Aug. 18, 2021 By Michael Dorgan – Twitter @M_Dorgan
Tipperary 2-21 – 2-17 Hoboken Guards
Tipperary club were crowned New York Senior Hurling champions Sunday with a commanding performance over the four-in-a-row chasing Hoboken Guards at Gaelic Park.
A goal at crucial stages of each half by Ger McPartland coupled with a 10-point salvo from the sharp-shooting Mikey Sheedy was enough for the Premier County to retain a title they had not won since 2016.
Tipperary have contested every final since that win – losing all four – including the last three against the defending champions.
“I’m absolutely delighted that we have it back,” said manager Pa Ryan afterward.
“There’s massive history with us here… it’s going to really mean a lot to the whole Tipperary community here.”
Ryan’s side also had eight American-born panelists with the hard-working Gearoid Kennedy the only starter.
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Sunday’s victory rarely looked in doubt with Tipperary racing into a 10-4 lead after 20 minutes as Sheedy found his rhythm with four frees.
Hoboken’s Dara Walsh pulled two points back before McPartland got on the end of Liam O’Donovan’s pass and fired the sliotar into keeper Billy Hanlon’s net. The long balls into corner-forwards O’Donovan and John O’Neill were really beginning to stretch the Hoboken full-back line in the hot and humid conditions.
Sheedy added two more points before Jack Guiney pulled one back for Hoboken taking the score at halftime to 1-12 to 7.
Hoboken started off the second half livelier with Dara Walsh pointing a free from the 65-meter mark before Sheedy quickly canceled it out with another free.
Kevin Bulfin pointed for Tipperary to stretch the lead back to nine points before Guiney lifted Hoboken with a powerful goal into the bottom right-hand corner after bursting past his man.
Walsh then fired over to reduce the deficit to five. Sheedy and Guiney both exchanged a brace of points each before Guiney added another as Hoboken began finding some momentum.
However, MacPartland stepped up again to net his second goal just before the final water break to take the sting out of the Hoboken comeback.
Walsh and Sheedy pointed after hydration before McPartland extended the lead to eight – taking his tally to 2-2. Paul Gordon and former Galway hurler Johnny Glynn were now making their physical presence felt for Hoboken while Bulfin, Kennedy and O’Connor were also impressing for Tipperary.
Tempers boiled over soon after as Tipperary’s Tommy Kavanagh was shown red for striking while Paul “Dumper” Loughnane was also given his marching orders for a heavy charge as the game was stopped.
Guiney, who was outstanding all day, tried to rally his troops again for one final push notching 1-2 without reply to bring Hoboken within a goal of Tipperary.
However, despite Guiney (2-7 for the day) pointing again along with teammate Kevin Hannigan, O’Neill finished with a three-point flurry for Tipperary to seal the deal.
“We knew they were not going away,” Ryan said afterward.
“We know these Hoboken guys and we trained for them enough to get it over the line and thankfully we got it done.”
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