Newport shake off Kilruane to retain North Minor ‘A’ Hurling title

GAA: Ger Gavin Home Interiors North Tipperary Minor ‘A’ Hurling Final

Newport 1-20

Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-13

Report: Shane Brophy at Bishop Quinlan Park, Borrisoleigh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Harry Noone (Newport).

SCORERS – Newport: Ollie Roche 0-9 (7 frees); Harry Noone 1-2; Conor McLoughlin 0-3 (2 frees); Darragh Healy, Charlie Tobin 0-2 each; Colm Ryan, Cormac Shanahan 0-1 each.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Charlie Kennedy 0-6 (5 frees); Tommy O’Meara, Gerard O’Looney 0-2 each; Cormac Kennedy (free), Jack O’Meara, Michael Hutchinson 0-1 each.

Newport retained the North Tipperary Minor ‘A’ Hurling title after overcoming the challenge of Kilruane MacDonaghs in a well-contested final last Wednesday evening.

With the grade reverting from under 17 to under 18 from last year, it is a true retention for the same group of Newport players who were touted as strong favourites from the start of the campaign, and backed it up with a deserved success, after finally shaking off the challenge of a committed Kilruane side who did everything possible as the plucky underdog.

In the end, Newport just had too much quality, while their sheer physical size advantage was also notable with Kevin Fitzgerald, Oisin Kennedy, Darragh Healy and Charlie Tobin well over six foot tall. And when Newport decided to change tact and be more direct in their use of the ball, the scores flowed in the second half as they pulled away from their rivals.

With a team that contained four Tipperary minors, including Colm Ryan and Oisin Kennedy who played in the All-Ireland Final, it was a strong base to build on. However, it wasn’t a win built on a few key players, it was a team performance with all players contributing with Noone’s contribution most noteworthy with 1-2, and it could have been more with five wides on his own.

Kilruane did everything right to try and win a first North Minor ‘A’ title since 2006. They played a contained structure with one in the full forward line for long spells, with five in and around the half forward line and midfield, bringing ferocious enthusiasm and intensity to their challenge, really getting in the faces of Newport.

And on the three-quarter mark, they were two points adrift and well positioned to push on, particularly if they were to get a goal, which they came close to four minutes earlier when Tommy O’Meara forced Cian Donohue into a fine save.

The first and only goal did come, not long after on 46 minutes, but for Newport, when Oisin Kennedy and Tobin linked to play in Harry Noone for a cracking finish which opened a gap that was too great for Kilruane to bridge.

Kilruane had excellent performances from corner back Tadgh Teefey who had a terrific battle with Cormac Shanahan while Ben Williams, Cormac & Charlie Kennedy, Tommy O’Meara and Gerard O’Looney gave their all.

They got off to the best possible start with the first three points inside four minutes through frees from the Kennedy twin-brothers and joint-captains with Charlie adding one from play.

Newport looked nervy in the early going before Conor McLoughlin got them off the mark from a free after five minutes. Ollie Roche converted a free before the Tipp panellist pointed from play on eight minutes to draw level. Tommy O’Meara pointed from range to restore Kilruane’s lead but points from Roche and Charlie Tobin gave Newport their first lead on thirteen minutes.

James Ryan was causing problems and a second foul on the corner forward led to Roche converting another free before Kilruane took over for the next ten minutes, leading to points from Michael Hutchinson and a Charlie Kennedy free before a drilled pass from John O’Meara to his brother Tommy edged Kilruane back in front on nineteen minutes, 0-6 to 0-7.

Five wides prevented them from being further ahead before Newport finished the half with a burst of four points from play in five minutes from Roche, Colm Ryan, McLoughlin and Noone, to lead 0-10 to 0-7 at the break.

Kilruane would have been happy to be within touching distance going into the second half, the first quarter of which was again evenly contested with points from Ollie Roche (free), Charlie Tobin, and Cormac Shanahan for Newport responded to by Charlie Kennedy, two from the live-wire Gerard O’Looney, and John O’Meara for Kilruane to be within two points.

Harry Noone and Charlie Kennedy (free) traded points with Kilruane now really sensing they could push on and win but that was snuffed out on 46 minutes when a long puckout broke into the path of Oisin Kennedy who handpassed the ball to Charlie Tobin who in turn did the same (not allowed in the trial rules) to Harry Noone who was in on goal and beat Dara Gaynor convincingly, and when the increasingly prominent Darragh Healy pointed, the lead was out to six.

Kilruane tried everything in moving key players around, including county minor Hugo Healy into the forwards to gain traction but they only managed one more point from a Charlie Kennedy free as with the pressure easing, the scores began to flow for Newport with Charlie Noone, Healy, and frees from McLoughlin and Roche (2) saw them ease away to victory.

TEAMS – Newport: Cian Donohoe; Cathal McNamara, Aaron Lane, Ronan Gaffrey; Colm Ryan, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ronan O’Mahony; Conor McLoughlin, Oisin Kennedy; Darragh Healy, Charlie Tobin, Harry Noone; James Ryan, Ollie Roche, Cormac Shanahan.

Subs: Stephen O’Brien for Lane (54 inj); Luke McIntyre for J Ryan (57).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Dara Gaynor; Tadhg Teefey, Shay Og Kennedy, Ben Williams; Lukah Williams, Cormac Kennedy, Stasik Setikas; Jack O’Meara, Hugo Healy; Senan O’Leary, Tommy O’Meara, Michael Hutchinson; Ciaran Foote, Charlie Kennedy, Gerard O’Looney.

Subs: Tommy Gaynor for Setikas (23-25 blood, 48); Emmet Dwyer for J O’Meara (51 inj); John O’Meara for L Williams (54); Oisin Carroll for Foote (57); Karl Ryan for J O’Meara (60).

Referee: Mark Gennery (Portroe).