Classy Cuala crowned All-Ireland club champions .... again

CUALA 2-17 NA PIARSAIGH (Limerick) 1-17

After two incredible battles Dublin champions Cuala were left standing, standing tall, after Saturday's AlB All-Ireland Club SHC final replay at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

The Dalkey club are now back-to-back All-Ireland champions - only the fifth club in history to secure successive Tommy Moore Cups following this outstanding game.

When it mattered most Mattie Kenny's men showed all the hallmark of great champions to finish with a flourish and edge out their rivals.

Seán Moran was awarded the official Man of the Match after another blockbuster of a display, form he has consistency shown since the business end of the 2017 Dublin SHC.

Na Piarsaigh responded superbly to two quick-fire second half goals to edge into a one point lead following Shane Dowling's free as the game ticked into the 60th minute.

However, Cuala took control in the concluding minutes with a Con O'Callaghan point, two David Treacy frees and Mark Schutte's insurance score to get home by a clear goal.

Cuala were up 0-10 to 0-9 at the half-time interval following a tit-for-tat opening half.

Na Piarsaigh led 0-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes but Darragh O'Connell's inspirational 14th minute point on the run lifted the Dublin champions.

The flying midfielder fielded a Na Piarsaigh puckout before accelerating 80 metres up the left wing before angling over.

Two David Treacy deadball scores put Cuala in front 0-5 to 0-4 in a duel what ebbed and flowed throughout.

Cuala lost their captain Paul Schutte just before the break owing to a recurrence of an on-going serious hamstring trouble but Cuala didn't let that upset their ambitions.

Nine minutes into the second period Cuala sub Nicky Kenny benefitted from a wayward handpass and angled on goal before ruthlessly firing to the net.

Immediately after the influential Mark Schutte repeated the trick and he too found the net in clinical fashion to open up a six-point lead.

But typical of this tie over the two games Na Piarsaigh battled back and David Breen's goal, following great work by Shane Dowling, saw the momentum switch.

Dowling’s fourth free of the day put the Limerick men in front in the final minute.

The drama was not concluded though as Con O’Callaghan equalised and in injury-time, then David Treacy converted a free, following a foul on Mark Schutte.

Treacy's ninth score, a free, after a foul on Con nosed Cuala in front before three minutes into added time Mark Schutte made sure to be sure.

SCORERS – Cuala: D Treacy 0-9 (0-7f, 0-1 '65'), M Schutte 1-2, N Kenny 1-0, Con O’Callaghan 0-2, D O’Connell, S Moran (0-1f), J Sheanon, J Malone 0-1 each. Na Piarsaigh: A Breen, S Dowling (0-4f) 0-5 each, K Downes, P Casey 0-2 each. J Boylan, D Dempsey, G Brown 0-1 each.

CUALA: S Brennan; O Gough, Cian O’Callaghan, S Timlin; P Schutte, S Moran, J Sheanon; S Treacy, D O’Connell; C Cronin, D Treacy, J Malone; M Schutte, Con O’Callaghan, C Sheanon. Subs: N Kenny for C Sheanon (26 inj), S Stapleton for P Schutte (29 inj).

NA PIARSAIGH: P Kennedy; A Dempsey, M Casey, N Buckley; J Boylan, C King, K Kennedy; W O’Donoghue, D Dempsey; S Dowling, P Casey, D Breen; K Downes, A Breen, R Lynch. Subs: T Grimes for M Casey (32 inj), C Boylan for Lynch (40), G Brown for Buckley (41), M Foley for Boylan (59).

REF: P O’Dwyer (Carlow).