Kilruane direct approach yields North Junior title

GAA: North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Football Final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 1-14

Burgess 0-10

Report: Liam Hogan at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Kevin Shinners (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

SCORERS – Kilruane MacDonaghs: Aaron Morgan 0-5; Paidi Williams 0-4 (3 frees); Cillian Healy 0-3 (1 free); Oisin O’Meara 1-0; Niall O’Meara (free), Kian O’Kelly 0-1 each.

Burgess: Sean Dunne 0-5 (3 frees); Stephen Kirwan, Aidan O’Dwyer 0-2 each; Johnny Mulqueen 0-1.

Simple methods are sometimes best and Kilruane MacDonaghs proved it last Saturday when defeating Burgess in an exciting North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Football final.

Brilliant goalkeeping by Kevin Shinners which Kilruane needed when Burgess were the dominant team, and the ability to pick off scores at the other end as Aaron Morgan scored five points from play which in the end it all made the difference.

Burgess took up the early running with Sean Dunne pointing from close range. Cian Healy replied with a free before the Aidan O’Dwyer gave Burgess the lead once more, which increased to three by the seventh minute thanks to Sean Dunne from a free and play.

Burgess were by far the better side at this stage and Kilruane didn’t help themselves with their kick-outs failing to travel past the arc and they were under siege longer than they wished for.

Scoring opportunities became less frequent but the hard working Johnny Mulqueen was in hard luck not to score a goal in the sixteenth minute when his effort was deflected out for a 45.

In response, Niall O’Meara pointed a close range free for Kilruane in the 18th minute as Burgess were penalised for not having three players inside the Burgess half with referee Christy McLoughlin bring the ball fifty metres forward for the indiscretion.

From that score, Kilruane began to create more chances and after Oisin O’Meara was denied it was left to Cillian Healy to narrow the gap, 0-4 to 0-3 after 22 minutes.

It was end to end as Kilruane goalkeeper Kevin Shinners produced a great save when he denied Sean Dunne from close range. Dunne was Burgess’s best forward. Having survived the danger, Kilruane turned defence into attack and Oisin O’Meara needed a second chance before he fired home low to the Burgess net.

Johnny Mulqueen responded with a point with a goal a possibility as Burgess began to re-build, forcing Kevin Shinners into two more excellent saves. He certainly kept Kilruane in the game and approaching half time Stephen Kirwan brought Burgess level before Aaron Morgan moved Kilruane in front seconds shy of the break, Kilruane 1-4 Burgess 0-6.

Kilruane introduced Paidi Williams and Conor Doheny at the break and Williams was quick into action when pointing a close range free. Sean Dunne did likewise for Burgess but Kilruane were slowly gaining momentum and two well-taken points by Aaron Morgan had them three in front by the 43rd minute.

By now, Kilruane had introduced Tipp hurler Craig Morgan and his presence helped strengthened their dominance at midfield where Kian O’Kelly had done well up to then. However, there was one last kick in Burgess and after Sean Dunne and Paidi Williams traded frees a Burgess resurgence saw Stephen Kirwan and Aidan O’Dwyer bring them within one, 1-8 to 0-10 with nine minutes remaining.

Little did we know that Burgess would not score for the remainder of the game. From there, Kilruane and their simple tactic of getting the ball direct to the front line had begun to make profit and points by Cillian Healy, Aaron Morgan and Kian O’Kelly to move four in front with two minutes left.

Suddenly Kilruane had victory in sight and with time ticking away, they piled on more pressure as two Williams scores (one from play) either side of Aaron Morgan’s fifth had the margin out to seven with the silverware heading back to Cloughjordan for the second time in three years.

TEAMS - Kilruane MacDonaghs: Kevin Shinners (8); Sean Quinlan (6), Eanna Hogan (7), Kevin Oakley (7); Eoin Hogan (7), Niall O’Meara (6), Conor Austin (7); Kian O’Kelly (8), David O’Sullivan (6); Mark O’Neill (7), Robert Austin (7), Cillian Healy (7); Aaron Morgan (8), Philip Kennedy (6), Oisin O’Meara (7).

Subs: Cian Darcy (6) for N O’Meara (27 inj); Paudie Williams (7) for Kennedy (HT), Cormac Doheny (7) for Quinlan (HT); Craig Morgan (7) for R Austin (39); Paddy Ryan (NR) for O’Sullivan (59).

Burgess: Colm O’Brien (7); Bryan Quinn (6), Sean O’Brien (6), Pat Woods (6); Aidan O’Dwyer (7), Kieran Ryan (7), Michael Ryan (7); Stephen Kirwan (8), Johnny Mulqueen (8); Aidan O’Flaherty (7), Eoin Grace (7), Daniel Ryan (7); Sean Dunne (7), Diarmuid O’Donoghue (6), Liam O’Flaherty (6).

Subs: Conor Grace (6) for A O’Flaherty (40); Tomas Ryan (6) for Quinn (48); David Corrigan (NR) for B O’Flaherty (60+7).

Referee: Christy McLoughlin (Nenagh Eire Og).