Cashel make successful return to top tier of Tipperary hurling championship

Cashel King Cormacs 2-24 Mullinahone 0-24

Second half goals from Devon Ryan and an Eoghan Connolly penalty proved to be the decisive scores as Cashel King Cormacs got their FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship campaign off to a winning start with victory over Mullinahone at Littleton on Sunday afternoon.

It was the start that the West Tipperary side wanted on their return to Dan Breen Cup action after their Premier Intermediate success last year. The two points were crucial, as they face difficult assignments against Nenagh Eire Óg and Thurles Sarsfields in their remaining Group 2 games.

However, Cashel didn’t have it all their own way, with a much-improved performance from Mullinahone following their South Tipp semi-final defeat to Carrick Swan. They matched Cashel score for score in the first half, leading 0-13 to 0-12 at the break, and continued to lead up to midway in the second half, and were three points ahead at one stage.

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However, once Devon Ryan struck for his side’s first goal in the 47th minute, taking a crossfield pass from Adrian Cummins and shooting low to the corner of the net past Brendan Kearney in the Mullinahone goal, Cashel upped the tempo.

The goal put them 1-18 to 0-18 ahead, and although Mullinahone sharpshooter Sean Curran was keeping his side in touch – he finished the game with 0-13, ten from frees – it was Cashel’s big game players who saw the game out.

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Four Curran points, three from frees, following Ryan’s goal left Cashel with just a slender one-point lead, 1-20 to 0-22, with five minutes to go when the second Cashel goal decided the outcome. Cathal Quinn was brought down in the square following a David McGrath pass and All- Ireland medal winner Eoghan Connolly blasted home the penalty.

Connolly also hit three booming points from play, converted a 65 and a sideline cut in a man of the match performance. His brother Ronan was also hugely influential, with four points from play, although his involvement was cut short in added time as he was dismissed on a second yellow card.

Cashel, managed by former Clare hurler Fergie O’Loughlin, with Cork’s Eoin Cadogan as coach, hit 1-20 from play, with Ger Browne and Ross Bonnar chipping in with 0-3 each, David McGrath and Conor O’Dwyer with 0-2 each and Devon Ryan’s 1-1 equally crucial.

Mullinahone, missing Michael Dunne and Jack Shelly from their attack, after both were injured in the South semi-final, had Enda Keane and Sean Curran as top scorers from play with 0-3 each. The South Tipp side posed considerable problems for the Cashel defence, forcing the fouls that Curran punished.

However, the first half wasn’t a great advertisement for accuracy, with Mullinahone hitting ten wides and Cashel one less with nine. Mullinahone edged the first quarter, after which they led 0-7 to 0-4. Two points from Enda Keane and a pointed free from Curran, to a King Cormacs reply from Ronan Connolly, put them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the eighth minute.

Points from Devon Ryan from a free and a lovely score from Sam Rowan for Mullinahone were followed by a Cashel point from Ger Browne, with Oisín O’Donoghue providing the assist.

With play swinging from end to end, Sean Curran from a free, and Mikey O’Shea pushed the Kickham Country men three ahead, and an exchange of points between Ross Bonnar and Enda Keane left it 0-7 to 0-4.

The momentum switched over the next ten minutes, with Cashel taking the lead for the first time in the 25th minute, 0-9 to 0-8, with Ger Browne, Devon Ryan from a free, David McGrath, Ross Bonnar and All-Ireland winner Oisín O’Donoghue on target, to a Mullinahone reply from a Curran free.

Cashel were two ahead by the 30th minute, 0-12 to 0-10, through a monster point from Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Connolly and Conor O’Dwyer. Mullinahone had three in a row in added time, from Conor Whelan and Sean Curran frees, and Graham Horan from play, which saw them head to the dressing rooms 0-13 to 0-12 ahead.

They had extended that lead to three after six minutes of the second half, with Sean Curran points from a free and play.

Cashel had their chances, with a Devon Ryan free coming back off the upright, an Adrian Cummins shot saved by Brendan Kearney, and a flowing move involving Ronan Connolly and Conor O’Dwyer ending with Cathal Quinn shooting wide.

The large Cashel support was getting anxious, as their side failed to shrug off the Mullinahone challenge in a game where the losing side was likely to face a very difficult campaign. They had the lead down to a single point, 0-17 to 0-16 by the 40th minute, through Eoghan Connolly from play and a 65, and Cathal Quinn, to Mullinahone points from a Curran free and Martin Keogh.

Eoghan Connolly drew them level with another huge score and Conor O’Dwyer put them ahead.

Mullinahone hit back immediately with a Sam Rowan point after great work from Daire O’Brien, but then Devon Ryan’s goal gave Cashel a lead, 1-18 to 0-18, that they never surrendered, despite the best efforts of the Kickham Country men.

Sean Curran pointed four points, three from frees, to Cashel scores from Ross Bonnar and Ger Browne, to keep the game in the melting pot, before Eoghan Connolly’s penalty put real daylight between the sides for the first time. Ronan Connolly, Devon Ryan, David McGrath and Eoghan Connolly from a sideline cut wrapped up the Cashel scoring, with Conor Whelan, and Curran from a free, replying for Mullinahone.

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne, Conn Bonnar, Nathan Ryan, Paddy Fahy, James Cummins, Ronan Connolly 0-4; Conor O’Dwyer 0-2; Eoghan Connolly 1-5, 1-0 penalty, 1 65, 1 sideline; Cathal Quinn 0-1; Devon Ryan 1-3, 2f; Ger Browne 0-3; Adrian Cummins, Ross Bonnar 0-3; Oisín O’Donoghue 0-1; David McGrath 0-2.

Sub: Brian O’Donoghue for Adrian Cummins (42).

CJ Kickhams Mullinahone: Brendan Kearney, Daire O’Brien, Paul Curran, Colin Shelly, Darragh Linnane, Conor Whelan 0-2, 1f; Martin Keogh 0-1; Sean Curran 0-13, 10f; Conor O’Brien, Sam Rowan 0-2; Eoin O’Dwyer 0-1; Enda Keane 0-3; Mikey O’Shea 0-1; Alan Curran, Graham Horan 0-1.

Subs: Danny Dunne for Graham Horan (57), Cillian Direen for Conor O’Brien (62).

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne/Templetuohy).