Landmark win for St Patrick's in South Tipperary Under 21 B Football Championship final

St Patrick's 3-10 Cahir 2-6

At a wet and windy Fethard Town Park last Saturday night, St Patrick’s Under 21 footballers made history by winning the South Tipperary Under 21 B football title for the first time. Cahir will rue missed chances in the first half when they had plenty of possession but just couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard.

Cahir began brightly and raised a green flag for the opening score of the game in the third minute when the lively Adam Hennessy got in behind the St Pat’s defence to bury the ball in the net. St Pat’s responded with a point from play from Willie Cleere.

Cahir’s Patrick McDonagh was causing problems when he ran at the St Pat’s defence and in the seventh minute Adam Hennessy had another goal chance but it was blocked by Cian Crannitch.

Daithi Hogan got off the mark in the 10th minute when he converted a free after he was fouled. Cahir had another goal chance in the 13th minute but Patrick McDonagh’s shot was saved by Pat’s goalie Brian O’Halloran.

Cahir got the next two scores through a Jack Delaney free and an Oisín Maher point from play in the 17th minute to put a goal back between the sides.

But that was their final score of the half, as St Pat’s dominated the remaining 13 minutes. Finn Madigan scored the first point of his impressive 2-3 haul when he converted a mark in front of the goal. St Pat’s had a great chance for a goal in the 22nd minute but the Cahir defence crowded out danger man Dáithi Hogan and Conor Brett’s shot on goal was blocked.

Two quickfire points from Madigan and Robbie Noonan brought the game level before Madigan struck for his first goal of the game. St Pat’s won a Cahir kickout and the ball fell to Robbie Noonan, who fed Madigan, who made no mistake in firing to the back of the net.

St Pat’s almost had a second goal straight away when Conor Brett intercepted the Cahir kickout and laid the ball off to Oran Gahan, who was denied a certain goal by an excellent save from Cahir goalkeeper Mark Cagney, who tipped the ball over the bar for a point. Charlie Noonan got the final score of the half when he pointed to leave the half time score St Patrick’s 1-7 Cahir 1-2.

The Drangan/Cloneen men started the second half the way they finished the first when Oran Gahan goaled in the fifth minute to leave eight points between the sides.

Adam Hennessy got Cahir’s first score in 20 minutes when he pointed in the seventh minute and Jack Delaney converted a free soon after to reduce the margin to six. Finn Madigan had a great chance to extend the lead once again when he was through one on one but his shot went narrowly wide.

St Pat’s had the next two points through Conor Brett and Seán Nash after a great run by substitute James Ryan to once again put eight points in it. Cahir’s Tom Delaney pointed from play in the 20th minute and it was their last score until injury time.

Cahir were awarded a penalty in the first minute of injury time, which Jack Delaney converted to leave just four in it, and with three minutes still to play the next score would be crucial. That ultimately fell to the St Pat’s men as, from the resulting kickout, Oran Gahan won possession and passed to Sean Fitzgerald, who fed Finn Madigan to score his second goal.

Jack Delaney pulled a point back for Cahir but it was fitting that the final point of the game fell to Finn Madigan.
There were jubilant scenes among the men in black and amber when referee Paul Guinan blew the full time whistle, as they added another football title to go with the Junior A title they won earlier in the year.

St Pat’s had match winners all over the field, with the impressive Sean Nash anchoring the defence from centre back and even getting on the scoresheet in the second half. County Minor Oran Gahan showed why he was such a pivotal player for Tipp this year with his aerial ability on show last Saturday and he also managed to score 1-1.

His midfield partner and St Pat’s captain Aidan Fitzgerald ran himself into the ground, getting up and down the field and was the link man between defence and attack.

The St Pat’s forwards could not be faulted, with all six starting forwards getting on the scoresheet. Daithi Hogan was a danger all night with his pace and direct running and although he didn’t score from play he was directly involved in many of St Pat’s scores. The impressive Finn Madigan top-scored on the night with 2-3 (2-2 from play) and anytime he got on the ball it was almost a certain score, such was his accuracy.

Cahir will rue the missed chances they had in the first half when they had plenty of possession and their direct running caused the St Pat’s defence problems. Jack Delaney top-scored for Cahir with 1-3 from placed balls while corner forward Adam Hennessy scored 1-1 from play and looked dangerous anytime he got possession.

County Minor Patrick McDonagh showed glimpses of his talent in the first half when he ran at the St Pat’s defence while Evin O’Regan and Sean Leahy played well in defence.

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St Patrick's: Brian O’Halloran, Cian Crannitch, Bill Cuddihy, Jack Cleere, Sean Nash (0-1), Ryan Crannitch, Oran Gahan (1-1), Aidan Fitzgerald, Willie Cleere (0-1), Daithi Hogan (0-1f), Charlie Noonan (0-1), Finn Madigan (2-3,1f), Conor Brett (0-1), Robbie Noonan (0-1).

Subs: James Ryan for C Brett, Sean Fitzgerald for C Noonan (temporary).

Cahir: Mark Cagney, James O’Gorman, Sean Leahy, Henry Reidy, Ciaran Condon, James O’Brien, Evin O’Regan, Dylan Butler, John O’ Regan, Patrick McDonagh, Tom Delaney, Jack Delaney, Adam Hennessy, Ronan Powell, Oisin Maher.

Subs: Liam Cleary for J O’Brien, Daniel Lakis for R Powell, Donagh Keating for Dylan Butler.

Referee: Paul Guinan (Killenaule).