Ferncombe inspires Clonoulty to win over Mullinahone

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Relegation Semi-Final

Clonoulty/Rossmore 2-19

CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 1-18

Report: John O’Shea in Boherlahan

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Stephen Ferncombe (Clonoulty/Rossmore)

SCORERS – Clonoulty/Rossmore: Stephen Ferncombe 1-11 (0-8 frees); Cathal Bourke 0-4; Jimmy Maher 1-0; John O’Keeffe, Jamie Davern, Jack Ryan, Mikey Ryan 0-1 each.

CJ Kickhams Mullinahone: Jack Shelly 1-4 (0-1 free); Micheál Dunne 0-7 (6 frees, 1 ‘65); Sam Rowan 0-4; Daire O’Brien, Sean Curran, Eoin O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Clonoulty/Rossmore cemented their senior status for 2027 when they overcame the challenge of CJ Kickhams Mullinahone in the relegation semi-final on Sunday afternoon.

A good size crowd were treated to a game of honest endeavour with the contest ebbing and flowing throughout and being level on three occasions during the opening quarter. The game was won and lost in the five minutes after the restart as Clonoulty, through Stephen Ferncombe, hit 1-3 during this period, putting six between the sides.

While Mullinahone fought back to cut the deficit to three entering added time, this was as near as they got and with Cathal Bourke firing over the insurance point, the West champions held out to secure a hard earned victory.

Mullinahone played with the aid of a slight breeze for the opening thirty minutes. Winning possession from the throw-in, Sam Rowan raced through the Clonoulty defence before an attempted pass to Eoin O’Dwyer took an unkindly bounce and drifted wide of the posts.

Micheál Dunne got the scoreboard moving in the third minute from a placed ball but the West men hit back, firstly with a long range effort from Jamie Davern to tie the game and then three on the bounce from Stephen Ferncombe.

Sam Rowan settled the South men with a neat point under pressure before Jack Shelly cut the deficit to the minimum. Micheál Dunne equalised and then put his side ahead after Jason O’Dwyer had saved from Eoin O’Dwyer, who was on an advantage. Ferncombe tied the game for the third time at the end of the first quarter from a placed ball.

Mullinahone drew first blood when Micheál Dunne set up Jack Shelly for the game’s opening goal, blasting past Jason O’Dwyer.

Stephen Ferncombe replied with two minors, one from a free, either side of a Shelly point, before Sam Rowan stretched the lead to three. This was Mullinahone’s best period in the game with Shelly and Rowan causing problems to the Clonoulty defence.

The West men realigned and a John O’Keeffe point from his own half was followed up with a brace from Cathal Bourke, who was beginning to exert his authority on the game. Eoin O’Dwyer beat his marker to ease Mullinahone back in front and an effort from midfield by Sam Rowan put two between the sides.

Mistakes were forced and capitalised on as the game swung from end to end.

A goal from Jimmy Maher following good work by Thomas Butler in the left corner was followed up with minors from Mikey Ryan and Cathal Bourke after a good move in the build up by O’Keeffe and Maher. These two late points were the difference at the short whistle as Clonoulty/Rossmore led 1-12 to 1-10.

After the restart Micheál Dunne landed a 65 inside a minute to cut the deficit, but it was Clonoulty who got the start they required to put light between the sides. Cathal Bourke won a ball out near the sideline and his cross-field ball found the in-running Stephen Ferncombe, who beat Brendan Kearney at the far post after his shot took a nasty deflection. Ferncombe followed up with two super points from play as the West men went into a six point lead after 35 minutes.

Mullinahone were quickly back in the game through a Daire O’Brien point from midfield before Michael Dunne converted a placed ball. Ferncombe added a minor from a free after Jack Ryan was fouled in front of goal, but again Mullinahone replied in triplicate, a Sam Rowan point from play was followed up with a brace from placed balls by Micheál Dunne at the start of the final quarter.

Once again, the West men rallied and hit the next three points on the bounce, two from Ferncombe and one from Jack Ryan after intercepting a puck-out.

This put five between the sides, with three minutes of normal time remaining. Jack Shelly hit his third minor before a twenty-metre free shot low by Micheál Dunne was saved and cleared to safety.

Cathal Bourke closed out the scoring in added time, with Clonoulty/Rossmore running out four point winners, thus retaining their senior status for 2027, while Mullinahone have one more chance as they head to the relegation final, for the second year in a row, where the take on Roscrea.

TEAMS – Clonoulty/Rossmore: Jason O’Dwyer (6); Danny Slattery (8), Robert Doyle (6), Aidan Loughman (7); John O’Keeffe (8), Ronan Heffernan (7), Jamie Davern (7); Sean O’Connor (6), Donnchadh Quirke (6), Jimmy Maher (7), Cathal Bourke (8), Mikey Ryan (7), Stephen Ferncombe (Capt 8), Jack Ryan (6), Thomas Butler (6).

Subs: Nathan Slattery (6) for O’Connor (43), Philip Kelleher (6) for Quirke (50).

CJ Kickhams Mullinahone: Brendan Kearney (6); Daire O’Brien (7), Paul Curran (7), Eoin Treacy (6); Eoin Fennelly (6), Darragh Linnane (7), Martin Kehoe (6), Eanna Ryan (7), Sam Rowan (8), Colin Shelly (6), Sean Curran (6), Enda Keane (6), Eoin O’Dwyer (6), Jack Shelly (8), Micheál Dunne (7).

Subs: Colin O’Brien (6) for Fennelly (51), Ned O’Meara (NR) for Kehoe (59).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).