Kiladangan second best to impressive Junior 'A' champs Holycross

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final

Holycross/Ballycahill 2-21

Kiladangan 2-12

Report: Noel Dundon at Bishop Quinlan Park, Borrisoleigh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Shane Ryan (Holycross/Ballycahill)

SCORERS – Holycross/Ballycahill: Jack Dwan 1-9 (0-6 frees); Jamie Lee Dwan 1-0; Jamie Woods, Mikey Joe Doyle, Shane Ryan, Ben Hennessy, Tony Leahy 0-2 each; Stevie Flanagan, Daire Ryan 0-1 each.

Kiladangan: Shane Gleeson 0-8 (7 frees); Eoin Sharkey, Bill Cleary 1-1 each; Jos Slattery, Ronan Ducie 0-1 each.

North champions Kiladangan failed to land the County Junior ‘A’ Championship crown for the second year in a row when they came a cropper against a superior Holycross/Ballycahill on Saturday afternoon.

The Mid men had more experience all over the field and they managed to get the maximum out of each player with youthful energy also playing a key role in their victory.

Conditions presently lend themselves to teams which have experience and strength in their ranks – Holycross/Ballycahill had in abundance with ex-seniors Mikey Joe Doyle, Shane Ryan, Eoin Morris, Tomas Comerford, Conor Ryan and Jamie Woods really driving them on, while captain Tony Leahy played a major role in the victory also.

Holycross/Ballycahill had nine scorers from play, while Kiladangan only managed to get five players on the board. And without doubt, Kiladangan rued their significantly high first half wides tally of eleven which proved costly – had some of those scorable chances gone over, the first half scoreline might have told a different story to the one which read 1-8 to 1-3 in favour of the eventual champions.

From the off, Holycross/Ballycahill looked to be on their game – young wing back Daire Ryan firing over the first score after only twenty seconds.

Coming towards the end of the first quarter they had settled the better and had four points on the board – Jack Dwan (2) and Jamie Woods pointing against a Shane Gleeson point for Kiladangan.

However, significantly, Kiladangan had manufactured a fine goal through Eoghan Sharkey in the tenth minute after Gleeson off-loaded to him and Jos Slattery following up with a point to give Kiladangan the lead.

It was short lived though and a Jack Dwan free tied up the game before he scored a brilliant individual goal in the seventeenth minute having picked up the ball on the sideline, cut inside and buried to the net.

Holycross/Ballycahill ended the half in the better fettle too with Stevie Flanagan and Jack Dwan (2 frees) helping them to the five-point advantage.

Mind you that advantage could have been less had full back Conor Ryan not fired his body in the way of a Shane Gleeson goal line effort – Kiladangan really needed that score but instead Holycross/Ballycahill went in at the break with their confidence soaring.

It got even better upon resumption with Mikey Joe Doyle and Tony Leahy pointing within two minutes.

However, Kiladangan enjoyed their best spell of the game then and they banged over six of the next seven scores to cut the deficit to three points – Shane Gleeson got three from placed balls, while Ronan Ducie from long range, Eoghan Sharkey and sub Bill Cleary, made their presence felt on the scoreboard.

Holycross/Ballycahill wing back Shane Ryan nipped in for two points during that Kiladangan spell and perhaps sensing that their advantage could be in danger, they pressed forward and found three points very quickly from Jack Dwan (2) and Ben Hennessy to go six clear again.

Kiladangan ran the bench in the hope of gaining some momentum, but each time they scored through Shane Gleeson (3) primarily, Holycross/Ballycahill hit back, Jamie Woods, Ben Hennessy, Mikey Joe Doyle and Jack Dwan (3) all getting scores to add to their cushion.

A Jamie Lee Dwan goal with three minutes remaining sealed the game for the Mid men and though Kiladangan hit back with a green flag almost from the puckout through Bill Cleary, the Holycross/Ballycahill men were home and dry having secured the silverware.

It was not to be Kiladangan’s day and the missed chances certainly hurt them. They failed to get enough from their attacking division and while much of this had to do with the defensive acumen of their opponents, they could, and should, have had a better tally by the half-way mark. Credit to them for battling right to the death even though the outcome was probably not in doubt with ten minutes to go.

Holycross/Ballycahill will play in the intermediate grade in 2026. On the evidence of this campaign, they will fit right in, in that grade, and the mix of youth and experience has certainly stood to them.

TEAMS – Holycross/Ballycahill: Tomas Comerford (7); Sean McGrath (7), Conor Ryan (7), Pa O’Dwyer (6); Daire Ryan (7), Eoin Morris (7), Shane Ryan (9); Mikey Joe Doyle (8), Jamie Lee Dwan (7); Tony Leahy (8), Jack Dwan (8), Ben Hennessy (6); Jamie Woods (7), Stevie Flanagan (6), Audie Lohan (6).

Subs: Eddie Gorman (6) for O’Dwyer (17 inj); Stephen Quinlan (NR) for Flanagan (58); Sean Ryan (NR) for Lohan (58); Jake Galvin (NR) for Jamie Lee Dwan (58); Cian Ryan (NR) for D Ryan (60+1).

Kiladangan: Eoin Meagher (6); Stephen Mulvihill (6), Shane Seymour (6), Diarmuid Fogarty (6); Darragh Ryan (6), Matthew Cleary (7), Ronan Ducie (7); Johnny McGrath (6), Johnny Horan (7); Darren Moran (6), DJ McGrath (6), Eoin Sharkey (7); James O’Meara (6), Shane Gleeson (8), Jos Slattery (6).

Subs: Bill Cleary (7) for O’Meara (HT); Ruairi Gleeson (6) for Slattery (HT); Paul Seymour (6) for J McGrath (46); Jack McGrath (6) for Seymour (46); Gavin McGrath (6) for Ryan (54).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle).