Ballygunner 2-17 Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-19
Ballygunner have done it.
Ballyhale have been Ballyhaled. Where do you even start?
The Kilkenny club must have been looking up the steps of the Hogan Stand when, with injury time up, with a two point lead to hold onto, with a ninth All-Ireland club title within smelling distance, Harry Ruddle got his hands on the ball.
It didn’t look all that dangerous at the time but if there’s a thing St Rynagh’s could teach you and if there’s a thing St Thomas’ could teach you, it’s that a two point lead is the most dangerous lead in hurling.
Ballyhale were the ones who taught them that but on a blustery February Saturday it wasn’t the wind that shook Croke Park to its hinges. It was the roar from the Ballygunner crowd who, just when they thought their team were about to be beaten, were resuscitated by a moment of utter madness. The Kilkenny club had just been given a dose of their own medicine.
Suddenly, with Darren Mullen glued to Dessie Hutchinson, with Kevin Mullen glued to Mahony and with every other Ballyhale back marking their men, the thing opened up for Ruddle. He had just been brought on five minutes earlier and you didn’t need to be told that when you seen the speed he burned Darragh Corcoran with.
But the best was yet to come. Ruddle kept on running until, with the Ballyhale backs closing in on him, he decided to let rip from 30 yards out. Richie Reid stopped and stared, the Ballygunner crowd looked on in hope rather than expectation, Dean Mason dived to his right – time literally stood still – and then the net rattled.
Harry Ruddle YOU MUST BE JOKINGpic.twitter.com/A1lcmmefRt
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 12, 2022
Harry Ruddle had skinned the Cats alive. Ballygunner were All-Ireland club champions.
