All Ireland Club Hurling Championship

[the colonel]

What was final score?

[glens73]

1-19 to 0-17

Canning scored 0-12, a few from play as well

[Bord na Mona man]

The high intensity Portumna style of hurling is hard to sustain for a few years running. The comparison between Ballyhale and how Kilkenny took on Cork in 2006 is very valid.
Port have been a great team but haven't been overloaded with great players. Today they could have done with another shooter of genuine inter county quality to help take the burden off JC.

[Reillers]

Thought that Portuma would come in and win it before the goal. Kinda shot themselves in the foot with that one. Wish they won though, the Ballyhale supporters are, without question, some of the most arrogant feckers I've come across. Usually you'd enjoy games and the banter between supporters and such but I've never met fans with so much disrespect for the other team and their players. Beyond arrogant.  A good team, but there's no need for it.

[orangeman]

Joe gave an exhibition today. Portumna just couldn't get going and the goal chances were restricted for them. Just one of those days.


But hats off to Ballyhale who hounded Portumna at every stroke.

I was particularly pleased for Mc Garry.

[Two Hands FFS]

Hungrier & more balanced team won today. Thought Portumna fumbled alot of ball today & maybe abit of tiredness had set in. Thats 3 long campaigns they've had. Were in trouble right from the start. I think it was B/Hales 2nd point from Shefflin were TJ Reid chipped the ball from a line ball into his hand even though Portumna had loads of time to get settled set the tone for the day. TJ Reid cleaned them in 1st half. How was his man not changed??
Cleaned out at midfield with Cha just sitting in front of his CH who dropped back to pick up aload of ball. Never seen Chunky Hayes so quiet & was moved as a result. B/Hale had more options for scores which were easier to come by with the 2 Reids, Henry, Cha & Colin Fennelly all chipping in.

As for Joe...he was superb..some of his touches were sublime especiallly the touch out of the air for his second goal chance. Best striker of a ball i've seen off both sides. It was testmant to him that they were still in the game until the big mistake by their goalie as they were coming into the game at that stage(16-12). Match never really got going.

[bottlethrower7]

but there's no need for it.

indeed

you bitter little man

[Last Man]

I've come across some right sh!tty Cork fans in my time  Reillers, you get them in every club/county, God knows we have plenty up here to, so you can't tar them all with the same brush. Put your disdain of all things Killkenny to one side and give them their day.  
I thought the Shamrocks defensive unit was powerful yesterday, they certainly had their homework done. Some great footage for the video analysis boffins. Looked like they knew they were never going to stop Joe winning ball ,all they had to do was stop him pulling the trigger.

[awfulynice]

Reillers....its my first post of 2010...and again its about your comments...im beginning to think youre being paid by gaaboard.com to stir sh*t!!

On the game, the goal really took the wind out of portumna's sails, they didnt get going for 15- 20mins at the start of the game at which time ballyhale had about a 7-8 point margin, they were chipping away at it and i think it would have been a very close run thing had the goal not came.

TJ Reid was a masterclass yesterday, without doubt the man of the match, although some of joe cannings points were sublime. Portumna's number 5 wasnt moved in time, and really Ballyhale were far more composed on the ball, both in attack and defence they used a shor ball to get out of trouble and portumna were chasing shadows.

Its an unbelievable achievement for Ballyhale to win 5 all irelands, and i think this is probably the sweetest seeing as how they were being written off by most before the game. Portumna will be back, perhaps with a bit more humility, they were often playing county teams rather than club teams, and seemed to feel they were "too good" for any other club team in the country, in fact it was widely believed that portumna would beat a lot of county teams such was the esteem they were held in, I think Ballyhale may have banished that myth yesterday

[INDIANA]

watched a re-run last night. Better team won- portumna's first touch was awful all day. All the ballyhale lads showed up. Reids were excellent especially. Ballyhale are a much better team than Portumna really. When all of Ballyhale's players how up no-one will beat them. Too many county players spread throughout the team. Hard to find a weakness in thier team.


I wonder will some kilkenny people have the good grace to accept how good Canning is. Thats as good an individual performance as I've ever seen on a badly beaten team. Without him Ballyhale would have won by a cricket score.

Frighteningly talented. IF he stays injury free the sky is the limit.

[GalwayBayBoy]

I wouldn't agree that Ballyhale are much better than Portumna to be honest. If they were they wouldn't have been completely blitzed by them last year. Port just didn't really turn up to play yesterday until the 2nd half and just when it seemed they were getting a run on Ballyhale the keeper dropped one in the goalmouth and it was game over. Without the goal I think it would have been a tight enough finish. Port are a long time on the road and the hunger just didn't seem there yesterday. Their play was sloppy with a lot of misplaced passes and fumbling which is very unlike them. TJ Reid was very good for Ballyhale but he was quietened when Port finally put Eoin Lynch back on him but he had done most of his damage by then. Cuddihy also played really well at the back but Joe Canning was undoubtably the man of the match. Might have turned out a different day had he scored that early goal. Port will probably be back but they are not a young team anymore and haven't been doing much at underage in Galway. Joe Canning alone will keep them up there but they may even be vulnerable in the Galway county championship in the next year or two.

