Tipperary champions Borris-Ileigh sprung a surprise this afternoon to win their first AIB Munster Hurling Club Championship since 1986, beating reigning champions Ballygunner of Waterford by a single point.
A second-half goal from Kieran Maher and two late points from Brendan Maher ensured the win in an end-to-end brilliant display of hurling in tough conditions.
Borris-Ileigh defender Paddy Stapleton was emotional at full-time.
"You can't describe it.
"When you play you hope for days like this and you mightn't get them for years and then when it comes it's just indescribable.
"I felt the county final was the Mecca."
Stapleton has two All-Ireland's from his inter-county career with Tipperary, which he called time on in 2016.
Speaking to Oisin Langan of Off the Ball at full-time he explained the difference in the victories.
"I suppose they're a totally different thing, the inter-county is like a big box office film that blows up around the country but this means so much.
"It's a small little unit, your own crowd here, you know everybody, that makes it that bit more special.
"I won an All-Ireland with Tipperary quite early in my career and this is what I've been chasing all my life.
"Maybe if I had won a county and provincial with the club that'd feel bigger but right now I'm on top of this world."
Borris-Ileigh (Tipperary) are the Munster Senior Hurling Club Champions for 2019! pic.twitter.com/iwN0oruxP8
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 24, 2019
Borris-Ileigh went into the game, which Ballygunner led in for large sections, as outsiders.
Many felt the Waterford kingpins would be too much for the Premier men but Stapleton was keen to point out the key decision making and game intelligence that his team showed.
"We knew they were going to catch us out at times, I think the trick was about limiting that.
"A lot of people work hard but they work stupid and they work too late but our lads are anticipating and anticipating.
"We were in there face most of the time when they had a ball. if you don't see them passes coming to a couple of seconds beforehand.
"I think the concentration the boys showed was evident."
The victory writes a new history in the club with this marking their first provincial success in 33 years.
Stapleton said it was a special moment and it's great that the players from all those years ago are no longer the club's latest heroes.
"I met so many of them here today, they're nearly delighted to have that monkey off their back so they don't have to keep talking about it and they're delighted for us."
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