Ballinacourty opened up with an early attack forming the first scoring chance of the game – a free from the left flank, but it slipped left and wide, a tale that would become common throughout this game as more wides were to follow.
Courty had their second wide from very tight angle from the right-hand side, but it slid left and wide past the post yet again.
A great ball in for Rathgormack in the third minute, but Rathgormack were unable to control it and their first threat of the game came to nothing, with play returning to the middle of the field where both teams battled to hold the ball.
Ballincourty continued to repeatadly attack down the left flank, playing the ball into the corner, with the ball popping up for Mark Fernecombe and the centre half-forward put it over the bar to open the scoring for Courty.
A threatening ball into Conor Murray looked promising, but he got fended off by Ballincourty defence, they responded by putting the ball back up the field into the heart of the Rathgormack defence with play shortly returning to the middle of the field again.
Ballinacourty notched their fourth wide of the game through Michael O Halloran in the sixth minute, with a worrying note of two teams who looked to be missing the match readiness that a full championship would have brought.
Rathgormack struggled to link up passes on their way up the field in the opening quarter, and while they showed plenty of positive attacking play, they were not able to create any incisive attacks to break the Courty defence. To most peoples surprise, the defending champions had not produced any real promising threat of scoring in the opening ten minutes.
Aaron Beresford earned the first free of the game in the 8th minute, which he slotted over the black spot to double Courty's lead.
Rathgormack responded with an attack through Ronan Cahill, who could have taken another second with the ball but kicked it wide, making it Rathgormacks first wide on their first proper attack of the afternoon.
Michael O' Halloran managed to find the run of Dean Beresford, who found space down the right, but Beresford kicked wide of the mark and with it marked Courty’s fifth of the match in the 11th minute.
James Power opened the scoring for Rathgormack shortly after to put a small reminder in the Courty dugout that they wouldn't be making the day easy for the hopeful challengers.
Approaching the first half water break Stephen Curry was presented with a peach of a chance from the Ballinacourty kick out. Stephen Enright kicked aimlessly into the hands of Michael Curry who found Stephen on the charge but surprisingly didn’t manage to find the back of the net, with the dismayed look on the faces of the Rathgormack bench telling the tale of what had happened. A lifeline had been handed to Balinacourty who could have found themselves behind despite having done all the hard work so far in the game.
William Hahessy was found in possession coughing up the free to Aaron Beresford, who kicked wide (Courty’s sixth of the afternoon) on 14 minutes.
Before the first half water break, Courty were definitely the more lively side, but the scoreboard did not reflect their efforts.
Rathgormack leveled the score in the 15th minute through Conor Murray who kicked an easy free to make it two points apiece.
Rathgormack would have been happy to reach the first half water break level on the scoreboard. Courty had been the dominant side until that point.
Shortly after returning from the refreshments, Michael Kiely fisted wide for Courty; their seventh wide of the afternoon.
A Courty free in the 18th minute, Tom Looby kicked it but it goes left and wide for their ninth of the day. A worrying amount of frees for Ballinacourty before the half time whistle had been blown.
Jason Curry put Rathgormack ahead on the 19th minute. The green and red's speed caught Courty napping and they got punished in the process. No doubt the Hurney brothers on the sideline would have felt badly aggrieved by the scoreboard which now showed Rathgormack to have a 1 point advantage.
With a potent Ballinacourty attack looking likely to create something, Aaron Beresford felt some contact on the back from Rathgormack's defence and duly went to ground earning the free. Patrick Hurney steps up to kick the free, and levels the scores for the second time.
Hurney got back involved moments later, taking a pass from Conor Prunty and calmly slotting it over the bar and putting Courty back in the lead on the 21st minute.
Sean Whelan shortly after would go on to sting Rathgormack with their third unanswered score of the first half, setting the tone for the Champions would have to claw back if they were to keep their crown.
Ronan Cahill was fouled by Aaron Beresford, but an argument with the referee from Courty saw the free moved forward ten yards. Rathgormack kicked to the heart of the Courty defence but that degensive line held strong and shipped it back up the field. Michael Curry brought Rathgormack back to touching distance with a long-distance free, bringing it back to a one-score game
Ballinacourty wides started to ease off approaching the half-hour mark with Patrick Hurney slotting one easily for Courty. Ballinacourty again applied pressure to Rathgormack with the clock approaching halftime, Patrick Hurney - who would gon on to claim a man of the match award - found enough space to slot one more point.
Rathgormack were not to be counted out, however, as Jason Curry earned a fantastic score taking the ball from 45 metres out. He had options to lay it off, but he took it on himself and earned his side a nerve settling score to make it a two point game at half time(0-5 to 0-7).
Rathgormacks vice-captain Robbie Flynn made a statement opening the second-half scoring for the defending champions and Jamie Kirwan made a surging run through the heart of the Courty defence breaking two tackles on his way through, he laid the ball off to Michael Curry who slotted it through the sticks for a point – but not without a dispute over the score. The umpire was called upon with the score allowed to stand.
Courty who looked a bit stunned by Rathgormacks intensity at the second-half start, but came back into the game with a pair of scores through Patrick Hurney over a pace ball, and Mark Fernecombe adding the next one from play.
Rathgormack had the chance to level the game for the third time in the 36 minute, with Michael Curry standing over the ball at the Keane’s road end he ably put it through the sticks to bring it back to a one-score game. The second half would remain much the same as it had been for the opening two or three minutes, with Courty extending their lead, only for Rathgormack to bring it back to a score.
A potent attacking threat for Ballinacourty found Mark Ferencombe in space – he rifled a fast-paced ball across the square with Michael O Halloran picking it up, taking half a breath and then slotting it over the bar; again the challengers had a two-point cushion. Courty's first wide of the second half came in the 42nd minute, spelling a very different story from the first half shots going wide.
Ballinacourty could have been behind in the 42nd minute if not for Stephen Enright, who pulled off a superb save to deny Stephen Curry at point-blank range.
The story of the third quarter was Balinacourty edging ahead, with Rathgormack pulling them back at every opportunity, Jason Curry’s free in the 46th minute bringing it back to a point as they approached the second-half water break.
By the time the second half water break rolled around, it was anyone’s game, Courty holding a narrow one-point advantage, but Rathgormack had not looked like going any more than one point behind at any stage
Rathgormack will hope that the bit of sloppiness that creeped in late in the game isn't what cost them the title, with the Courty subs roaring for a free, the referee agreed and called for a free out to the challengers – seemingly for Conor Murray picking the ball up from the ground.
A massive free for Patrick Hurney in the last two minutes extended the lead for Courty to 2 points, what was theoretically an easy free I front of the posts, Hurney had to settle his nerves and his pulse - putting it between the sticks to give his team what looked to be the winning score.
With four minutes added at the end of the 60, Ballinacourty were handed the chance to make it a three point game. Patrick Hurney obliged to set the score at 13 points to 10, and while it looked certain, the stress was more than some could handle.
Rathgormack battled until the very end, and while fighting for a goal, they coughed up possession with Courty turning them over to set up the final attacking play of the game, but they kicked wide their 13th of the day. At that point however, it didn't matter. The final whistle blew and the title had changed hands. Rathgormack dethroned by Ballinacourty for 2020.
Full Time Score Ballinacourty 0.13 - 0.10 Rathgormack
