Kiladangan win North Junior 'C' Hurling title

Kiladangan 2-19

Ballina 1-19

Report: Liam Hogan in Borrisokane

Kiladangan had to hold off a Ballina fightback to win its first North Tipperary Junior ‘C’ Hurling Championship title on Sunday.

In a highly entertaining game, the new champions led by five points when they lost Frank Flannery to a red card in the 41st minute much to the chagrin of Kiladangan players and supporters. The dismissal appeared to be unwarranted to say the least.

As a result of the dismissal Kiladangan had to be at their best to stave off a vibrant Ballina side who managed to cut the deficit to two points on two occasions before Cathal Hanrahan pointed in the second minute of added time to seal the victory.

For Kiladangan the win meant a fourth North final success for the club in 2021 with the Senior, Junior B and Under 19 victories already in the bag. The victory was about the refusal to lie down with the experienced Dan Hackett, Cathal Hanrahan and Gary Byrne providing just that. In addition, Stephen Mulvihill had a great game at midfield while Donnacha Hassey, Oisin Ryan, Cathal Ryan, and Mark Gleeson caught the eye.

But it was Ballina who made the best start as they scored three points in the opening three minutes with Braoin Cleary and Adrian King delivering two before the excellent Donal Kent added a third from a free on halfway.

Six minutes had elapsed before Mark Gleeson opened Kiladangan’s account but Ballina continued to impress as Eoin Kent scored from far out. Kent would score four points to become Ballina’s highest scorer from play.

Cathal Hanrahan would score his first from play for the blue and gold and after he cut the deficit back to two in the ninth minute, 0-5 to 0-3, we saw Kiladangan take the lead when Mark Gleeson scored a great goal after a Dan Hackett assist.

Hackett would prove to be a real threat to Ballina and he scored two points either side of the water-break to give his side a 1-7 to 0-5 lead. Conan O’Sullivan replied with a free before Hackett won the resulting puckout to pick off his third and best point so far.

After Conor O’Sullivan pulled one back with a free, Ballina came forward once more, but Liam Hayes produced a point blank save to deny Eoin Kennedy. The Ballina full forward was about to fire home the rebound, but Donnacha Hassey was alert to concede a 65.

Continuing on the front foot, Ballina came again with Conor O’Sullivan pointing a free before Eoin Kent added two points from play to leave the minimum between the teams. However, it was Hackett trailblazing again with his point in the 30th minute forming the first of three as Mark Gleeson and Hanrahan from a free stretched the margin to four before one more O’Sullivan free made it 1-11 to 0-11 at half time.

The second half was just three minutes old when Kiladangan looked have the game very much in the bag when Frank Flannery scored a great goal. Four minutes later Hanrahan increased the lead to seven with a successful 65.

Having missed a relatively easy free in the 37th minute, Conan O’Sullivan’s accuracy from frees was back on track when he converted a brace in the 39th & 40th minutes.

As play continued referee Ger Morris red carded Frank Flannery for what was a very innocuous pull on a ball at a throw-in around midway. The foul deemed a free to Ballina and O’Sullivan converted. A quick reply from Cathal Hanrahan had Kiladangan five clear as Kiladangan led 2-13 to 0-14.

The dismissal rocked them a little and the concession of a Ger Coonan goal in the 44th minute saw their lead whittled down to two points. Cathal Hanrahan replied two minutes later but a pointed free by Conan O’Sullivan from a difficult angle had the margin down to two as the teams went for their final waterbreak.

The break came at the right time for Kiladangan and when play resumed, they stretched their lead to five with points by Dan Hackett and two from Hanrahan made it 2-17 to 1-15 with ten minutes remaining.

The five-point cushion was important to Kiladangan but Ballina continued to try and cut back the lead and another O’Sullivan free reduced the margin temporarily. But the excellent Stephen Mulvihill point kept Kiladangan in charge enough to keep Ballina at bay as they hit back with three more points thanks to two pointed frees by O’Sullivan, either side of an Eoin Kent point from play, his sides only point from play in the second half.

The next score was important and in the 59th minute the normally accurate Cathal Hanrahan had a chance to push Kiladangan three in front, but he failed from forty metres but three minutes later he sealed victory with a point off his left, fifty metres out from goal.

TEAMS - Kiladangan: Liam Hayes (7); Josh Fletcher (7), Liam Kelly (7), Donnacha Hassey (8); Oisin Ryan (7), Gary Byrne (7), Cathal Ryan (6); Stephen Mulvihill (8), Martin Slattery (6); Billy McGrath (6), Mikey Slattery (6), Franks Flannery (6); Mark Gleeson (7), Dan Hackett (8), Cathal Hanrahan (8).

Subs: John Maher (6) for Mikey Slattery (25 inj); Shane Butler (6) for McGrath (53); Oisin Webb (n/r) for Maher (59).

Ballina: Domhnall McKeogh (7); Jason Gleeson (7), Stephen Stritch (7), Eoin Ryan (7); Lowell Ryan (6), Gerard Sheehy (7), Donal Kent (8); Braoin Cleary (6), Daniel Tighe (6); Conan O’Sullivan (7), Eoin Kent (8), Shane McCormack (6); T J O’Connell (6), Eoin Kennedy (6), Adrian King (6).

Subs: Ger Coonan (7) for Kennedy (28 inj); Kevin Ryan (6) for McCormack (34); Shane Grace (6) for King (53).

Referee: Ger Morris (Borrisokane)