Dunnamaggin 1-24; Rower Inistioge 0-15.
John Power at Dunnamaggin GAA Grounds.
Playing in their fourth ever Aylward Cup Final, home side Dunnamaggin finally got their hands on the trophy with an impressive and thoroughly deserved twelve-point victory over Rower-Inistioge on Sunday last. Having suffered heartbreak in previous deciders in 1999, 2009 and again in 2023, Dunnamaggin made no mistake this time around as they produced a dominant display from the opening whistle to claim the Michael Lyng Motors sponsored title in front of an enthusiastic home support.
The foundations for victory were laid in a blistering opening eight minutes. Dunnamaggin stormed into a 0-7 to 0-0 lead with some outstanding attacking hurling and never looked in danger of surrendering that advantage. Their movement, work rate and accuracy immediately put Rower-Inistioge under pressure and the visitors struggled to cope with the intensity being brought by the home side. Those opening seven points came from seven different players, highlighting the spread of scoring threats throughout the Dunnamaggin team. Ray Cody, Dylan Crehan, Denis Walsh, Conor Lawton, Alex Moore, Tim Doherty and Andy Hickey all found the target from open play during that devastating spell, with every attack carrying a real sense of purpose.
Rower-Inistioge eventually opened their account in the eighth minute through former Kilkenny hurler Richie Leahy, but it proved to be only a brief interruption to Dunnamaggin’s dominance. The home side continued to dictate proceedings around the middle third, winning the majority of breaking ball while their half-back line consistently denied their opponents time and space.
With possession secured, Dunnamaggin were able to launch wave after wave of attacks and continued to add to their tally through a variety of scorers. Their sharp support play and willingness to work the ball into good shooting positions ensured they maintained an excellent conversion rate throughout the opening half. By the interval the home side held a commanding 0-16 to 0-7 advantage. Significantly, they had nine different scorers on the board compared to just four for Rower-Inistioge, underlining both the balance within their attack and the difficulties the visitors faced in containing them.
While Rower-Inistioge battled honestly throughout, they never managed to string together the sequence of scores that might have placed any real pressure on Dunnamaggin. Every time they reduced the deficit, the home side responded with another well-worked point to keep the contest firmly under their control.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Dunnamaggin showed no signs of easing off and continued to dominate possession while remaining disciplined defensively. Denis Walsh proved particularly influential after the restart, contributing from both placed balls and open play as he kept the scoreboard moving. Further points from Jamie Tallon, Tim Doherty and Jimmy O’Neill stretched the margin to twelve points by the 49th minute as Dunnamaggin led 0-23 to 0-11. At that stage the outcome was effectively beyond doubt, with the home side displaying the confidence and composure of a team determined not to let another final slip from their grasp.
The game’s only goal arrived in the 53rd minute and served as the perfect finishing touch to an excellent team performance. Following a hectic goalmouth scramble, Jimmy O’Neill reacted quickest to force the sliotar over the line and spark loud celebrations among the home supporters. The major score copper-fastened Dunnamaggin’s superiority and removed any lingering hopes of a late Rower-Inistioge comeback. To their credit, Rower-Inistioge continued to battle until the final whistle and added further points before the end, but they could make little impression on a Dunnamaggin defence that had been solid throughout. Every line of the home team contributed significantly, from the goalkeeper and full-back line through to a hard-working midfield and an attack that consistently converted possession into scores.
When referee sounded the final whistle, Dunnamaggin were worthy winners on a scoreline of 1-24 to 0-15. It was a victory built on a superb opening quarter, relentless work rate, excellent distribution of scores and an organised defensive display that gave Rower-Inistioge few opportunities to build momentum.
SCORERS
DUNNAMAGGIN: Denis Walsh (0-8, 0-4 frees), Jimmy O’Neill (1-1), Tim Doherty (0-3), Ray Cody (0-2), Conor Lawton (0-2), Alex Moore (0-2), James Tallon (0-2), Dylan Crehan, Andy Hickey, Noah Cahill, Scott McDonald (0-1 each). ROWER INISTIOGE: Eoghan Lyng (0-8, 0-5 frees), Richie Leahy (0-2), George Murphy (0-2), Tom O’Callaghan, Tom Doyle, Kevin Murphy (0-1 each).
TEAMS
DUNNAMAGGIN James Logue, Dylan Crehan, lan Walsh, Pierce Costello, Michael Cody (JC) Alex Moore, Ray Cody, Denis Walsh, Tim Doherty, Colin Fitzpatrick, Andy Hickey, Jimmy O’Neill, Conor Lawton, Noah Cahill, Jamie Tallon
Substitutes: Used – Brian Hickey for Noah Cahill, Darren Fitzpatrick for Jamie Tallon, Scott McDonald for Tim Doherty. Rest of Panel. – Darragh O’Keeffe, John Fitzpatrick, Paul Kirwan, Harry Walsh (JC), Cathal Walsh, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Jamie McLoughlin, Anthony Kearney, Eoin Sheil, Edward Moylan, Sean Lawton, Kieran Buckley, Brian Hickey, Thomas Deegan, Scott McDonald, Cathal Buckley, Luke Fitzpatrick, JJ Dunphy, Darragh Lyons, David Moore, Daniel Hayes, Sean Carroll, Aaron Moore, Darragh Walsh.
ROWER INISTIOGE
Patrick Lyng, Paul Kirwan, Ruari Galavan, Darragh Murphy, Ruaidhri Delaney, Shane Ryan, Edward Prendergast, Ned Spellman, Tom O’Callaghan, Richie Leahy (C), Oisin Morrissey, George Murphy, Kevin Murphy, Eoghan Lyng, Tom Doyle
Substitutes: David Kelly for Richie Leahy (blood), David Kelly for Ned Spellman, Oisin Smithwick O’Brien for George Murphy. Fiachra Farrell. Rest of Panel – Dan Mulholland, Sean Bolger, Jack Roche, Michael Galavan, Conor Joyce., Eoin Doyle, Jim Ryan, Tom Doyle, Patrick Prendergast, Ben Chapman, John Grace, James Prendergast, Eoin O’Brien
Referee: Ray Byrne (Glenmore).
