Drom and Inch defeated Borris-Ileigh by a point on Sunday afternoon, on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-17 in the Tipperary senior hurling championship, and two of those points came from the stick of their goalkeeper Eoin Collins.
And while one of them was impressive, a booming free from 75 yards, the other might just be the maddest, and longest point you’ll ever see. The 22-year-old won’t strike a sweeter ball in his life.
Michael Campion played the ball back to his goalkeeper early on in the second half, as many defenders do in those sort of situations, and what he was probably expecting was for Collins to spray one out to the half forward line or even better, to lamp one into the full forward line.
But he was hardly expecting him to take a shot. And nobody would have been expecting him to score.
Not from there. Not in a field that’s 145 metres long. Do we need to say what happened next?
One of the maddest points you'll ever seepic.twitter.com/9HSMdVZJMx
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) September 6, 2022
Collins’ Poc Fada gave Drom and Inch the lead after 37 minutes and, in the local derby, it was a lead they wouldn’t surrender, and a win that knocks their near neighbours Borris-Ileigh out of the championship.
This was arugably Borris’ best display of their campaign but that says it all really. Under the stewardship of former Galway manager Shane O’Neill, the 2019 All-Ireland club finalists never really caught fire in what was a very frustrating and disappointing season for them.
On the other side of the coin, and buoyed by Tipperary underage players such as John Campion, Fintan Purcell and Collins, Drom and Inch are three from three and they’re absolutely flying it. The young guns have added some much needed dynamism to the mid-Tipperary team, who still have Seamus Callanan, David Collins and Johnny Ryan to call on – the three boys having inspired the club to their first ever county title well back in 2011.
Collins scored 1-1 at the weekend, Ryan added a few points and Callanan hit this beauty along with two other pearlers from open play.
Seamie Callanan still has it 💯
🎥 @TipperaryGAA 🎥 pic.twitter.com/hYjqRQNgSh
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) September 6, 2022
With that blend of youth and experience, don’t be surprised if they go all the way this year.
