Clonoulty Rossmore clinch league title with solid win over West rivals in final
Clonoulty Rossmore defeated Arravale Rovers last Friday
Maria Marron Palmers Hill Stud West Junior B Hurling Championship Final
Clonoulty Rossmore 1-16
By Francis Coughlan
Clonoulty Rossmore claimed their first Maria Marron Palmers Hill Stud West Junior B Hurling League title when accounting for Arravale Rovers at Pairc Ciocaim, Dundrum on Friday evening.
A Fiachra O’Keeffe goal five minutes before the interval would ultimately turn this game on its head as Clonoulty Rossmore who had looked a bit vulnerable to this point, would grow in confidence and take a firm grip on the game.
The opening twenty-five minutes or so was a fairly even affair on the scoreboard, with rarely more than a point between the sides, though it was a game that struggled to come to life.
Arravale were ahead for most of this period and looked like the team most likely to win, with Cormac Maher causing problems for the Clonoulty Rossmore defence.
Maher hit the first from play under two minutes into the game at the railway end. Maher again pointed another free after Cathal Ryan scored the first of his three points. Fiachra O’Keeffe drew the sides level with his first after eleven minutes from a place ball.
Cathal Ryan added another just before the quarter mark as his side entered the second quarter three points to two ahead. Arravale looked to have settled after this, reeling off three points in a row, including two more from Cormac Maher, but they also left a number of chances behind them.
Credit here has to go the Clonoulty Rossmore defence, who made things difficult for the Arravale attack. At the dressing room end they were struggling to make the sliotar stick and get into a rhythm. With five to go in the half, Evan Ryan had Arravale two up again.
The game changed dramatically in the next attack. Fiachra O’Keeffe picked up a breaking ball unmarked and, despite the advancing Ben Dudley, he tucked it low into the net. Tadgh O’Connor levelled but Nicky Kearns had the last say of the half to give Clonoulty Rossmore an interval lead of 1-5 to 0-7.
The goal appeared to give Clonoulty Rossmore real confidence, and their scorer in chief Fiachra O’Keeffe, reeled off four points in a row in the first six and half minutes after the resumption, including two from placed balls to Cormac Maher’s sole point which came thirty seconds into the half.
In the tenth minute Danny O’Keeffe forced a great save from Ben Dudley in the Arravale goal. Maher and O’Keeffe continued to be the main scoring threats with a shootout developing between the two as they traded points.
The lead stayed between three and four points. Heading into the final ten Paudie White and Cathal Ryan stretched that out to six. Arravale were struggling now to make any inroads and the experience of some of the Clonoulty/Rossmore players told heading down the home stretch.
When Finbar Ryan pointed in the twenty ninth minute the eventual winners were seven up. Arravale continued to try and take the fight but needed goals however they were denied at the expense of a sixty five. Ger Halligan had a late point for Arravale but it was to be Clonoulty Rossmore’s evening.
Following the game West Board Chairman Andrew Fryday presented the Sean Breen Cup to Clonoulty Rossmore captain Paudie White with John O’Shea representing the sponsors.
Scorers: Clonoulty Rossmore: Fiachra O’Keeffe (1-9, 0-5f), Cathal Ryan (0-3), Nicky Kearns (0-1), Anthony Kearney (0-1), Paudie White (0-1f), Finbar Ryan (0-1).
Arravale Rovers: Cormac Maher (0-9, 0-5f)), Daniel Ryan (0-1), Evan Ryan (0-1), Tadgh O’Connor (0-1), Ger Halligan (0-1).
Clonoulty Rossmore: David Egan; Declan O’Dwyer, Jack Kennedy, Michael Ryan; Danny O’Keeffe, Niall Shanahan, Donnachada Carroll; Paudie White, Jack Heffernan, Fintan Kearney; Martin Ryan, Nicky Kearns; Fiachra O’Keeffe, Anthony Kearney, Cathal Ryan.
Subs used: Finbar Ryan for Martin Ryan, Stephen Kearney for Fintan Kearney, Richard Ferncombe for Michael Ryan, Paul Hayes for Anthony Kearney, Tadgh Ryan for Jack Kennedy
Arravale Rovers: Ben Dudley; Richie Lohan, Ronan O’Connor, Sean Lewis; Conor Leahy, Shane Leahy, Roger O’Connor; Peter Ryan, Tadgh O’Connor; Shane Maher, Tony Byrnes, Daniel Ryan; Cormac Maher, Evan Ryan, Ger Halligan.
Subs used: Odhran O’Dwyer for Richie Lohan, Conor O’Donoghue for Evan Ryan, Jack English for Sean Lewis
Referee: Cian Ryan (Éire Óg