Ballygunner 2-17
Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-19
Ballygunner are the All-Ireland hurling champions for the very first time as Harry Ruddle's last minute goal made them the first ever Waterford team to win the Tommy Moore Cup in the most dramatic fashion imaginable having been two points down with just seconds left.
It was the reigning champions who opened the scoring, TJ Reid pointing from a dead ball after a Dessie Hutchinson effort had earlier come back down off the upright.
It was a case of TJ versus Mikey Mahony early on, the pair trading a brace of early scores apiece as it was two each with four minutes on the clock.
Once the early nerves settled, the sides began to assert themselves and it was an Adrian Mullen effort that moved the Kilkenny champions back ahead after he rode a number of challenges before splitting the posts.
Dessie Hutchinson then provided his trademark score as he angled over a fine point having been found in space on the left to level proceedings, with both sides guilty of some early profligacy - both nerves and conditions playing their part.
A bright spell for the Gunners coming onto the quarter hour saw them move two points to the good, the first of which came courtesy of Billy O’Keeffe who tucked away a point from a loose pass before Kevin Mahony extended the advantage when he was afforded time from close range.
Ballyhale responded in the perfect fashion with the next three scores as Patrick Mullen and a superb Evan Shefflin effort levelled the scores, before Eoin Cody went on a great run holding off his marker to restore their advantage.
Pauric Mahony brought it square once again with his first free of the afternoon, but from here on the Shamrocks began to take a grip on matters and show why they were bidding for their third title in a row. Eoin Cody saw a goal chance hussled away for a 65 following some fine defending from Barry Coughlan, but TJ Reid nailed the requisite dead ball, before he then steered over a fine effort from play as James O’Connor’s men established a foothold upon proceedings.
A Peter Hogan effort drifted wide as the Gunners sought inspiration. They were duly punished as Brian Cody notched his first point of the day to move Ballyhale three to the good, before some superb defending from Brian Butler denied the Gunners and Billy O’Keeffe a green flag at the opposite end.
A TJ Reid free moved the Kilkenny men four ahead on the cusp of the interval, but Hutchinson was then found in space to notch his second. 0-10 to 0-07 at the break, and Ballygunner had work to do in the second period with seven wides in the opening half hour.
The second half began as did the first as TJ Reid opened out his shoulders and split the posts with aplomb, but as happened in the first, a fine effort from Mikey Mahony reduced arrears - Mahony’s third from play.
Joey Holden brought down Mahony’s brother Kevin, and other brother Pauric was on hand to point the requisite free to bring it back to a two-point affair on 34 minutes.
The Gunners began to find their mojo at the start of the second period, and when Dessie Hutchinson picked out Billy O’Keeffe, the gap was back to the minimum.
Colin Fennelly used all his experience to point from the left flank soon after, but the Munster champions were breathing down Ballyhale’s neck - a Pauric Mahony free from well out the field again cancelling out the previous point and keeping matters poised on a knife-edge.
Mahony was fouled on the right flank by Patrick Mullen, and he stepped up to steer over his fourth free on the day, level proceedings and the final hotting up nicely at twelve points apiece.
A TJ Reid free moved the Shamrocks back into a slender advantage, and that was doubled by a fine point from distance by Joseph Cuddihy.
The game soon turned on its head from nowhere on 42 minutes - Colin Fennelly bearing down on goal and batting towards the net. Stephen O’Keeffe showed cat-like reflexes to turn the sliotar away but it only rebounded to Eoin Reid who was on hand to slam to the net and give the champions a five point advantage.
Pauric Mahony’s radar was on song as he steadied the ship with a fifth free, but they needed to find something fast heading into the final quarter.
Mahony reduced arrears to a goal with his sixth from close range, as Cormac Power replaced Billy O’Keeffe. The experience of Ballyhale began to tell as a finely worked move saw Darragh Corcoran push the boat back out to four, but it was soon game on courtesy of a moment of magic on 48 minutes.
Hutchinson caught the ball on the edge of the square but there looked to be little on, wrong you would be to assume that as he twisted his marker before slamming the sliotar on the spin past Dean Mason and into the back of the net. 1-15 to 1-14. Game on with twelve minutes to play.
Class told as Adrian Mullen clipped over a well needed score from the middle of the field under pressure for Ballyhale, as a Dessie Hutchinson effort sliced wide for the Gunners.
Experience began to assert itself, TJ Reid climbing above Paddy Leavy and slamming the sliotar over the bar from acres to make it a three point affair again.
Pauric Mahony hit a free wide, and an inspirational score from Richie Reid on 55 minutes meant that the clock was working against the Gunners, but Dessie Hutchinson did his best to chip into that lead and bring it back to a one goal difference.
Kevin Mahony held off Kevin Mullen and pointed under severe pressure to rally the troops, with two points in it with two minutes to go.
A stunning seventh score from the stick of Pauric Mahony had Ballyhale sweating heading into three added minutes - but an Evan Shefflin effort did everything it could to settle their nerves.
Then came the most wonderful of moments ever seen in any sort of All-Ireland Final, as young Harry Ruddle bore down on goal from miles away; and he let fly into the bottom left corner - BALLYGUNNER ARE ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS WITH THE LAST PUCK OF THE SLIOTAR.
Ballygunner: Stephen O'Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Foley; Shane O'Sullivan, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavy; Dessie Hutchinson, Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan; Billy O'Keeffe, Kevin Mahony, Pauric Mahony.
Ballyhale Shamrocks: Dean Mason; Darren Mullen, Joey Holden, Brian Butler; Evan Shefflin, Richie Reid; Darragh Corcoran; Conor Walsh, Patrick Mullen; Adrian Mullen, TJ Reid, Brian Cody; Eoin Kenneally; Colin Fennelly; Eoin Cody.
Referee: James Owens
