Kiladangan retain Under 21 title to complete clean sweep

A devastating second half performance helped holders Kiladangan made it a clean sweep of North Tipperary hurling finals for 2021 when they defeated a disappointing Roscrea side in the Under 21 ‘A’ decider

GAA: Walsh’s of Nenagh North Tipperary Under 21 ‘A’ Hurling Final

Kiladangan 3-18

Roscrea 0-10

Report: Liam Hogan in Toomevara

MATCH DIGEST

Man of the Match: Conor Culhane (Kiladangan)

SCORERS - Kiladangan: Shane Gleeson 0-10 (5 frees); Bryan McLoughney 1-3; DJ McGrath, Paul Seymour 1-0 each; Sean Hayes 0-2; Conor Culhane, Conor Byrne, Matthew Cleary 0-1 each.

Roscrea: Luke Cashin 0-4 (3 frees); Jack Lee 0-3; Dylan Hogan, Luke Seacy, James Synnott (free) 0-1 each.

A devastating second half performance helped holders Kiladangan made it a clean sweep of North Tipperary hurling finals for 2021 when they defeated a disappointing Roscrea side in the Under 21 ‘A’ decider on St Stephen’s Day.

Leading from start to finish, Kiladangan produced a team performance where no sector was beaten. Hunger and greater strength especially in close contact and all-round ability worked the oracle and their victory was the fifth highest winning margin in the history of the grade, the highest since Kilruane MacDonaghs defeated Roscrea in the 2006 final by eighteen points.

Kiladangan needed to be at their best because they entered the game on the back of a hard-earned semi-final win over Nenagh Eire Og the previous Sunday. Perhaps that wake-up call is what they needed and right from the throw-in as they could call on the leadership of their backline where the like John O’Meara, Darragh Butler, Darragh Ryan and team captain Darragh Flannery stood out. The winning captain made a small but significant speech when he said that this Under 21 grade gave young players a chance to play together as other grades like senior and junior would not, he said in a plea to keep the competition alive following recent decision to have the competition erased from the GAA calendar.

Flannery played at centre back and had great support from his wingbacks, seventeen-year-old Jack McGrath, who never put a foot wrong, and Conor Culhane who produced a man of the match performance and scored a great point also.

Conor Byrne and Shane Gleeson won the midfield battle hands down. Gleeson was the game’s top scorer with ten points, five from play, which included one super point in the final quarter where he lobbed the ball over his opponent, regained possession and drove the sliotar over the bar without taking possession. Byrne scored a point and was involved in lots more besides as their opponents Glen Loughnane and Darragh Tynan enjoyed few precious moments.

Up front, the Kiladangan forward line took a while to get going and they did in the second half as Bryan McLoughney scored 1-3 from play while DJ McGrath scored a great goal. Sean Hayes displayed many good moments, especially when moved out to the middle third where he scored two fine points. And in all that time the Cleary brothers, Bill and Matthew, worked their socks off as did Paul Seymour at full forward. Goalkeeper Neil Cahalan was rarely troubled.

Roscrea entered this final with a great degree of confidence following their semi-final win over Borris-Ileigh. Apart from a sound opening quarter where they had a good response from their James Synnott, Oisin Moloney, Conor Phelan, Aidan Booth and Luke Seacy gave it their all.

However, they floundered up front where they flew on one wing in the guise of Jack Lee who scored three points from play. Graham Fahy, apart from the one error which led to Kiladangan’s second goal, could do no more as he produced a string of saves. Overall, the team was a pale shadow of the side, who three years ago, took Kiladangan to a replay in the North minor semi-final. Kiladangan won by two points that day.

The Play

The game began at slow pace, and it was the eleventh minute before Kiladangan opened the scoring with a Shane Gleeson free. The Kiladangan top-scorer added another three points, to give the holders a four-point lead at the first water-break.

On the resumption, Luke Cashin had Roscrea on the scoreboard in the 17th minute but the Kiladangan defence continued to keep tabs on the Ros’ attack with John O’Meara excellent in the sweeper role while Darragh Butler and Darragh Ryan were prominent, but Conor Culhane’s display was inspiring and his point in the 18th minute had Kiladangan four clear again.

With Sean Hayes increasing the lead, Roscrea needed a reply and Jack Lee obliged before Hayes scored his second with the lead increasing to six when Conor Byrne made it 0-8 to 0-2 on 26 minutes. Luke Cashin narrowed the gap with a free, but Matthew Cleary made it a six-point margin again, but Dylan Hogan had the final score of the opening thirty to see the half time scoreline read Kiladangan 0-9 Roscrea 0-4.

Roscrea were first to attack after the resumption, but another Culhane clearance dropped around the Roscrea twenty metre line before Bill Cleary won possession. Two steps later he had the support of fellow wing forward DJ McGrath who wasted no time in firing low to the back of Graham Fahy’s net.

Points from Luke Seacy and Cashin (free) kept Roscrea close, but Kiladangan began to turn the screw thanks to Bryan McLoughney and Shane Gleeson (free) moving the lead to eight before the game was ended as a contest when Paul Seymour edged the ball into the net from close range after Graham Fahy failed to cope with a Shane Gleeson delivery.

Roscrea’s Jack Lee doubled his account in the 40th minute and Luke Cashin added a free before Brian McLoughney and Jack Lee swapped points at the final water-break, the holders leading by nine.

The return to play was familiar and from midfield an overhead delivery by DJ McGrath had the Roscrea defence in trouble again this time Bryan McLoughney racing inside the cover to score Kiladangan’s third goal from close range.

Happy that the blue and gold ribbons were attached to the Michael Delaney Cup, the holders continued to pile on the scores and struck four more unanswered points through Shane Gleeson (3) and McLoughney.

With Luke Cashin replaced Roscrea had to reply on full back James Synnott for frees and in the closing minutes he went low from a thirty-metre free but had to be satisfied with a point.

However, there was no stopping Kiladangan and after two more Shane Gleeson points, the later from play, Kiladangan had their fourth Under 21 title and their third in five years.

This year has been special as this latest piece of silverware adds to the North senior, Junior ‘B’, Junior ‘C’ and Under 19 ‘A’ grades.

TEAMS - Kiladangan: Neil Cahalan (7); John O’Meara (8), Darragh Butler (8), Darragh Ryan (8); Jack McGrath (7), Darragh Flannery (Capt, 7), Conor Culhane (8); Shane Gleeson (8), Conor Byrne (7); Bill Cleary (7), Matthew Cleary (8), D J McGrath (7); Bryan McLoughney (7), Paul Seymour (7), Sean Hayes (7).

Subs: John McGrath (6) for B Cleary (47); Stephen Mulvihill (6) for Byrne (53); Aidan Ryan (6) for Seymour (54); Conor Sheahan (NR) for D J McGrath (56); Mark Gleeson (NR) for McLoughney (57).

Roscrea: Graham Fahy (7); Brian McCabe (7), James Synnott (7), Oisin Moloney (7); Conor Phelan (7), Aidan Booth (6), Luke Seacy (7); Glen Loughnane (6), Darragh Tynan (6); Owen Tynan (6), Kenny Lee (6), Jack Lee (7); Dylan Hogan (6), Conor Dooley (6), Luke Cashin (6).

Subs: Jamie Ryan (6) for O Tynan (41); Conor Donovan (6) for Cashin (46); Eoghan Bergin (6) for Hogan (53).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)