What a finish!
Wow. A last-minute Ian Walsh point sealed theĀ All-Ireland IHC for Kanturk, defeating St Patrick’s Ballyragget in the decider 1-18 to 1-17 in the most dramatic fashion, a moment which offered a thunderous climax to a cracking game of hurling.
At the end of an absorbing game at Croke Park, Walsh let fly with a tremendous score to clinch it for the Cork club. He’ll not be paying for a pint for a while.
A cracking Kevin Kelly goal had put Ballyragget in the driving seat with a two-point lead with ten minutes to go, but it wasn’t to be for the Kilkenny club, who came up just shy in their quest for All-Ireland glory.
At the final whistle, there were scenes of sheer elation and dejection as the contrasting emotions were etched onto the faces of the two sets of players. For Kanturk, though, as you can see below, the moment was one to savour.
Having led for much of the game before Kelly’s goal swung it in Ballyragget’s favour, it would have been a difficult defeat to accept for Kanturk. Luckily for them, in Walsh they have a man with nerves of steel, someone who can pull a score straight out of the top drawer with just seconds remaining. Do-or-die moments, they’re the moments that bring champions to the fore.
What a moment for a great club @KanturkGAA! All-Ireland Intermediate Champions š #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/WEsjvWzfqZ
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) February 4, 2018
It was a brilliant game of hurling and produced worthy champions in Kanturk. After a nail-biting decider at headquarters, they’ll definitely enjoy their night.
For Ballyragget, after such a fantastic season it will take some time to get over this one, having had the title snapped away from them. It’s agonising, for sure, but they certainly contributed to an excellent decider and have nothing to be ashamed about.
