ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES SHC A FINAL REPLAY/De La Salle Waterford 2-9 Thurles CBS 2-8:RARELY DOES a replay live up to the excitement of a drawn match, but those who came to Nowlan Park got full value for their money when Waterford De La Salle edged out Thurles CBS in a thrilling All-Ireland Colleges senior hurling A final replay.
Danny Purcell landed the all-important score, splitting the posts from close to his own 65-metre line in the last minute to give the Waterford school their second successive Croke Cup.
De La Salle exploded from the blocks. Stephen Power notched up the first three points on the scoreboard before crashing a 21-yard free to the Thurles net on 12 minutes.
The Tipperary school got over their nightmare start thanks to two points from full forward Kieran Morris, but when Pauric Mahony pulled a loose ball to the net Thurles were seven adrift and looked to be in trouble - 2-3 to 0-2.
The challengers were given a lifeline when Morris got on the end of a long Denis Maher delivery and flicked it to the net with two minutes left in the first half.
A good point from Ciarán Shelley brought the sides even closer, but Peter McCarthy's point from distance left De La Salle 2-4 to 1-3 ahead at the interval.
Morris gave Thurles the perfect second-half start with two points, the second a free after he was fouled close to goal, before he shot his side into the lead for the first time in the 39th minute.
Following a long delivery from John O'Neill, Morris did well to beat full back Barry Coughlan on the edge of the square then turn and smash a shot past goalkeeper Stephen O'Keeffe, 2-5 to 2-4.
The nip and tuck nature of the first game was still evident, as Waterford instantly drew level through Pauric Mahony.
A Rory Ryan point pushed Thurles back in front, but two in as many minutes from Mahony and Danny Purcell handed the advantage back to Waterford with eight minutes to go.
Thurles's Aidan McCormack and Waterford's Pauric Mahony traded points, but when Morris made it 2-8 apiece with 60 seconds left extra-time looked on the cards again - but no-one told that to Danny Purcell.
WATERFORD DE LA SALLE: S O'Keeffe, R Cunningham, B Coughlan, O Keevers, N Connors, P Mahony, S Daniels, K Fitzgerald, E Barrett, J Dillon, N Clifford, P McCarthy (0-1), S Power (1-3, 1-1 frees, 0-1 65), B O'Sullivan, P Mahony (1-3). Subs: D Purcell (0-2) for Cunningham (31 mins), D Smith for Clifford (45 mins), I Power for O'Sullivan (59 mins).
THURLES CBS: B McCormack, S Maher, K O'Gorman, P Ryan, M Doyle, J Barry, R Ryan (0-1), D Maher, P O'Brien, C Shelley (0-1), M Russell, C Ryan, D Butler, K Morris (2-5, 0-3 frees), J O'Neill. Subs: A McCormack (0-1) for Butler (46 mins), M Greene for Russell (59 mins).
Referee: J Owens (Wexford).
