-3 without reply, giving Dunboyne a 3-11 to 1-13 lead with 14 minutes remaining.

Kilbeggan, however, refused to wilt. Cassidy - hugging the right sideline - nailed a superb point to kickstart their comeback, and Corrigan’s free taking proved pivotal.

A series of fouls, compounded by dissent from Dunboyne, saw Corrigan strike four consecutive frees, including a monster effort from his own half-back line, to push Kilbeggan ahead, 1-18 to 3-11.

The final stages were frantic. Dunboyne had a goal disallowed for a square ball infringement in injury time, and Cregan missed a late opportunity after Murphy’s pass. Ultimately, Kilbeggan’s composure and Corrigan’s accuracy from placed balls proved the difference in a tense and high-quality contest.

Overall both teams contributed to a fine game and there was little to separate them in the end, but that extra bit of quality in attack in the form of Corrigan and Cassidy saw Kilbeggan edge it.

Scorers - Mercy SS Kilbeggan: D Corrigan 0-10 (8f), M Devine 1-1, A Cassidy 0-3, N Pierson 0-2, P Maloney and A Jackson 0-1 each.

St Peter’s: C Murphy 1-4, S Cregan 0-5 (4f; 1 ‘65’), C Gallagher and C McCormack 1-0 each, C Duggan and L Loftus 0-1 each.

Mercy SS Kilbeggan: Cillian Clarke; James Connolly, Dara Mulligan, Shane Maloney; David O’Malley, Cian Kinnarney, Paddy Maloney; Aaron Jackson, Eoin Carey; Neale Pierson, Dylan Corrigan, Adam Clarke; Adam Cassidy, Seán Bolger, Michael Devine. Subs: Thomas Wrafter for Bolger; Conor Maloney for Clarke.

St Peter’s Dunboyne: Liam Davis; James Lonergan, Eoghan Pearl, Paul Dempsey; Eoghan McDonald, Cian Rohan, Pierce Anderson; Cian Duggan, Michael Padden; Harry Healy, Charlie Gallagher, Ciaran McCormack; Luke Loftus, Conor Murphy, Seán Cregan. Subs used: Rory Callaghan, Eoin McCrudden, Shea Mooney, Joel Mangan.

Referee: Jimmy Greville (Castlepollard).