Kilruane get the win they needed in poignant rematch

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Group 1

Kilruane MacDonaghs 3-15

Clonoulty/Rossmore 1-20

Report: Liam Hogan in Templetuohy

Sean McAdam’s 63rd minute point earned Kilruane MacDonaghs a memorable win and a place in the last eight of the County Senior Hurling Championship after they defeated Clonoulty/Rossmore on Sunday in a game that will be remembered for many a day.

What was in fact a rematch after the first game at FBD Semple Stadium was abandoned four weeks ago due to the untimely passing of Dillon Quirke, before the game the Kilruane club presented Clonoulty with a number eleven jersey and after the game, they provided a guard of honour for the West champions as they trouped off the field.

Kilruane needed to win this game to stay in the championship and they played with the strong breeze in the first half which saw them switch Niall O’Meara from centre back to full forward. In addition, Kieran Cahill returned from injury to replace Craig Morgan who suffered a cruciate knee injury in their defeat to Nenagh last time out.

Scores were level twice in the opening five minutes before Willie Cleary gave Kilruane a lead with a free before Jack Ryan levelled with a similar score after six minutes.

With both defences on top very few of the purists were thrilled and the stop-start nature of the game didn’t help either. Kilruane keeper Paidi Williams usually went long with his puckouts and in front of him Jack Peters, Eoin Hogan and James Cleary defended well. Mark O’Neill and Aaron Morgan were also prominent while up front Jerome Cahill met the game head and was very much in the wars.

After Cahill was fouled in the 18th minute, Willie Cleary pointed the resulting free to give Kilruane their biggest lead at 0-7 to 0-3 but over the next seven minutes Clonoulty had cut the margin to two.

In response, Kian O’Kelly went close for a goal but Clonoulty keeper Martin Sadlier came of his line to save but Kilruane finished well with Jerome Cahill, Mark O’Neill and Willie Cleary (free) adding one each to see their side 0-11 to 0-6 in front at half time.

Based on what we saw when the teams returned the second half showed a lot more promise and after Jack Ryan posted a close range free it was the turn of Cian Darcy to round his marker and send a daisy cutter past Sadlier in the 34th minute.

However, two Jack Ryan frees kept Clonoulty close but Kilruane were on fire and their opponents goal area had two narrow escapes when the crossbar denied Aaron Morgan before winning a sixty five after Martin Sadleir denied Kian O’Kelly. Willie Cleary pointed.

But Clonoulty/Rossmore were resourceful and points by James Ryan and Stephen Ferncombe left four between the teams. All seemed well but Kilruane had other ideas and turning defence into attack it was a move involving Jerome Cahill, Aaron Morgan and Eoin Hogan combining before Seamus Hennessy found the net from close range.

Jack Ryan’s successful free in the 44th minute was quickly matched by Jerome Cahill from play, before Clonoulty began to cut into the Kilruane lead thanks to a Stephen Ferncombe goal in the 47th minute, quickly followed by an Aaron Ryan point which left three points separating the teams.

Both sides traded scores through Kian O’Kelly and Ferncombe before Cathal Bourke and John O’Keeffe cut the margin to one. But Clonoulty’s purple patch was cut short when a goal by Willie Cleary put Kilruane four clear.

But Clonoulty were far from finished and approaching the hour mark they scored four unanswered points by Cathal Bourke, Jack Ryan (2, 1 free), and Ronan Heffernan to leave the scores level before McAdams grabbed the winner.

The win puts Kilruane in first place with four points and into the quarter finals as a top seed, but all is not lost for Clonoulty who will play Thurles Sarsfield in the preliminary quarter final next weekend.

Player of the Match: Jerome Cahill (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Paudie Williams (7); James Cleary (7), Jack Peters (7), Kieran Cahill (7); Conor Austin (7), Niall O’Meara (0-1, 7) Eoin Hogan (7); Mark O’Neill (0-1, 7), Sean McAdams (0-1, 7); Willie Cleary (1-7, 0-6f, 0-1’65) 7), Jerome Cahill (0-2, 7), Aaron Morgan (0-2, 7); Kian O’Kelly (0-1, 6), Seamus Hennessey (1-0, 6), Cian Darcy (1-0, 6).

Subs: Thomas Cleary (6) for Hennessy (51); Carl Williams (NR) for Austin (60+2 inj).

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Martin Sadlier (7); Jimmy Ryan (7), Padraig Carew (7), Ronan Heffernan (0-2, 7); Enda Heffernan (0-1, 7), John O’Keeffe (0-1, 6), Ciaran Quirke (7); Sean O’Connor (6), Michael Ryan (7); Aaron Ryan (0-2, 7), Tommy Ryan (0-1, 6), Danny Slattery (6); Stephen Ferncombe (1-2, 7), Cathal Bourke (0-2, 6), Jack Ryan (0-9, 8f) 7).

Subs: Thomas Butler (0-1, 6) for J Ryan (46); James Hammersley (NR) for T Ryan (59), Paudie White (NR) for A Ryan (59).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne-Templetuohy).