Silver lining and silverware for Killenaule hurlers in South Junior ‘C’ final victory
McCarras Bus Hire South Tipperary Junior ‘C’ Hurling Final
KILLENAULE 2-19 CLONMEL ÓG 0-7
There was a silver lining on Saturday afternoon to what had been a disappointing year for the Killenaule GAA Club when their Junior hurlers comprehensively won the McCarras Bus Hire South Tipperary Junior ‘C’ Final against Clonmel Óg at Fethard. In control of matters throughout, the Robins’ third team quite simply had too much craft and experience for their opponents on the day winning by 18 points in the end.
In fairness, it was the Clonmel club’s first year fielding two adult hurling sides in South Board competitions, and despite their best efforts over the 60 minutes, they had to give second best this time to a Steve Lawlor managed Killenaule, whose selectors were John Healy, Jimmy Gleeson and Kenneth Browne.
The spine of the Killenaule side had man-of-the-match Daniel Guinan at centre-back, former All-Ireland senior winner Declan Fanning at centre-forward, and seasoned former seniors Thomas Maher and Gearóid O’Rourke at midfield. It was that diamond around the middle of the park that mostly controlled the proceedings, with Guinan, in particular, lording it under the high ball and with many telling clearances over the hour.
Killenaule got off to a quick start and were 0-5 to no score up inside the first 10 minutes, following four frees (three of them from Declan Fanning and one from Daniel Guinan) plus a Johnny Gleeson point from play. That Gleeson point came just after the evergreen Clonmel Óg servant Brian Gentles pulled off a brilliant save to deny Niall O’Connor whose well-struck effort looked destined for the net only for the quick reflexes of the Clonmel Óg custodian.
Credit also to Killenaule keeper Jonathan Gleeson at the other end who pulled off a double save in the ninth minute, firstly from a Simon Ahern effort and also denying Jake O’Donnell in the follow up.
The game’s first goal eventually arrived in the 13th minute when Johnny Gleeson cut in from the left to find the far corner of the net with a ripping shot. At the end of the first quarter Killenaule were in cruise control leading 1-5 to 0-0.
Another Declan Fanning free stretched the advantage to nine points before Clonmel Óg finally got on the scoreboard in the 19th minute with a long-range point from Denis Hanrahan. And in their best spell of the game they added another two points from play without reply via two excellent scores from midfielder Ian Holloway and corner-forward Kyle Grant.
But that brief resurgence for ‘The Ógies’ was soon halted and Killenaule finished the first half with four unanswered points from Daniel Guinan (free), Johnny Gleeson (2) and Gerry Kennedy. That ability of their forwards to take a score when the opportunity presented itself was plain to see as a notable difference between the sides.
At half-time Killenaule held a comfortable 1-10 to 0-3 advantage.
The beginning of the second was similar to the conclusion of the first, with five points within six minutes, without reply, going the way of the red jerseys from Daniel Guinan (free), a sweet brace from Sean Ivors, Kenny Lawrence and another well-taken score from Niall O’Connor.
Seven minutes after the restart the Óg’s Denis Hanrahan landed his side’s first of the half with a free from 67 metres.
Kenny Lawrence extended the Killenaule lead to 15 points in the 38th minute before Brian Gentles pulled off another fine save from Sean Ivors two minutes later. As he had done in the first half, Jonathan Gleeson matched Gentles’s heroics when superbly saving from Clonmel Óg best performer, Simon Ahern, in the 44th minute, after good work in the build-up by Karl Kearney.
Right on the three-quarters mark Denis Hanrahan had the Clonmel side’s first from play of the second half to leave the scoreline reading at 1-16 to 0-5.
Hard-working midfielder and Killenaule captain Thomas Maher then pointed before the game’s second goal arrived and again it was Johnny Gleeson who did the damage. He ran laterally across the Óg rearguard, 15 metres out, to make room for himself before unleashing a drive to the corner of the net and polish off what was a fine personal display.
The last minutes of the game saw both sides going through the motions with both adding a pair of points from play. For Killenaule Thomas Ryan and David Murphy raised white flags, while for a never-say-die Clonmel Óg Sean Cagney and Alex Slattery were on target with points.
Others to play their part in the victory for Killenaule were Adrian Tobin, Declan Ryan, Jack and Max Healy and Daire O’Connell.
Up against it from the start and all through, Clonmel Og never threw in the towel and had some solid displays from Simon Ahern, Sean Cagney, Brian Gentles, Denis Hanrahan, Alex Greene, Dean Slattery, Noel Walsh,and Karl Kearney.
TEAMS AND SCORERS
Killenaule:
Jonathan Gleeson, Adrian Tobin, Declan Ryan, Jack Healy, Daire O’Connell, Daniel Guinan (0-3F), Max Healy, Gearóid O’Rourke, Thomas Maher (capt, 0-1), Niall O’Connor (0-1), Declan Fanning (0-4F), David Murphy (0-1), Johnny Gleeson (2-3), Kenneth Browne, Gerry Kennedy (0-1).
Subs all used in roll-on roll-off format: Kenny Lawrence (0-2), Brian McGrath, Sean Ivors (0-2), Thomas Fitzgerald, Thomas Ryan (0-1).
Clonmel Óg:
Brian Gentles, Alex Greene, Sean Barrett, Aidan Fox, Dean Slattery, Adam Tobin-Purcell, Noel Walsh (0-1), Ian Holloway (0-1), Simon Ahern, Denis Hanrahan (0-3, 0-1F), Karl Kearney, Johnny Cagney, Jake O’Donnell, Sean Cagney (0-1), Kyle Grant (0-1).
Subs all used in roll-on roll-off format: Kevin McGrath, Jimmy Stokes, Tyler Aylward, Dylan Lonergan, Craig Hartnett, Jack Sweeney.
Referee: Andy Griffin (St Mary’s).