Tipperary All-Ireland winner Willie Connors turns in man of the match display

Kiladangan 2-20 Clonoulty/Rossmore 0-21

North champions Kiladangan got over their first hurdle when defeating West champions Clonoulty/Rossmore in the opening Group 1 game of the FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship at Páirc Shíleáin, Templemore on Sunday afternoon.

Kiladangan led from the third minute following a Tadhg Gallagher goal on their first attack, after Stephen Ferncombe had given the West men an early lead.

That opening goal was the difference between the sides throughout the game, with Clonoulty failing to get their noses in front at any stage. Kiladangan led by six on two occasions, hitting 1-4 in a five-minute spell early on and scoring 0-5 without reply during the final quarter, after the West men had cut the deficit to the minimum on 46 minutes.

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Tipperary’s All-Ireland star Willie Connors was the main difference between the sides as he put in a man of the match performance, scoring 0-6 in total, including three monster placed balls from around his own 45 during the third quarter.

The West champions staged a mini-recovery late on, with Enda Heffernan landing two long range points before two converted frees from Stephen Ferncombe cut the deficit to two as the game headed towards the 60th minute. However, they failed to finish a few chances late on, with some poor shot choices, before a defensive error was capitalised on by substitute Conor Culhane to blast goal number two three minutes into added time.

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Clonoulty’s Stephen Ferncombe slotted over the opening point. They followed up with three wides in quick succession before Kiladangan got into a rhythm. Three minutes in, the North champions opened their account when Sean Hayes opened up the Clonoulty defence with a run from midfield, before offloading to Tadhg Gallagher, who blasted to the net from close range.

They followed up with four minors in a three-minute spell, one each from Conor Byrne, Billy Seymour, Willie Connors and Bryan McLoughney. This gave them a six-point advantage with seven minutes on the clock.

Clonoulty came right back into the game, hitting four of the next five points, three from Stephen Ferncombe and one from Jack Ryan, with Conor Byrne converting his second from a placed ball for the men from Puckane. Willie Connors, who was growing into the game, slotted over his second minor from an acute angle before Tadhg Gallagher added a point.

Robert Doyle cut the deficit to the minimum when he gathered a crossfield ball from a John O’Keeffe free and split the posts from around seventy metres. Conor Byrne, from a free, and Paul Flynn, from open play, extended the lead to three, before Nathan Slattery set up Cathal Bourke for his second minor as thirty minutes approached.

Jason O’Dwyer pulled off a wonder save from Conor Byrne, at the expense of a 65, one minute into added time. Byrne added his fourth of the day before Enda Heffernan closed out the half with a long range point. The half-time score was Kiladangan 1-10, Clonoulty/Rossmore 0-11.

After the restart, Stephen Ferncombe put over his seventh point of the day, closing the gap to one.

Willie Connors punished an unnecessary free conceded from inside his own 45 metre line before Enda Heffernan pulled the advantage back to the minimum. Paul Flynn and Danny Slattery cancelled each other out with well-taken scores before Willie Connors hit two more long range frees either side of Stephen Ferncombe nailing his eighth. Connors, who was really on fire, again replied but Cathal Bourke cancelled that out to leave the minimum between the sides entering the final quarter.

Kiladangan then hit their second purple patch, hitting five points within three minutes, in a bid to kill off the game. Conor Byrne’s point, with his fifth free of the game, was followed up with minors from Billy Seymour, substitute Dara O’Dwyer, Tadhg Gallagher and one from open play from Willie Connors. This gave the North champions a six-point advantage with eight minutes of normal time remaining.

Clonoulty staged a comeback, with Enda Heffernan landing two huge efforts from inside his own half before Stephen Ferncombe brought his side to within two points as the clock headed for sixty minutes. All the momentum was with the West men, but poor shot choices and overplaying the ball cost them in those late minutes.

Billy Seymour slotted his third minor on 62 minutes before substitute Conor Culhane pounced on a defensive error to seal the game with a goal on 63 minutes. Jack Ryan closed out the scoring with a late point, but last year’s beaten quarter-finalists Kiladangan are up and running in their quest for Dan Breen honours.

Scorers: Kiladangan: Willie Connors (0-6,3f), Conor Byrne (0-5, 4f, 1×65), Tadhg Gallagher (1-2), Billy Seymour (0-3), Conor Culhane (1-0), Paul Flynn (0-2), Bryan McLoughney (0-1), Dara O’Dwyer (0-1).

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Stephen Ferncombe (0-10, 9f), Enda Heffernan (0-4), Cathal Bourke (0-3), Jack Ryan (0-2), Danny Slattery (0-1), Robert Doyle (0-1).

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan, Fergie Hayes, James Quigley, David Sweeney, Daragh Flannery, Alan Flynn, Joe Gallagher (captain), Tadhg Gallagher, Willie Connors, Conor Byrne, Dan O’Meara, Paul Flynn, Bryan McLoughney, Billy Seymour, Sean Hayes.

Subs: Daragh Butler for Fergie Hayes (inj. 24), Dara O’Dwyer for Bryan McLoughney (43), Neil Cahalan for Dan O’Meara (46), John O’Meara for David Sweeney (temporary, 46-49), Conor Culhane for Tadhg Gallagher (55).

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Jason O’Dwyer, Tommy Ryan, Robert Doyle, Jimmy Ryan (Con), John O’Keeffe, Enda Heffernan, Jamie Davern, Ronan Heffernan, Stevie Quinn, Nathan Slattery, Stephen Ferncombe, Jack Ryan (captain), Danny Slattery, Cathal Bourke, Jimmy Maher.

Sub: Phillip Kelleher for Jamie Davern (48).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne Templetuohy).