Moyle Rovers’ round off great year with county final win over Kiladangan
FBD Insurance Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship Final
MOYLE ROVERS 2-15 KILADANGAN 0-11
A determined and fully-focused year from the Moyle Rovers hurlers saw them crowned County Junior A champions at Templemore on Saturday afternoon last when they emphatically defeated Kildanagan by 10 points in the county decider.
A solid first half against the breeze, including an early goal from Killian Butler, laid the foundation for the victory, the Rovers going to the break 1-8 to 0-6 up. A second goal, earned by the honest and hard-working Anthony Phelan, in the 49th minute, finally saw off the stubborn challenge of the northerners. Moyle Rovers were fully deserving winners at the final whistle, and it was fitting that team captain Dara Ryan, who put in a huge performance over the hour, accepted the cup on behalf of the Powerstown/Lisronagh outfit.
Relegated from the intermediate grade in 2021, Rovers will return to that level next year, and now also have the bonus of looking forward to Munster club competition this year, something they had already achieved prior to Saturday’s final, given Kiladangan’s status as a senior club.
It was also the club’s first adult county hurling success since 2007, a year in which they also won the Munster title before losing the All-Ireland decider to Conahy Shamrocks of Kilkenny under lights at Croke Park. John McGrath’s side will be hoping for another extended run in the provincial championship once the celebrations of Saturday are put to bed.
With the breeze at their backs Kiladangan had the better start and went two points up within two minutes with scores from Eoghan Sharkey and DJ McGrath. However, they were rocked back on their heels in the fifth minute when Rory Collins found Killian Butler with a pass before Butler ran through to drive home a powerful goal.
Moyle Rovers then began to assert themselves and with Ben Owens, Riain Quigley and Kevin Grace prominent around the middle of the park, they hit a mini purple patch over the next 15 minutes scoring six (one free) to a lone free in reply from Kiladangan.
Dara Ryan pointed his first free of the day, which was quickly followed by a point from the ever-dangerous Killian Butler before Neil Cahalan landed a long-range free for Kiladangan to make it 1-2 to 0-3 after 10 minutes in favour of the Rovers.
One of the points of the game followed from Anthony Phelan after numerous Rovers players worked the sliotar through the lines to great effect. Kevin Grace then tagged on two excellent points in three minutes, before a point off his left from 45 metres by Dara Ryan pushed the Monroe side a significant six clear after 20 minutes into the breeze.
Rovers suffered a big setback when the influential Ben Owens had to leave the field injured, replaced by Daire Luttrell. Rory Collins slipped into the holding role in the rearrangement and also did very well.
A 65 converted by Neil Cahalan was Kiladangan’s first score in a quarter of an hour, the same player quickly following up with a point from play after Daragh Butler picked him out with the pass.
Killian Butler pointed for the Rovers on the half-hour, opportunistically capitalising on a Kiladangan defensive mix-up, before Cahalan with his second from play, and a Dara Ryan free completed the first half scoring.
Going to the break five points to the good, the faster and fitter-looking Moyle Rovers were now in with a magnificent chance of capturing county silverware if they could keep focused on the job in hand.
The opening quarter of the second period was point-for-point, four apiece for either side, a pattern Moyle Rovers would have been quite content with while maintaining that interval advantage of five points, 1-12 to 0-10, on 45 minutes.
For Rovers those scores came from the very capable Luke Delahunty (two from play) and two Dara Ryan frees, with Kiladangan’s outstanding player, Neil Cahalan replying with three (one free) and another from DJ McGrath who had a lot to do to round his man and point from an acute angle for Kiladangan.
Dara Ryan then won and converted a free for the Monroe side before the game’s second and decisive score arrived.
A long-range effort at a Rovers point fell short and initially it looked as if Kiladangan goalkeeper Ciaran Kelly had plenty of time to deal with it. However, put under pressure from Anthony Phelan, who made the yards to challenge, the full-forward got a touch on the sliotar to force it over the line.
All over now bar the shouting with Rovers nine clear and 10 minutes remaining, Kiladangan tagged on their last token point, again from Cahalan, before Moyle Rovers raised the last two white flags of the final. Riain Quigley, who covered a huge area of ground all afternoon, hit a superb point two minutes from time. Then one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon went up when veteran Rovers dual-player Danny Lyne, just on the pitch, embellished his county final appearance with a huge point from half-way and a follow-up fist punch for the faithful in the stand.
This was, as it has been all year for Moyle Rovers, a no-nonsense business-like performance. Twelve months ago, as raging hot favourites, they were floored in the South final by Clonmel Og. That hard lesson was clearly taken on board and right throughout this campaign, in the South final against St Patrick’s, and in a county semi against Holycross/Ballycahill they never once lost focus. And they had to do it the hard way also when losing Sean Keating in the South final and later the talismanic Stephen Quirke, both through injury. In Saturday’s final, they also lost Ben Owens in the first half, who had been playing a blinder at the time.
Brian Gleeson was dependable as ever between the posts, and the full-back line of the McKeown brothers with Conor McGrath in the middle never put a foot wrong. Wing backs Luke Boland and Shane Ryan supported Ben Owens in leading the rearguard. Riain Quigley and Kevin Grace won the midfield battle, while all six forwards, led by captain Dara Ryan at centre-forward can reflect on a good day’s work for the club.
It was a disappointing day for the northerners, the club’s second string, who had a sprinkling of players with senior experience in the mix. There was too much of a dependency on Neil Cahalan who accounted for eight of his side’s 11 scores, with only DJ McGrath and Eoghan Sharkey also contributing to the scoreboard. Darragh Ryan, Martin Minehan, Johnny Horan and Bill Cleary also had their moments.
After the disappointment for both of Moyle Rovers’ football teams last week with elimination from the county championships, what a difference a week has made on the Scotch Road. In the space of six days Moyle Rovers have now added two county titles with the ladies footballers winning a first-ever county senior final last Sunday and the club’s hurlers crowned county champions on Saturday.
Moyle Rovers: Brian Gleeson, Cathal McKeown, Conor McGrath, Brian McKeown, Luke Boland, Ben Owens, Shane Ryan, Riain Quigley (0-1), Kevin Grace (0-2), Killian Butler (1-2), Dara Ryan (capt., 0-6, 0-5F), Rory Collins, Dean English, Anthony Phelan (1-1), Luke Delahunty (0-2).
Subs: Daire Luttrell for Owens (inj., 23 mins), Nathan Croke for McGrath (55 mins), Sean Hackett for Grace (55 mins), Danny Lyne (0-1) for Phelan (59 mins), Michael O’Reilly for Butler (59 mins).
Kiladangan: Ciaran Kelly, Gavin McGrath, Shane Seymour (capt), Jack McGrath, Darragh Ryan, Martin Minehan, Ronan Ducie, Johnny Horan, Neil Cahalan (0-8, 0-2F, 0-1×65), Bill Cleary, Eoghan Sharkey (0-1), Matthew Cleary, DJ McGrath (0-2), Dan O’Meara, Eoin Meagher.
Subs: Daragh Butler for B. Cleary (26 mins), Eoin Kelly for Sharkey (HT), Stephen Mulvihill for Meagher (40 mins), Paddy Gallagher for S. Seymour (49 mins), Ryan Gilick for O’Meara (59 mins).
Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines).
