Finneran the hero as Four Roads complete drive for five
Oisín Finneran, pictured here being tackled by Micheál Byrne, scored a famous late winner for Four Roads.
Four Roads secured a five in a row of county senior hurling titles as they came through a titanic struggle with St. Dominic’s.
Oisín Finneran proved the hero of the hour as he bagged the game winning score just moments after Brian Mannion equalised the contest. It was a painful defeat for a heroic St. Dominic’s side, who contributed immensely to a game that roared into life in the final half.
They will be left to rue a red card for full back Mike Feeley in the 43rd minute for a tackle on Cormac Mulry. Yet St. Dominic’s managed to take the lead twice in the final quarter before Mannion and Finneran powered Four Roads to another county title.
With St. Dominic’s opting to play against a stiff breeze in the opening half, their job was to contain the damage in the opening period. After the 2024 decider in which St. Dominic’s played with a gale but only led by seven at half time, the roles were reversed this time around.
St. Dominic’s were succeeding in their mission for most of the first half, only trailing 0-4 to 0-3 after 18 minutes. Despite three wides in the opening `12 minutes, Thady Beirne would have been happy with Jack Lohan in particular proving effective as a ball winner. Four Roads were able to flood their defence as St. Dominic’s dropped their half forward line extremely deep.
The Tisrara based side only led 0-4 to 0-3 after 18 minutes but Four Roads gained control with five scores in a row with Liam Óg Coyle bagging two outstanding scores in that run while Tommy Morris forced Mark Miley into a superb stop. Ethan Connaughton stopped the rot but in the final play of the first half, Cormac Mulry was upended for a penalty but Conor Morris was denied by Mark Miley.
Morris slotted the resulting 65 but St. Dominic’s would have felt a 0-10 to 0-4 half time deficit was far from disastrous.
The second half was packed with drama as despite another Morris ’65, St. Dominic’s, aided by a superb defensive effort, struck 1-5 without reply as Naos Connaughton netted after latching on to a long Mark Miley free.
This moved St. Dominic’s 1-9 to 0-11 in front but Feeley’s red card was a blow. Four Roads ended their 21 minute scoreless spell through a Morris free before they struck a huge blow. In the 56th minute David Mannion streaked clear of the St. Dominic’s defence before rifling a ferocious effort to the net.
Yet back came St. Dominic’s as Connaughton caused chaos again before Jack Lohan kicked the sliothar to the net. A superb Nathan O’Connor score moved St. Domionic’s a point in front with one of the four minutes of injury time played.
However, Micheál Kelly’s side showed their mettle as Brian Mannion, who was denied by a superb stop by Miley moments earlier, equalised the contest before Oisín Finneran rifled over a famous late winner to ensure Four Roads completed the drive for five.
