Sarsfields ease past Moycarkey to win County Senior Hurling Final

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Final

Thurles Sarsfields 1-19

Moycarkey/Borris 1-11

Report: Shane Brophy at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Eoin Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields)

SCORERS – Thurles Sarsfields: Eoin Purcell 1-4; Aidan McCormack 0-4 frees; Aidan Stakelum, Paddy Creedon, Kieran Rossiter, Euan Murray 0-2 each; Daniel Rossiter, Paul Maher, Ronan Maher (free) 0-1 each.

Moycarkey/Borris: Joe Maher 1-1; Jack Hayes, Max Hackett 0-3 each; Kieran Morris 0-2 frees; Killian Cantwell (free), Niall Heffernan 0-1 each.

Thurles Sarsfields returned to the top of the Tipperary hurling tree for a 37th time with an eight point victory over Moycarkey/Borris in a disappointing final on Sunday.

The feeling in advance was that Moycarkey/Borris, appearing in their first final since 1984 would need to keep things tight for as long as possible but that was blown out of the water inside eleven seconds as Eoin Purcell scored a goal, going onto produce a man of the match performance with 1-4 from play.

By the quarter hour, they were 1-5 to 0-1 in front with Moycarkey struggling to gain a foothold but they settled with Jack Hayes a threat and on 23 minutes they scored a terrific goal with Joe Maher playing and receiving a one-two from Joe Egan and finished from close range.

At 1-8 to 1-3, the 9,398 in attendance hoped the game would spark but Thurles reasserted themselves with points from Paddy Creedon and Aidan Stakelum to help them to a 1-12 to 1-5 half time lead.

Moycarkey had the significant breeze behind them in the second half and early points from Maher and a Killian Cantwell free brought them back within five but that would be as close as they would get as Thurles reeled off four points in a row and while they only scored three points more in the final twenty five minutes, they were never threatened as Moycarkey pushed to the end, they lacked the craft to break down a well drilled Sarsfields defence.

TEAMS – Thurles Sarsfields: Patrick McCormack; Paul Maher, Denis Maher, Henry Fogarty; Keith Loughnane, Conor Stakelum, Cian Stakelum; Daniel Rossiter, Euan Murray; Eoin Purcell, Aidan McCormack, Aidan Stakelum; Darragh Stakelum, Paddy Creedon, Kieran Rossiter.

Subs: Stephen Maher for Fogarty (30+1 inj); James Armstrong for S Maher (43-46 blood), for Cian Stakelum (50); Ronan Maher for Creedon (52); Tommy Maher for McCormack (54); Robbie Stapleton for K Rossiter (59).

Moycarkey/Borris: Rhys Shelly; Pat Molloy, Tom Hayes, Tom Ryan; Kevin Hayes, Eoghan Hayes, Killian Cantwell; Stephen Walsh, Niall Heffernan; Joe Maher, Joe Egan, David Costigan; Jack Hayes, Kieran Morris, Max Hackett.

Subs: Peter Melbourne for Ryan (16); Kieran Cummins for Molloy (37); Rory Darmody for Heffernan (46 inj); Kevin O’Reagan for J Hayes (52); Bill Maher for T Hayes (60+1-60+3 blood), for Walsh (60+3).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess).

Attendance: 9,398