Kilruane end long wait for 10th North Junior Hurling title

GAA: The Watch Centre North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 3-21

Roscrea 2-15

Report: Liam Hogan at Fr. Kenyon Park, Templederry

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Brian O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs).

SCORERS - Kilruane MacDonaghs: Brian O’Meara 1-10 (0-8 frees); Cillian Healy 1-4; Michael Hennelly 1-0; Cian Moyles, Eoin Hogan 0-2 each; Conor Cleary, Conor Austin, Kevin Naughnane (free) 0-1 each.

Roscrea: Liam Dunphy 0-6 frees; Dayle Hogan (2 frees), Jason Fitzpatrick (1 free) 0-3 each; Josh McMahon, Conor Donovan 1-0 each; Liam Seacy, Jason Gilmartin, Jack Moloney 0-1 each.

A more clinical Kilruane MacDonaghs side won their tenth North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship title and first since 1998 when defeating Roscrea in the final on Saturday evening.

In a game that never really sparked to life, the winners led from first whistle, doing enough to keep Roscrea out of reach. They deservedly led 1-11 to 1-7 at half time, not because they were excellent, rather they were more proficient. Their ability to take their scores from any angle or distance helped against a Roscrea team that enjoyed plenty of possession but twelve wides in the half didn’t help their cause.

When Roscrea scored their second goal in the 48th minute to get within one point, an upset was on the cards until substitute Michael Hennelly scored a 55th minute goal and with it Kilruane could breathe easier as they added the Michael Cahill Cup to the Junior League won already.

Kilruane had some very good performances, especially in their attack where Brian O’Meara, Cillian Healy, and Cian Moyles were a cut above the rest. Conor Austin never worked harder in conjunction with Eoin Hogan at midfield while the defence kept good measure with Paddy Ryan, Cormac Doheny and Matthew Moyles plus an inside backline led by their joint captain Eanna Hogan.

The subs bench also played their part with Michael Hennelly scoring the game changing goal while Seamus Hennessy’s arrival in the 41st minute made a difference.

Roscrea, for their part, will look back on this game with plenty of regret. What if they had been more cautious and not on shoot on sight which resulted in seventeen wides, nine in the first fifteen minutes.

That aside, there was much to admire in the play of Aaron O’Donoghue, Eoin Larkin, Luke Seacy and Dylan Hogan. Conor Donovan did well at midfield while Jason Fitzpatrick was the pick of their attack.

Cillian Healy’s opening point was the start of a positive period as Kilruane went 0-5 to 0-1 in front with Healy scoring three points. Cian Moyles scored a second from halfway with Brian O’Meara adding a free.

In contrast, Roscrea had plenty of possession but hit seven wides in that same period. It was truly frustrating for their followers but their defence, led by Liam Seacy, kept their cool and he pointed from distance.

Two minutes later, Kilruane bore down on goal where Brian O’Meara was at the end of Cian Moyles pass to score a goal to open a seven point lead.

Roscrea replied through Jason Gilmartin from the right wing. Seconds later, Josh McMahon pounced on a breaking ball to score a goal from close range after the Kilruane defence failed to cope with Harry Loughnane’s lengthy free.

The teams produced eleven points in the second quarter, the first five from frees with Brian O’Meara scoring three for Kilruane while Liam Dunphy and Dylan Hogan replied for the Reds.

Minutes before half time, Jason Fitzpatrick scored his second point from the left wing before Kilruane went five clear after Eoin Hogan and Conor Cleary picked off scores from afar to a Dylan Hogan free as Kilruane were in front 1-11 to 1-7 at the break.

Kilruane’s lead was cut to three by the 35th minute, including Liam Dunphy and Brian O’Meara trading frees. However, Kilruane always had a way to stay clear as Kevin Naughnane’s eighty-metre free plus Cillian Healy’s fourth point from play had the margin out to five once more.

But, to their credit, Roscrea never gave up and in the 39th minute they had two chances of a goal, the first when Jason Gilmartin lost possession close in. They recycled but Eamon Coonan got the vital block in a crowded area.

The respective subs benches were called into action with Seamus Hennessy entering the fray for Kilruane and Ruairi Moloney and Cory Moloney for Roscrea, the latter scoring a point before Kilruane went five in front once more after Cian Moyles pointed in the 45th minute.

Yet Roscrea remained calm as Liam Dunphy’s sixty-metre free was followed in the 48th minute when Conor Donovan ran on to a neat looping pass by Jason Fitzpatrick before firing past Naughnane to cut the gap to one.

As excitement and tempo increased, Kilruane responded through Brian O’Meara and Conor Austin before another Dunphy free made for a very exciting finish.

But not for the first time when Kilruane sensed danger, Seamus Hennessy won a free and O’Meara converted in the 53rd minute. One minute later, the combined efforts of Cian Moyles and Cillian Healy saw substitute Michael Hennelly race through for a relieving goal.

Dylan Hogan’s reply from eighty-metres gave Roscrea a sense of hope but seconds later hope turned to despair when Cillian Healy latched on to a neat Hennessy lay-off before blasting home for goal number three.

Jason Fitzpatrick’ replied with a free only for Brian O’Meara to reply in kind. As the game wound down, Roscrea lost Oisin O’Shea to a straight red card as the evergreen Eoin Hogan split the posts to seal victory for Kilruane MacDonaghs.

After the game, the Michael Cahill Cup was presented to joint captains Paddy Ryan and Eanna Hogan by Niamh Doughan, daughter of the late Kilruane clubman, her words of congratulations said it all when she said she was delighted to see the silverware finally go to Kilruane.

TEAMS - Kilruane MacDonaghs: Kevin Naughnane (7); Paul Molloy (7), Eanna Hogan (J-Capt, 7), Eamon Coonan (7); Paddy Ryan (J-Capt, 7), Cormac Doheny (7), Matthew Moyles (7); Conor Austin, Eoin Hogan (7); Eoin Carroll (6), Cillian Healy (8), Brian O’Meara (8); Cian Moyles (8), Conor Cleary (6), Charlie Kennedy (6).

Subs: Seamus Hennessy (7) for M Moyles (41); Michael Hennelly (7) for Carroll (47); Fiachradh Ahearne Woods (NR) for Cleary (57); Oisin O’Meara (NR) for Kennedy (59).

Roscrea: Harry Loughnane (7); Aaron O’Donoghue (7), Eoin Larkin (7), Conor Shanahan (7); Conor Hoctor (7), Luke Seacy (Capt, 7), Dylan Hogan (7); Conor Donovan (7), Oisin O’Shea (6); Aaron Delahunty (6), Liam Dunphy (7), Liam Seacy (6); Jason Gilmartin (6), Jason Fitzpatrick (7), Josh McMahon (6).

Subs: Ruairi Murphy (6) for Liam Seacy (37); Jack Moloney (6) for Gilmartin (52).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).