Rare and deserved silverware for Knockshegowna

GAA: FBD Insurance County Hurling League Division 6 Final

Knockshegowna 1-14

Thurles Gaels 0-10

Report: Michael Brophy in Moneygall

MATCH DIGEST

Man of the Match: Michael Egan (Knockshegowna)

SCORERS – Knockshegowna: Michael Egan 0-6 (3 frees, 1 65); Paul Kennedy 0-4 (2 frees); Eamon Murphy 1-0; Paul Lake 0-2; Mark O’Meara, Michael Cleary 0-1 each.

Thurles Gaels: Anthony Cooney 0-6 frees; Jack Ryan, David Fogarty, Darren Fahey, Michael Mulcaire 0-1 each.

A huge roar from the travelling Knockshegowna support at the final whistle signified the importance of this day for the Lower Ormond club, as they claimed the County Hurling League Division 6 title on Saturday evening.

After a free scoring opening fifteen minutes, the game became more tense and scrappy for the remainder and an opportunistic goal from substitute Eamon Murphy with ten minutes left gave them an insurmountable lead against Thurles Gaels.

The Thurles junior team, a combination of the former Kickhams, Rahealty and Fennellys, were the better team in the opening stages. Playing with the aid of the breeze, a pair of Anthony Cooney frees and a well-taken score from Darren Fahey gave them an early lead.

Knockshegowna slowly grew into the game with Michael Cleary scoring after a frantic period of end-to-end play, but Michael Mulcaire answered for Thurles with an excellent point of his own.

Both sides traded frees via Paul Kennedy and Cooney to restore a two-point lead for Thurles, but despite the breeze the Gaels would only add one more point before the break. Knockshegowna’s Paul Kennedy set up Paul Lake for a good goal chance that flashed over Michael Bryan’s crossbar, and Lake would soon see another goal bound shot saved well by Bryan.

The middle-third was becoming a battleground with scores increasingly hard to come by. Michael Egan scored his first of six points for Knockshegowna, before Cooney answered with another free for Thurles.

From there until the interval, Knockshegowna reeled off the final four points to give them a three-point lead at the break. Egan struck an excellent long-range placed ball against the breeze before Paul Kennedy raised a white flag of his own. Egan then added another point from play before Knockshe’s tenacious tackling forced a turnover and led to another long-range score from Kennedy.

Thurles spurned two good goal chances shortly after the interval with David King saving from Michael Mulcaire before Darren Fahey saw his powerful shot go wide of the post.

Knockshegowna soon found their feet again however, and wing-forward Mark O’Meara’s strength under long puck-outs was a constant threat to Thurles. His point from under the stand in Moneygall opened up a four-point lead, and was quickly added to by another for Lake.

With ten minutes left, a mis-hit effort at a point from Paul Kennedy was mishandled by the Thurles keeper Bryan. The ball spilled into the path of the oncoming substitute Eamon Murphy who pulled the ball into the empty net. 1-13 to 0-8 up with ten minutes left, it was the game defining moment.

Thurles went in search of goals to salvage the game, but the Knockshegowna defence held out strongly. A free for Cooney and a point for Jack Bryan closed the gap for Thurles, but it wasn’t enough to make things nervy for the North Tipp side.

When Alan Ryan’s late goal-bound free was blocked among a sea of blue-and-gold jerseys, PJ Nolan blew the long whistle and Knockshegowna’s travelling support could celebrate at last.

They will turn their attention to the North Junior ‘B’ Hurling Championship in the coming weeks, where they enter a group with neighbours Lorrha and Borrisokane, as well as Nenagh Éire Óg.

TEAMS - Knockshegowna: David King (7); Daniel Smith (7), Pauric Brennan (6), Denis Cahill (7); Jack Bond (7), Colin Brown (7), Michael Gohery (7); Adrian Browne (7), Darren Browne (8); Adam Stanley (6), Paul Lake (7), Mark O’Meara (8); Paul Kennedy (7), Michael Cleary (7), Michael Egan (8).

Subs: Michael O’Brien (6) for Brennan (HT), Declan Costello (7) for Stanley (40), Eamon Murphy (7) for Cleary (45), Stephen Smith (NR) for Cahill (60).

Thurles Gaels: Michael Bryan (6); Jamie Ferncombe (6), Paudie Fitzpatrick (7), Stephen Browne (6); Curtis Ryan (6), Jack Bryan (6), Donal Fitzpatrick (7); Jamie Barry (6), David O’Mahoney (7); David Fogarty (6), Anthony Cooney (7), Alan Ryan (7); Michael Mulcaire (7), Darren Fahey (7), Chris Munroe (6).

Subs: Philip Ryan (6) for Barry (40), Kieran O’Dowd (6) for O’Mahoney (44), Damien Ryan (6) for Fogarty (50), William Carroll (NR) for Fitzpatrick (58).

Referee: PJ Nolan (Killea).