Just the starter for Kiladangan

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Round 1

Kiladangan 2-20

Burgess 1-12

Report: Shane Brophy in Dolla

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Paul Flynn (Kiladangan)

SCORERS – Kiladangan: Billy Seymour 1-8 (0-6 frees); Paul Flynn 0-5; Sean Hayes 1-2; Tadhg Gallagher 0-3; David Sweeney, Bryan McLoughney 0-1 each.

Burgess: Eoin Hogan (2 frees), Tadhg O’Halloran (2 65s) 0-3 each; Shane Maher 1-0; Micheal Ryan, Johnny Mulqueen 0-2 each; Danny Ryan (free), Donagh Maher 0-1 each.

Kiladangan showed no evidence of a hangover from last years County Championship success as they eased to a comfortable win over Burgess in the opening round of the North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship on Thursday.

With no divisional championship last year due to Covid, Kiladangan are also reigning North champions from 2019 and despite a lively early salvo from Burgess, they rarely looked troubled and when they flexed their muscles in the run up to half time, the result was never in doubt.

Burgess went into the game shorn key players in attack, particularly Stephen Murray who has carried the scoring load for many years and his ability to drift into pockets of space to get scores, as well as his free-taking were certainly missed, as were Stephen Kirwan and Bill O’Flaherty. However, Micheal Ryan was one of the newcomers to shine with two points from play.

Kiladangan started with fourteen of the side that started in the county final success last September with Declan McGrath missing out through injury, but they had an able replacement in Darren Moran whom along with Alan Flynn and David Sweeney were a strong half back line.

In front of them, Willie Connors and Tadhg Gallagher controlled the midfield, with Gallagher contributing three points from play, with his surging runs also a huge weapon.

In attack, Sean Flynn began strongly with 1-2 from play in the opening half while Billy Seymour worked his way into the game well, but it was captain Paul Flynn who was their star man, with five points from play, a player looking hungry for the fray having been peripheral in Tipperary’s championship campaign.

Played in far from summer like conditions with heavy rain falling for most of the contest, Burgess threatened to make it one in the opening quarter in which they were 1-3 to 0-4 behind at the first water-break.

Micheal Ryan opened the scoring for Burgess with Kiladangan slow to get into their stride but after Flynn and Sean Hayes got them off the mark, Hayes finished a well-placed Billy Seymour pass for a seventh minute goal.

Eoin Hogan and Micheal Ryan replied with points for Burgess with Hogan landing a free to cancel out a Tadhg Gallagher point before the water-break.

However, Kiladangan took firm control after the resumption and after Seymour and Hogan traded frees, the victors went on a six-point scoring run with Billy Seymour contributing four (two from placed balls) with Bryan McLoughney and Tadhg Gallagher also on target.

Burgess did manage two points before the break from Tadhg O’Halloran from play and a 65 as they trailed 1-11 to 0-7 at half time.

Despite Johnny Mulqueen landing a monster score at the start of the second half, and with the introduction of Shane Maher into the forward line, it didn’t signal a change in the momentum of the game, despite Kiladangan being wasteful in attack.

Indeed, there were only six points scored in the third quarter, Kiladangan shading it 0-4 to 0-2 with David Sweeney’s well worked point one of the scores of the game.

Kiladangan’s second goal came in the 53rd minute as Billy Seymour broke a raking Barry Hogan puckout down to himself and from close range flicked past Ronan Tucker.

Paul Flynn came to the fore in the second half with four points from play with Willie Connors also prominent, even if his radar was off on the evening but thirteen wides, there is plenty for the champs to sharpen up on, but this performance was sufficient as a starter.

TEAMS – Kiladangan: Barry Hogan (6); Fergal Hayes (8), James Quigley (7), Darragh Flannery (7); Alan Flynn (7), David Sweeney (7), Darren Moran (7); Willie Connors (7), Tadhg Gallagher (8); Sean Hayes (7), Joe Gallagher (6), Billy Seymour (8); Bryan McLoughney (6), Paul Flynn (9), Dan O’Meara (6).

Burgess: Ronan Tucker (7); Daire Hogan (7), Pat Woods (6), Willie Ryan (7); Johnny Mulqueen (7), Kieran Ryan (7), Donagh Maher (7); Keith Nealon (6), Tadhg O’Halloran (7); Jack O’Keeffe (6), Danny Ryan (6), Conor Gill (6); Micheal Ryan (7), Eoin Hogan (6), Brian Tucker (6).

Sub: Shane Maher (6) for B Tucker (HT).

Referee: Ger Morris (Borrisokane)