Shannon Rovers march into Munster Final

Shannon Rovers dream of reaching a second Munster final in almost four months was fulfilled when they secured a very easy semi-final win over Clare champions Kilmihil in the Junior ‘B’ Football semi-final last Sunday.

GAA: Munster Junior ‘B’ Football Tournament Semi-Final

Shannon Rovers 2-13

Kilmihil 0-6

Report & Photo: Liam Hogan in Ballyagran

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers)

SCORERS - Shannon Rovers: George Hannigan 0-5 (3 frees); Michael Tierney, Austin Tierney 1-0 each; Michael Dolan, Conal Moran, Andy Byrne 0-2 each; Marcus Esmonde, Emmett Moran 0-1 each.

Kilmihil: David Ryan 0-3 (1 free); Shane Egan, Sean Johnston, Alan Normoyle 0-1each.

Eleven weeks after the Rovers camogie team lost to Clanmaurice in the Munster intermediate final, the footballers joined them thanks to an excellent second half performance when they out-scored their opponents 0-9 to 0-2 with the Clare champions scoring those two points in the last ten minutes of the game.

By then the winners had emptied their bench with their eyes firmly set on the final in two weeks’ time when they will meet the winners of Lispole of Kerry and St. Oliver Plunkett’s of Cork.

The Rovers won very easily because they had leaders in every sector of the field. George Hannigan led the way; the former Tipp player was the orchestrator of many moves with Marcus Esmonde, Andy Byrne, Emmett Moran, Paraic O’Meara, Emmett Moran and Michael Dolan getting their hands on a lot of possession as they garnered an early five point lead after only eleven minutes.

Kilmihil settled down but found the Rovers defence unshakable with Derek Horan, Michael Tierney and Eamonn Hough cutting off the way forward. If they were in any trouble they could rely on Niall Cahalan in the goal and he produced a great save to deny David Ryan in the thirteenth minute when Rovers led 1-4 to 0-3.

A goal for the Clare champions would have made the game very interesting. Kilmihil followed up with a point in the 25th minute but four minutes later a goal by Austin Tierney gave the Tipp champions a nice six-point cushion before the teams changed ends which allowed the Rovers take advantage of a slight breeze and use it to increase their lead to fourteen points with fifty minutes gone.

Kilmihil were never in the race throughout the second half despite the best efforts of Padraig Lynch and Conor Crowley in defence, Alan Normoyle in midfield while Shane Egan and Michael Cotter had their moments in attack where David Ryan as their leader. Ryan would be best remembered down Clare way as the man who scored a goal to help Clare defeat Kerry in the first round of the 2007 Munster Under 21 Football championship. It was Clare’s third time to defeat Kerry in the grade at the time.

Bright sunshine and a very firm Ballyagran pitch was the perfect setting for the game which opened in whirlwind fashion as the Rovers attacked from the very start and had two points on the scoreboard through George Hannigan and Michael Dolan with only four minutes gone. Kilmihil replied with a quick point through Shane Egan before Marcus Esmonde had Rovers two in front by the sixth.

Two minutes later, Sean Johnston scored a well worked point for Kilmihil after a well-worked move involving Alan Normoyle and David Ryan. That was a brief worry for Rovers who, up to then, should have a greater lead as they enjoyed having the greater amount of possession up to then.

However, their next attack was a chance to make up for lost ground with Michael Tierney blasting to the net after a four man move was commenced by Emmett Moran in his own half. Andy Byrnes point had Rovers 1-4 to 0-2 in front by the eleventh minute. Kilmihil replied with a David Ryan point after his first effort was well saved by Niall Cahalan.

That score led to a twelve minute period where neither side scored but had Rovers enjoying the majority of possession and that factor worried the Clare management who decided to call on the bench in order to stem the Rovers tide.

The move helped Kilmihil who had the deficit cut to three after David Ryan scored his second point in the 26th minute. But the Rovers responded with style when another well-worked move. George Hannigan’s quickly taken free had found Marcus Esmonde unmarked with Esmonde quickly finding Austin Tierney, who despite having a lot to do, finally found the back of the net to give his side a 2-4 to 0-4 half time lead.

Shannon Rovers began the second half with a strong message after they scored six unanswered points in ten minutes with George Hannigan (2), Michael Dolan, and Conal Moran on target inside the 37th before Hannigan’s brilliance helped him add back-to-back scores to make it 2-10 to 0-4.

Conal Moran’s fisted point in the 43rd minute and Eamonn Hough’s fine score put daylight between the teams as the game entered the last quarter which resulted in a drop in competitiveness as both sides empty the benches.

Two Kilmihil scores by David Ryan (free) in the 50th minute and Alan Normoyle five minutes later was just a statistic, and with the minutes ticking away we saw Emmett Moran grab the final score of the day.

TEAMS - Shannon Rovers: Niall Cahalan (7); Derek Horan (7), Michael Tierney (7), Emmett Moran (8); Michael Dolan (8), Paraic O’Meara (Capt 7), Eamon Hough (7); Conal Moran (8), Andy Byrne (8); Michael Tierney (7), George Hannigan (8), Oisin McMahon (7); Austin Tierney (7), Paddy Heenan (7), Marcus Esmonde (8).

Subs: Sean Hough (6) for McMahon (47); Vince Mulvihill (6) for Heenan (51); John O’Dwyer (6) for E Hough (51); Ryan Moran (6) for Hannigan (51); Matthew Hardy (6) for Michael Tierney (55); Enda Hogan (NR) for Byrne (60 blood).

Kilmihil: Christopher Donnelly (7); Damien Leenane (7), John O’Sullivan (6), Alan McGuane (6); Padraig Lynch (7), Conor Crowley (7), Colm Pender (6); Alan Normoyle (7), Philip Ryan (6); Michael Haugh (6), Shane Egan (7), Michael Cotter (6); Michael Doran (6), David Ryan (7), Sean Johnston (Capt 6).

Subs: David Kelly (6) for Pender (19); Conor Finucane (6) for Haugh (19); Brian Kelleher (6) for Cotter (45); Eamonn Donnelly (6) for Leenane (49); Paul Finucane (6) for Doran (54); Louis Brennan (NR) for O’Sullivan (59 blood).

Referee: Ciaran Murphy (Cork).