Clonoulty/Rossmore make it nine in a row in west Tipperary senior hurling final

Above: West Board Chairman Andrew Fryday presented the O’Dwyer Cup to Clonoulty/Rossmore captain Jack Ryan, with Noel Kennedy and Edward Carr representing the sponsors Arrabawn Tipperary Co-Op Society Ltd. On the left is Michael McCarthy, West Board Vice-Chairman 

Clonoulty/Rossmore: 2-17  Cashel King Cormacs: 1-16

Clonoulty/Rossmore claimed a ninth successive Arrabawn Tipperary Co-Op Society Ltd West Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship on Saturday evening in Golden when overcoming a strong Cashel King Cormacs challenge in the final.

The longer you have something the harder it is to give it up. One could easily think that that this may become monotonous but Clonoulty/Rossmore proved on Saturday evening they have plenty of hunger, and weren’t willing to give up the O’Dwyer Cup that easily.

Victory had the added incentive of a guaranteed county preliminary quarter-final place for the winners, something which Clonoulty/Rossmore missed out on last year, with no west final to play for.

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With the final restored for 2025, following Cashel King Cormacs' promotion and the hope of a first title since 1995, the crowds arrived, buoyed also by the success of the Tipperary senior hurlers six days previously, and the hope of a serious battle between the sides.

Clonoulty/Rossmore had many fine performances over the hour from Robert Doyle, Ronan Heffernan, John O’Keeffe and Jimmy Ryan (Con) but two stood out, Stephen Ferncombe and goalkeeper Jason O’Dwyer, the latter pulling off some crucial saves over the hour.

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Cashel too had some fine performances from James and Adrian Cummins, Eoghan Connolly and Ger Browne, whose running and ariel ability cause his opponents problems, but they just couldn’t fully get their game going or get into a groove.

Cashel played into the Mantle Hill end of the ground in the opening half, and the wind that largely blew across the field caused problems for both teams throughout. Robert Doyle, named at fourteen, was deployed to full back for the injured Aidan Loughman to mark Oisin O’Donoghue, and the Clonoulty/Rossmore man for the most kept the Cashel King Cormacs attacker quiet.

Cashel King Cormacs raced out of the blocks with three points on the board in the first four minutes. Devon Ryan opened his account from a free after a minute and a half. Almost as quickly Ryan had his second point. A routine free looked to be a simple tap-over but Ryan decided to go for goal, with his shot blocked on the line. Ryan, though, reacted quickest to the breaking ball to hit it over the bar.

Eoghan Connolly soon had that lead out to three with a long range free. Within the space of two minutes the defending champions were level, Jack Ryan pointing either side of two Stephen Ferncombe efforts, one from a placed ball and one from play.

Cashel pushed two points ahead again with efforts from Adrian Cummins and Cathal Quinn by the seventh minute. A Jimmy Maher effort put the minimum between the sides.

The game changed in the eleventh minute when a Stephen Ferncombe free from inside his own 45 went all the way to the Cashel net. Clonoulty/Rossmore would not be led again. The sides traded a couple of points each to keep the gap between one and two points.

Between the 24th and 27th minutes two Stephen Ferncombe frees saw Clonoulty/Rossmore go four clear, their biggest lead in the match up to then. The drama didn’t end there, and the scoreboard could have been different at the interval had Cathal Quinn’s effort not been denied by a great save from Clonoulty/Rossmore goalkeeper Jason O’Dwyer. The play was brought back for a free, which Devon Ryan pointed. Clonoulty/Rossmore were ahead at the break by 1-8 to 0-8.

Adrian Cummins cut the deficit on the resumption but Jack Ryan and Stephen Ferncombe had it out to four by the eighth minute.

A minute later Cashel got themselves a major foothold in the game. Ger Browne picked up a break around the 45 yard line and raced towards goal, but saw his effort stopped on the line by Jimmy Ryan (Con). Browne, however, got the sliotar back across the goal and Adrian Cummins found the net.

Michael Ryan (W) responded for Clonoulty/Rossmore with a point to go two up. Cashel struggled to get level and even when they eventually did Clonoulty/Rossmore didn’t leave them get ahead. Jason O’Dwyer was called into action again with another fine save to deny David McGrath, who had got in on goal at the expense of a point. That one, two-point lead continued as the half progressed, with Ferncombe doing the damage for Clonoulty/Rossmore while Devon Ryan and Ronan Connolly kept Cashel King Cormacs in touch.

Cashel drew level by the 53rd minute thanks to two Eoghan Connolly long range frees, the first of these bouncing in the square before going over the bar. The win was sealed in the next few minutes. Stephen Quinn, on as a substitute, crucially pointed Clonoulty/Rossmore back in front and two minutes later Stephen Ferncombe had goal number two. Robert Doyle did all the running, collected a breaking ball and ran half the length of the field before passing to Ferncombe, who unleased a powerful effort past Aaron Browne’s left.

Ferncombe brought that lead out to six before two Eoghan Connolly efforts reduced the deficit. Cashel were now forced to go for goal but found the Clonoulty/Rossmore defence in no mood for giving. Briain O’Donoghue had a late goal chance when he pulled first time but his effort just went the wrong side of the post. With that went the final whistle, as Clonoulty/Rossmore maintained their grip on the O’Dwyer Cup, while Cashel’s wait goes on.

Scorers: Clonoulty/Rossmore: Stephen Ferncombe (2-10, (1-7f, Jack Ryan (0-3), Jimmy Maher (0-1), Michael Ryan (W), Stephen Quinn (0-1), Nathan Slattery (0-1).

Cashel King Cormacs: Adrian Cummins (1-3), Devon Ryan (0-4, (0-3f), Eoghan Connolly (0-5, (0-3f), Ronan Connolly (0-2), Cathal Quinn (0-1), David McGrath (0-1).