THE match final at the long-awaited season high goal opener at Bunclody Polo Club in Wexford was a cliff-hanger of goal scoring while Keelings dominated until late in the second chukka against the lower handicapped Horseware Ireland for the Perpetual Cup.

Keelings and Horseware Ireland had each risen to the top of the qualifiers for the Bunclody Perpetual Cup against three remaining teams to earn their place in the final, Horseware, though, entering the first chukka with a half-goal handicap.

Tyrone’s April Kent backs up teammate Ian Magahey as he goes for the ball in the Bunclody Perpetual Cup tournament, hemmed in by Pegus’s Mark and David J Stone with David Stone in the lead \ Kim Mullahey

Barry Finnegan, Nora Jarvinen, Emmett Connolly and James Connolly lined out for Horseware on a half-goal advantage against the stronger Keelings team of Caroline Keeling, Siobhan Herbst, Michael Connolly and Jennifer Healy, drawing within 1.5 goals at the end of four chukkas against six earned by Keelings. Horseware’s result was a team effort largely due to James Connolly and Barry Finnegan, while Keelings goal-scoring was led by Siobhan Herbst and Michael Connolly.

The tournament, including the low goal final for the Bunclody Service Cup won by Sixt Rent a Car in four chukkas against North of Ireland Polo Club on five goals to 2.5 attracted 10 teams in total from across the island, although many more were turned away.

“It was a great start to the season and well done to all the teams,” said Bunclody Polo Club patron Robert Hogg. “When polo manager Alejo Tagle first put the teams together it was four a small tournament, just four teams. The next thing there were 10 teams so well done to all.”

The high goal subsidiary final was won by Tyrone with six goals to four from Pegus and one from River Slaney, while the low goal subsidiary final win went to Bunclody on five goals, beating Bishopsland’s nil and Kildare on three goals.