Borrisokane unable to cope with slick Kickhams

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Knockavilla-D Kickhams 0-25

Borrisokane 1-16

Report: James Hayden in Templetuohy

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Adam Daly (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams)

SCORERS - Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams: Stephen Browne 0-10 (5 frees, 1 ’65); Adam Daly 0-7; Michael Gleeson 0-3; Eoin Horgan (free), Shane Buckley, Cormac Carr, Davy Butler, Elliott Thompson 0-1 each.

Borrisokane: Oisin Larkin 0-7 (5 frees); Gary Ryan 0-5; Mike Heenan 1-0; Kevin Cleary, Conor Ryan, Jack Larkin, Ciaran Foley 0-1 each.

A far slicker and nuanced Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams side put Borrisokane to the sword with devastating effect in what proved a one-sided County Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final clash on Saturday.

Played in perfect autumnal conditions with little or no breeze to contend with this tie pitted a Borrisokane sided seeking to get back into a county final for the first time in fifteen years against a Kickhams outfit have been progressing well under the stewardship of club stalwart, Paul O’Dwyer with an unbeaten run to date in the county championship.

Borrisokane were fancied by many to have that little bit more experience than the West side but the performance of county minor and under 20 star Adam Daly proved the driving force behind Knockavilla’s victory. The midfielder bagged seven points from play in a performance which ripped Borrisokane’s gameplan asunder from the start.

John Egan’s charges had no answer to Daly and he along with Stephen Browne, Lorcan Carr and Michael Gleeson bossed the game from the throw-in.

Borrisokane trailed by eight points at the interval, 0-15 to 0-7 as they struggled to reach the pitch of the game in the opening half with Knockavilla’s combination of slick, crisp passing, and off the shoulder running, cutting a swathe through Borrisokane’s midfield and defence on numerous occasions.

It was more of the same for the third quarter but credit to the Lower Ormond side they battled on gamely following a 42nd minute Mike Kelly goal and refused to ‘die soft’, putting it up to the West side in the closing stages and narrowing the deficit to six-points.

Four impressive points from full-forward Gary Ryan and four well-struck frees from the accurate Oisin Larkin ensured Borrisokane kept pace but Kickhams were always that one step ahead of a Borris’ side who just couldn’t cope with Knockavilla’s gameplan.

Borrisokane were first to register with a sweetly struck Jack Larkin effort before four points on the bounce from Adam Daly, Michael Gleeson, Stephen Browne, and Elliott Thompson catapulted Kickhams into an early advantage.

Borrisokane responded with points from Gary Ryan and Kevin Cleary, and with Ciaran Foley hurling as a third midfielder, they attempted to stifle Knockavilla’s running game. Kickhams retorted with a sublime Michael Gleeson effort before banging over five further points on the trot from Davy Butler, Daly, Browne and Shane Buckley all bisecting the uprights.

With Borrisokane’s midfield and defence at sixes and sevens they were in dire need of a riposte and it came in the guise of a badly needed Oisin Larkin point from play in the 17th minute. Jack Larkin almost bagged a goal seconds later after he linked up well with Ciaran Foley but his kicked effort just went the wrong side of the upright.

Three wides on the trot brought a halt to Knockavilla’s opening quarter gallop and Borris narrowed the deficit to five with Ciaran Foley and Conor Ryan both raising white flags.

Kickhams continued with their high energy, high tempo approach and two super scores from Daly fired his side into a 0-14 to 0-7 lead in the 27th minute. Stephen Browne added another before the interval as Knockavilla fashioned a fully deserved eight-point interval cushion.

Knockavilla refused to lift their foot off the gas in the third quarter also with four unanswered points straight from the re-start. Adam Daly, Eoin Horgan (free), Cormac Carr and Stephen Browne (free) extended their advantage to twelve points by the 42nd minute and even at this early juncture the writing was on the wall for Borrisokane.

Borris’ had by now positioned Mike Heenan on the edge of the square in a bid to get back to within touching distance and the move paid dividends in the 42nd minute after Heenan gathered a breaking ball and finished neatly past the advancing Eoin Horgan for what proved to be the only goal of the game.

Adam Daly replied once more for Kickhams but Gary Ryan fired over two impressive Borrisokane points either side of Stephen Browne's pointed free on the 45 minute mark, 1-11 to 0-21.

Eoin Horgan’s pinpoint, accurate puckouts were picking Borrisokane apart though and Kickhams continued to keep the scoreboard ticking with a well-struck Stephen Browne effort.

Borrisokane retorted with three Oisin Larkin points, two from frees, as the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion. Larkin and Browne added two further efforts from placed balls in time added on before referee John Dooley called a halt to proceedings.

However, the referee was forced to brandish a red card to Borrisokane’s Gary Ryan just after the final whistle following a verbal altercation.

Regardless of any perceived injustices, it was a fully deserved victory for Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams over a Borrisokane side who were just unable to cope with Kickhams’ running game on the day, a victory that now sets up an intriguing final clash with near neighbours, Golden-Kilfeacle in what is a hugely anticipated county decider.

TEAMS - Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams: Eoin Horgan (8); Eddie Daly (7), Bill Creamer (7), Michael McCormack (7); Jamie Duncan (7), Lorcan Carr (8), Kieran Breen (6); Paudie Slattery (7), Adam Daly (9); Stephen Browne (8), Shane Buckley (7), Michael Gleeson (8); Cormac Carr (7), Davy Butler (7), Elliott Thompson (7).

Subs: Conor Farrell (6) for Breen (HT); Ben Ryan (6) for Butler (53); Shane Farrell (NR) for Thompson (58).

Borrisokane: Luke Gleeson (7); Luke Quigley (7), Shane Nevin (7), James Hough (7); Kevin Cleary (6), Conor Ryan (7), Peter Collins (6); Liam Cleary (6), Mike Kelly (6); Philip Austin (7), Mike Heenan (7), Jack Larkin (7); Oisin Larkin (8), Gary Ryan (8), Ciaran Foley (7).

Subs: Gordon Harding (6) for K Cleary (42); Daire Madden (6) for Kelly (46).

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels).