Tooreen overcome Ballyhaunis to claim 33rd Mayo hurling title

Tooreen 0-13 Ballyhaunis 0-08

More history was made by the Tooreen hurlers when they secured their 33rd Mayo senior championship title in style in Ballyhaunis on Saturday afternoon.

The defending champions captured their third successive TJ Tyrell Cup after producing a barnstorming last quarter to leave the homeside trailing in their wake.

Ray Larkin's well-drilled outfit outscored Ballyhaunis by seven points to two in the last 15 minutes as Shane Boland (3), Kenny Feeney (2), Seán Kenny (free) and Liam Lavin were all on target for the rampant visitors.

All Ballyhaunis could manage in reply were efforts from Adrian Philip and Cormac Philips (a '65) as their challenge faded out in the closing stages.

Four-time All Star winner Keith Higgins, and current Mayo football defender Jack Coyne, did try their best to get Ballyhaunis going, but the challengers could find no way through a well-organised and very disciplined Tooreen defence.

Last year's All-Ireland Intermediate championship finalists had led at the end of an entertaining first half by 0-06 to 0-05.

They opened the scoring with a free from Shane Boland in the second minute but the homeside levelled through a Cormac Philips free six minutes later.

This set the tone for the rest of the half with neither side able to get on top for long. Ballyhaunis did open up some daylight after Michael Farrell struck a couple of excellent points from play in quick succession.

But, despite missing a string of chances due to the swirling wind, Tooreen were back on level terms after 16 minutes as David Kenny and Liam Lavin hit the target from distance.

Ballyhaunis’ top scorer in the competition, Cormac Philips (free) and Tooreen’s Eoin Delaney then traded points to maintain the status quo before