North Kerry Intermediate Hurling Championship Final 2001                        ABBEYDORNEY  2-6  CAUSEWAY  1-6

If ever there was an exciting finish to a hurling game, then it was at last Saturday's North Kerry Intermediate Hurling Championship Final played at Lixnaw which resulted in a one goal win for Abbeydorney.
Indeed nobody in this fair sized attendance left the venue until the final whistle and conditions were slightly heavy but still quite good for November.
The game opened with some competitive exchanges Abbeydorney scoring first in the fifth minute from a free from Tim Fealy from well out the field. Cyril Dineen opened Causeway's score with a point in the 11th minute and he repeated the trick seven minutes latter when he received a pass from Barry Walsh and fired over the bar. Walsh was having  a tough tussle with up  this with centre back Ber McElligott. In the 20 th minute the immpressive Bill Maunsell pointed to leave scores level at 0-2 each.
In the remaing  ten minutes of the half  Abbeydorney gained the upper hand and should have put more scores on the board but had to settle with 2 points from play from Denis Long & Tim Fealy. This left Abbeydorney ahead at the break 0-4 to 0-2.
After the resumption Tim Fealy & Cyril Dineen swapped pointed frees and in the 37th minute Bill Maunsell pointed to put Abbeydorney 0-6 to 0-3 ahead. Causeway introduced sub Chris Fealy after 40 minutes and was no sooner on pitch when he struck a marvellous point leaving 2pts between sides. The game flowed from end to end  both keepers in top form and Causeway were coming  back into the game in a big way with Dineen & Alan Whyte & Fergus Carroll to the fore; then in the 50th minute they got their big break when a ball struck way out by Barry Walshe dropped into the goalmouth and deceived everyone and went into the net.
Causeway were suddenly 1 pt ahead 1-4 to 0-6 & in the driving seat; Cyril Dineen was wide in the follow up attack, which could have sealed the issue for them. Abbeydorney then introduced sub Conor Kearney and he had an immediate impact on the game as he entered the fray; Abbeydorney were awarded a 70 metre free; Denis Long dropped the ball towards the goal  and Kearney, the ex Kerry star connected with the sliotar in flight and shot a bullet of a shot to the net.
Abbeydorney were now in the driving seat 1-6 to 1-4 and with only seven minutes remaining, Causeway pressed very hard but no score came until the 27th minute when Barry Walshe scored a point. Richard  Keane pulled on a ground ball which was deflected over the bar to level the scores at 1-6 apiece with one minute remaing, when Causeway were awarded a 30 metre free in the last minute but Dineen shot narrowly wide. Everyone was expecting the referee to blow full time but in one last remaining attack Liam McCarthy kicked a goal after Tom Rice had broken down the ball to him to put them a goal ahead. Causeway were awarded  a 20 metre free but Barry Walshes shot was well saved by a packed Abbeydorney defence.
After the game Tom O'Connor, NK Board presented The Intermediate Cup to Tom Rice Abbeydorney captain. Also Liam McCarthy received the man of match award from Quilters Bar Lixnaw.
TEAMS & SCORERS:
ABBEYDORNEY: Richard O'Brien, John McKenna, Ger Maunsell, David O'Connell, Mikey Leahy, Ber McElligott, Kieran O'Connell, David Nolan, David Moore, Denis Long (0-1), Liam McCarthy (1-0), John Sheehan, Bill Maunsell (0-2), Tom Rice, Tim Fealy (0-3) SUB: Conor Kearney (1-0)
CAUSEWAY: Tadgh Flynn, Richard Keane (0-1), Cormac Flynn, Finbarr Canty, John Fitzgerald, Pat Spillane, Gerry Canty, Fergus Carroll, Brendan Harty, Cyril Dineen (0-3), Barry Walshe (1-2), Oliver O'Carroll, Alan Whyte, Liam Harty, Kieran Canty.
SUBS:Conor Diggins, Chris Fealy (0-1), Henry McEnery
REFEREE: KEVIN LEEN LIXNAW