Portumna will be back, perhaps with a bit more humility, they were often playing county teams rather than club teams, and seemed to feel they were "too good" for any other club team in the country, in fact it was widely believed that portumna would beat a lot of county teams such was the esteem they were held in, I think Ballyhale may have banished that myth yesterday

Not sure I understand any of this. I can't remember Portumna coming out with anything of the sort.

[maxpower]

Poor final, Portumna never got going until the second half and the goal killed the comeback.

fair play to ballyhale, they did what we had tried in the semi final and completely nullified the threat of Kevin Hayes, Damien Hayes was also well marked and the rest of the forwards wouldn't be as clinical as Shefflins supporting cast.  thought Joe Canning was exceptional, was tightly marked but still was the biggest scoring threat on the field, some of his points were amazing.  fair chance of these teams being back again next year

[AZOffaly]

I wouldn't agree that Ballyhale are much better than Portumna to be honest. If they were they wouldn't have been completely blitzed by them last year. Port just didn't really turn up to play yesterday until the 2nd half and just when it seemed they were getting a run on Ballyhale the keeper dropped one in the goalmouth and it was game over. Without the goal I think it would have been a tight enough finish. Port are a long time on the road and the hunger just didn't seem there yesterday. Their play was sloppy with a lot of misplaced passes and fumbling which is very unlike them. TJ Reid was very good for Ballyhale but he was quietened when Port finally put Eoin Lynch back on him but he had done most of his damage by then. Cuddihy also played really well at the back but Joe Canning was undoubtably the man of the match. Might have turned out a different day had he scored that early goal. Port will probably be back but they are not a young team anymore and haven't been doing much at underage in Galway. Joe Canning alone will keep them up there but they may even be vulnerable in the Galway county championship in the next year or two.

Portumna will be back, perhaps with a bit more humility, they were often playing county teams rather than club teams, and seemed to feel they were "too good" for any other club team in the country, in fact it was widely believed that portumna would beat a lot of county teams such was the esteem they were held in, I think Ballyhale may have banished that myth yesterday

Not sure I understand any of this. I can't remember Portumna coming out with anything of the sort.

True enough GBB. Portumna never seem cocky to me. It's standard operating procedure for club teams involved late in the season to be playing County teams in challenge matches, on the basis that County teams are the only ones half way up and running in February. What club team in the country would give them a game in late autumn or early spring that are not involved themselves?

Sure Ballyhale played (and beat) a Dublin selection and a Waterford selection recently. That doesn't mean they think they are too good to play club teams.

[INDIANA]

I wouldn't agree that Ballyhale are much better than Portumna to be honest. If they were they wouldn't have been completely blitzed by them last year. Port just didn't really turn up to play yesterday until the 2nd half and just when it seemed they were getting a run on Ballyhale the keeper dropped one in the goalmouth and it was game over. Without the goal I think it would have been a tight enough finish. Port are a long time on the road and the hunger just didn't seem there yesterday. Their play was sloppy with a lot of misplaced passes and fumbling which is very unlike them. TJ Reid was very good for Ballyhale but he was quietened when Port finally put Eoin Lynch back on him but he had done most of his damage by then. Cuddihy also played really well at the back but Joe Canning was undoubtably the man of the match. Might have turned out a different day had he scored that early goal. Port will probably be back but they are not a young team anymore and haven't been doing much at underage in Galway. Joe Canning alone will keep them up there but they may even be vulnerable in the Galway county championship in the next year or two.

Portumna will be back, perhaps with a bit more humility, they were often playing county teams rather than club teams, and seemed to feel they were "too good" for any other club team in the country, in fact it was widely believed that portumna would beat a lot of county teams such was the esteem they were held in, I think Ballyhale may have banished that myth yesterday

Not sure I understand any of this. I can't remember Portumna coming out with anything of the sort.

I would respectfully disagree. I think Portumna had to get it right every day due to their lack of county players. And its to their credit their consistency over the last 2 years ensured them hitting 95% every time over the last 2 years. I think Ballyhale have a little more scope for an off day.
Maybe I'm being harsh as well though. I've never seen some of the Portumna players as bad. I won't name them because I'm sure they feel low enough as it is. Its horrible losing an all-ireland final- really is horrible in a sporting context it doesn't get any lower. So hard at club level to get back there.

[NAG1]

True AZ

I thought the game wasnt bad actually, some amount of skill on show from both teams. Hurling seems to be going through a change, we are seeing more and more possession type hurling.

In fairness if Joe had bagged the goal at the very start I honestly believe we would have seen a different outcome. Thought the Portumna poc outs in the first half were causing alot of trouble and took ballyhale a while to catch on, if they had been a bit more clinical with this possession then could have been a different game.

Ballyhale worthy winners.