Na Piarsaigh sharpshooters overcome Clann na Gael to claim U20 silverware

Na Piarsaigh 0-13, Clann na Gael 0-9

By Robert Kindregan

Na Piarsaigh battled through wind, rain and the lingering turbulence of Storm Claudia to claim the U20 Division 2 hurling title with a deserved four-point win over Clann na Gael in Collinstown on Saturday afternoon.

It was a welcome victory for the Lough Lene Gaels/Turin amalgamation over their Castlepollard/Brownstown counterparts.

Conditions were tough throughout, but Na Piarsaigh’s central forward line of Alex Little, Ryan Williams and Eoin McGrath produced the key scores in a game where chances were hard-earned, and every strike mattered. Clann na Gael showed moments of real quality, particularly in the closing stages, but left themselves with too much to do after a sluggish first half.

A strong, swirling wind, which seemed to favour neither side, kept scoring low and led to a physical contest where every point mattered. Both teams battled for possession in heavy conditions, making for an entertaining and scrappy first half.

Na Piarsaigh opened the scoring through Ryan Williams after linking up neatly with Alex Little, who then converted a free shortly after. Clann na Gael responded with a well-struck free from Aaron O’Brien from 50 yards. Na Piarsaigh missed three consecutive chances over the next five minutes - two from frees - as Clann na Gael adopted a cautious approach to limit the dangerous central forward line.

O’Brien capitalised on Na Piarsaigh’s misses and levelled the game at 0-2 apiece with a curling free over the bar following a foul on Sean Mulvaney.

Eoin McGrath restored the lead when he found space and fired over with precision. Shortly after, full-forward Cillian Farrell was brought down in a dangerous position while charging toward goal, and Alex Little converted the resulting free to give his side a two-point advantage. A long-range Little free dipped dangerously toward goal, but goalkeeper Callum Briody managed to bat it away. The clearance fell to McGrath, who calmly added his second point.

In response, Tiernan Purcell scored a fine point from the 45 to keep Clann na Gael in touch. Little responded immediately with his third point from a placed ball after Setanta Gavigan was shown yellow. Clann na Gael sought a goal to level the contest; a clever pass from Ciaran English put Brian Gilchrist in a promising position, but Na Piarsaigh won a free shortly after when Conor Sheridan received a yellow card, his side’s second in as many minutes.

In additional time before halftime, Conor Leech delivered a perfect ball to McGrath, who evaded a couple of challenges to tap over a neat point, giving Na Piarsaigh a four-point cushion at the break (0-7 to 0-3).

The second half began in similar conditions, with Little opening the scoring with a 65, followed moments later by Williams, who soloed down the right flank and struck over one of the scores of the game. Little added another 65, completing a rapid three-point burst in the opening three minutes of the half, which left Clann na Gael with too much ground to recover.

O’Brien kept his side in contention with a converted free, and Cody Ward produced a moment of brilliance, soloing down the right wing before raising the white flag with a low, powerful strike over the bar.

Many opportunities came and went for Clann na Gael, with the wind complicating several attempted scores. It took nearly 15 minutes for Na Piarsaigh to score again, Little pointing from play on 48 minutes.

Leech added another, and Williams struck his third from a tight angle, extending the lead to 0-12 to 0-5.

In the final five minutes, O’Brien inspired a late resurgence for Clann na Gael, landing a deflected point, followed by two more from play, and finally a long-range free, bringing his personal tally to seven and the team total to 0-9. Despite the late rally, Na Piarsaigh held firm, with Little adding a final point to seal a deserved four-point victory.

Clann na Gael showed glimpses of skill, particularly late on, but never managed to find consistent momentum. Na Piarsaigh’s sharper forward play and stronger first-half performance proved decisive in a tough, windy encounter.

Scorers: - Na Piarsaigh: Alex Little 0-6 (0-5f), Ryan Williams 0-3, Eoin McGrath 0-3, Conor Leech 0-1.

Clann na Gael: Aaron O’Brien 0-7 (0-3f), Tiernan Purcell 0-1, Cody Ward 0-1.

Na Piarsaigh: Evan Gallagher, Evan Murray, Alex Mills, Jack Dowling, Oisin L’Estrange, Cathal Og Fagan, Peter Finch, Conor Leech, Craig Neville, Alex Little, Ryan Williams, Eoin McGrath, Josh L’Estrange, Cillian Farrell, Kylan Heffernan. Subs: Liam Heffernan, Brian O’Rourke, Brian Aughey.

Clann na Gael: Callum Briody, Mark Lancaster, Ben Murphy, Rory Carolan, Nicholas Duffy, Shane Henry, Setanta Gavigan, Cody Ward, Tiernan Purcell, Sean Mulvany, Ciaran English,Conor Sheridan, Sean Og Murray, Brian Gilchrist, Aaron O’Brien. Subs: Eanna Kiernan, Finn Higgins, Cathal Purcell.

Referee: Robbie Dillon