Kiladangan prevail in historic shootout encounter
FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling - Seamus O Riain Cup Relegation Semi-Final
Kiladangan 0-26
Ballingarry 1-23 (AET)
(Kiladangan win 4-3 on penalties)
Kiladangan 0-26
Ballingarry 1-23 (AET)
(Kiladangan win 4-3 on penalties)
Report: James Hayden in Templetouhy
For the first time in history a Tipperary senior hurling championship game was decided by penalties as Kiladangan ousted Ballingarry following a titanic Seamus O Riain Cup relegation semi-final on Sunday.
For the first time in history a Tipperary senior hurling championship game was decided by penalties as Kiladangan ousted Ballingarry following a titanic Seamus O Riain Cup relegation semi-final on Sunday.
Level on no less than seventeen occasions there was nothing between these sides throughout. In the end it was former county goalkeeper, Darragh Egan who proved the difference in what was a heart-breaking penalty shootout loss for the South side. Egan expertly saved Ballingarry’s final two penalties from Aidan Cleere and Conor Vaughan before stepping up to smash home Kiladangan’s final penalty to send the men in blue and gold into raptures.
A titanic tussle throughout there was nothing to separate the sides at the end of normal time and extra time but successive points deep in extra time from the hugely impressive Kiladangan captain, Ruairi Gleeson saved the day for Kiladangan.
Played in perfect conditions throughout this game had it all! Tension, excitement, excellent free-taking exploits from Kiladangan’s Shane Gleeson and Ballingarry’s Dylan Walsh, not to mention a number of edge of the seat moments as both sides vied for supremacy.
Two frees apiece from Gleeson and Walsh got the ball rolling in this encounter before Ballingarry edged two clear with a third Walsh free coupled with Ballingarry’s first point from play from the stick of Conor Vaughan edged the south men in front before Gleeson and Walsh traded frees once more to see Ballingarry lead 0-5 to 0-3 at the water break.
Kiladangan were back on terms thanks to points from Johnny Horan and Shane Gleeson (free) before Ballingarry edged two clear once more. By the 26th minute an Eoghan Sharkey brace brought Kiladangan upsides before Dylan Walsh (free) and Johnny Horan both raised white flags for their respective sides.
Ruairi Gleeson surged upfield to edge Kiladangan in front with a 29th minute solo effort but Dylan Walsh answered Kiladangan with a close-range free. Both sides hit a point apiece before the interval to leave the teams locked at 0-10 apiece at the break.
Kiladangan hit the ground running from the re-start with Johnny Horan and Tommy Connors firing Kiladangan two clear before Michael Ivors netted with aplomb to edge Ballingarry back in front.
By the water break the sides remained deadlocked, 1-12 to 0-15 before a dubious Dylan Walsh free edged Ballingarry clear once more. Darragh Egan stepped up to convert a long range 53rd minute free before points from Shane Gleeson (free) and Jack Loughnane edged Kiladangan two to the good as the 60-minute mark approached. Back came the Ballingarry men though with Dylan Walsh on target from a free before an audacious leveller from the toes of the stand side-line sent the game to extra-time, 0-19 to 1-16.
The first period of extra-time saw Ballingarry fashion a three-point advantage but Kiladangan rallied again with excellent efforts from Shane Gleeson and substitute, Eoin Gleeson bringing Kiladangan back to within a point at half-time, 1-20 to 0-22.
Kiladangan were back on terms from the resumption with a close-range Shane Gleeson free before Dylan Walsh and Gleeson once more converted from placed balls as the mounting tension was ratcheted up. Walsh edged Ballingarry ahead with three minutes remaining but Darragh Egan found Ruairi Gleeson in space with a pinpoint accurate puckout and Kiladangan were once level again. Aiden Ryan looked to have won it for Nigel Cleere’s charges with time almost up but up stepped Ruairi Gleeson once again from centre-back to send this epic encounter to penalties.
Dylan Walsh, Michael Ivors, and Ian Ivors converted Ballingarry’s opening three penalties while Shane Gleeson and Johnny Horan duly netted before Ruairi Gleeson’s effort was saved by David Walsh in the Ballingarry goal. Darragh Egan then parried Adrian Cleere’s effort to safety before Paddy Coen brought Kiladangan level with a rasper, 3-3. Conor Vaughan’s effort was subsequently saved before Darragh Egan stepped up to convert with consummate ease and secure a memorable and historic victory for Kiladangan’s second senior side.
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Ruairi Gleeson (Kiladangan).
Kiladangan: Darragh Egan (0-2f, 8), John O’Meara (7), Shane Seymour (7), Paddy Gallagher (8); Ronan Ducie (7), Ruairi Gleeson (0-3, 8), Conor Culhane (7); Tommy Connors (7), Johnny Horan (0-3, 8); Eoghan Sharkey (0-2, 7), Hugh Flannery (7), Matthew Cleary (7); Eoin Meagher (7), Tommy Connors (0-1, 7), Shane Gleeson (0-13, 10f) 8).
Subs: Conor Byrne (6) for Meagher (44); Darren Ryan (6) for Sharkey (44); Tom O’Meara (7) for Flannery (53); Eoin Gleeson (0-1, 7) for Connors (55); Paddy Coen (NR) for Ryan (ET); Hugh Flannery for Gallagher (ET); Eoghan Sharkey for O’Meara (ET).
Ballingarry: David Walsh (7), Ciaran Shelly (7), Jack Fennelly (7), Cillian Tuohy (7); Shane Fitzgerald (7), Ian Ivors (0-1, 8), Ger Fennelly (7); Conor Vaughan (0-2, 8), Dylan Walsh (0-14, 13f) 8); Aiden Ryan (0-2, 7), Adrian Cleere (0-4, 8), Paidi Maher (6); Michael Ivors (1-0, 7), Sean Doheny (6), Patrick Ivors (7).
Subs: Declan Hayes (7) for Doheny (32); Philip Ivors (8) for Maher (33)
Referee: Phil Ryan (Knockavilla Kickhams).
Player of the Match: Ruairi Gleeson (Kiladangan).
Kiladangan: Darragh Egan (0-2f, 8), John O’Meara (7), Shane Seymour (7), Paddy Gallagher (8); Ronan Ducie (7), Ruairi Gleeson (0-3, 8), Conor Culhane (7); Tommy Connors (7), Johnny Horan (0-3, 8); Eoghan Sharkey (0-2, 7), Hugh Flannery (7), Matthew Cleary (7); Eoin Meagher (7), Tommy Connors (0-1, 7), Shane Gleeson (0-13, 10f) 8).
Subs: Conor Byrne (6) for Meagher (44); Darren Ryan (6) for Sharkey (44); Tom O’Meara (7) for Flannery (53); Eoin Gleeson (0-1, 7) for Connors (55); Paddy Coen (NR) for Ryan (ET); Hugh Flannery for Gallagher (ET); Eoghan Sharkey for O’Meara (ET).
Ballingarry: David Walsh (7), Ciaran Shelly (7), Jack Fennelly (7), Cillian Tuohy (7); Shane Fitzgerald (7), Ian Ivors (0-1, 8), Ger Fennelly (7); Conor Vaughan (0-2, 8), Dylan Walsh (0-14, 13f) 8); Aiden Ryan (0-2, 7), Adrian Cleere (0-4, 8), Paidi Maher (6); Michael Ivors (1-0, 7), Sean Doheny (6), Patrick Ivors (7).
Subs: Declan Hayes (7) for Doheny (32); Philip Ivors (8) for Maher (33)
Referee: Phil Ryan (Knockavilla Kickhams).