Cashel make winning senior return with late surge
GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 2
Cashel King Cormacs 2-24
CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 0-24
Report: Michael Heverin in Littleton
Last year’s Premier Intermediate champions Cashel King Cormacs, got their Dan Breen Cup campaign off to a winning start with victory over CJ Kickhams Mullinahone in their County Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 clash on Sunday afternoon.
It was the start that the West side wanted. The two points were crucial as they face difficult assignments against Nenagh Eire Óg and Thurles Sarsfields in their remaining Group 2 games.
However, Cashel didn’t have it all their own way with a much-improved performance from Mullinahone from their South semi-final defeat to Carrick Swan.
Cashel, managed by former Clare hurler Fergie O’Loughlin, with Cork’s Eoin Cadogan as coach, hit 1-20 from play, with Ger Browne and Ross Bonnar chipping in with 0-3 each, David McGrath and Conor O’Dwyer with 0-2 each and Devon Ryan’s 1-1 equally crucial.
Mullinahone, missing Michael Dunne and Jack Shelly from their attack, both injured in the South semi-final, had Enda Keane and Sean Curran as top scorers from play with 0-3 each, but the South side posed considerable problems for the Cashel defence, forcing the fouls that Curran punished.
However, the first half wasn’t a great advertisement for accuracy, with Mullinahone hitting ten wides and Cashel one less. Two points from Enda Keane and a pointed free from Curran to a Cashel reply from Ronan Connolly, put them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the 8th minute.
Devon Ryan from a free and a lovely score from Sam Rowan for Mullinahone was followed by a Cashel point from Ger Browne, with Oisín O’Donoghue providing the assist.
With play swinging from end to end, Sean Curran from a free, and Mikey O’Shea pushed the Kickham Country men three ahead, and an exchange of points between Ross Bonnar and Enda Keane left it 0-7 to 0-4.
The momentum switched over the next ten minutes, with Cashel taking the lead for the first time in the 25th minute with Ger Browne, Devon Ryan from a free, David McGrath, Ross Bonnar and All Ireland winner Oisín O’Donoghue on target, to a Mullinahone reply from a Curran free.
Cashel were two ahead by the 30th minute through a monster point from Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Connolly, and Conor O’Dwyer, with three in a row from Mullinahone in added time, from Conor Whelan and Sean Curran frees, and Graham Horan from play, saw them head to the dressing rooms, 0-13 to 0-12 ahead.
And they had extended that lead to three after six minutes of the second half with Sean Curran points from a free and play. Cashel had their chances, with a Devon Ryan free coming back off the upright, an Adrian Cummins shot saved by Brendan Kearney, and a flowing move involving Ronan Connolly and Conor O’Dwyer ending with Cathal Quinn shooting wide.
The large Cashel support was getting anxious as their side failed to shrug off the Mullinahone challenge in a game where the losing side was likely to face a very difficult campaign. They had the lead down to a single point by the 40th minute through Eoghan Connolly from play and a 65, and Cathal Quinn, to Mullinahone points from a Curran free and Martin Keogh.
Eoghan Connolly drew them level with another huge score and Conor O’Dwyer put them ahead. Mullinahone hit back immediately with a Sam Rowan point after great work from Daire O’Brien, but then Devon Ryan’s goal gave Cashel a lead, 1-18 to 0-18, that they never surrendered.
Sean Curran added four points, three from frees, to Cashel scores from Ross Bonnar and Ger Browne, to keep the game in the melting pot, before Eoghan Connolly’s penalty put real daylight between the sides for the first time. Cathal Quinn was brought down in the square following a David McGrath pass and All Ireland medal winner Connolly blasted home the penalty.
Ronan Connolly was also hugely influential, with four points from play, although his involvement was cut short in added time as he was dismissed on a second yellow card.
However, late points from Devon Ryan, David McGrath and Eoghan Connolly from a sideline cut wrapped up the Cashel scoring, with Conor Whelan, and Curran from a free, replying for Mullinahone.
Player of the Match: Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)
Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne (6); Conn Bonnar (7), Nathan Ryan (7), Paddy Fahy (6); James Cummins (7), Ronan Connolly (0-4, 8), Conor O’Dwyer (0-2, 7); Eoghan Connolly (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-1 65, 0-1 s-cut) 9), Cathal Quinn (0-1, 7); Devon Ryan (1-3, 0-2f, 8), Ger Browne (0-3, 7), Adrian Cummins (7); Ross Bonnar (7), Oisín O’Donoghue (0-1, 7), David McGrath (0-2, 7).
Sub: Brian O’Donoghue (6) for Adrian Cummins (42).
CJ Kickhams Mullinahone: Brendan Kearney (7); Daire O’Brien (7), Paul Curran (6), Colin Shelly (6); Darragh Linnane (7), Conor Whelan (0-2, 1f, 7), Martin Keogh (0-1, 7); Sean Curran (0-13, 10f, 8), Conor O’Brien (6); Sam Rowan (0-2, 7), Eoin O’Dwyer (0-1, 7), Enda Keane (0-3, 8); Mikey O’Shea (0-1, 7), Alan Curran (7), Graham Horan (0-1, 6).
Subs: Danny Dunne (6) for Horan (57), Cillian Dirreen (6) for C O’Brien (60+2).
Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne-Templetuohy).