Fethard win another football championship in south Tipperary

Above: Fethard's Keenan Ahearne receives the man of the match award from South Tipperary GAA Secretary John Lonergan. Also included are Chairman Nicholas Moroney (left) and Vice-Chairman Seamus Walsh. Picture: Michael Boland

Fethard 0-10 Kilsheelan/Kilcash 1-6

A dominant second half performance, in which they outscored Kilsheelan/Kilcash by six points to one, secured the South Tipperary Junior B Football Championship title for Fethard in the first of a junior finals double bill at Clonmel Sportsfield on Sunday.

Fethard trailed by 1-3 to no score after ten minutes and were still behind at the break, 1-5 to 0-4, but were a transformed team in the second half.

They dominated for virtually the entire half, kicking 0-6 without reply until Kilsheelan/Kilcash’s only score of the half came three minutes into injury time.

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Jack Davey kicked four second half points, the first two of the half and then the final two, with former Tipperary All-Ireland senior hurling winner Kieran Bergin, and Keenan Ahearne from a free, scoring in between.

The Blues tightened up at the back, with team captain Joe Morgan at full back, and former Tipperary minor player Shane Neville at centre back in outstanding form.

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Club chairman Willie Morgan and Paul Moloney were on top at midfield, while the attack finally found the range, with clever use of the bench adding to the threat upfront.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash will wonder what happened to them in the second thirty minutes. They were by far the better team in the opening half, with an eighth minute goal from Conor Davin Murphy the standout score. They were secure at the back, with big games from Darragh Kelly, Tadhg McGuire and Eoghan Kelly, while upfront goal scorer Davin Murphy, Kevin Kirwan and Ben O’Connell were always dangerous.

However, as the second half unfolded, they saw Fethard pick off point after point, the Blues levelling the scores for the first time in the 49th minute, going ahead for the first time a minute later, then extending it to two before Kilsheelan realised they probably needed a goal to win it. That never came and their first – and only – score of the half was a 63rd minute point from Tadhg McGuire following a great move from defence.

Their first half display was quite the opposite. Playing against the stiff breeze, they started on the front foot, and following a move in the second minute involving James Geraghty and Paul Denn in the build-up, Conor Davin Murphy was fouled and Kevin Kirwan pointed the free.

They stretched the lead to two by the seventh minute with a Ben O’Connell free, and a minute later their supporters were in full voice when Conor Davin Murphy beat Tommy Sheehan in the Fethard goal following good work from Paul Denn. Two minutes later Denn turned from provider to scorer when taking a James Geraghty pass to put his side 1-3 to no score ahead.

Fethard had to wait until the 11th minute for their opening score, a superb two-point free from Jack Ward following a foul on Kieran Bergin.

The former Killenaule and Tipperary hurler was fouled again midway through the half with Sean Moroney pointing the free to make it 1-3 to 0-3.

Kilsheelan stretched the lead to four again when, after surviving sustained Fethard pressure, they broke quickly, with Conor Davin Murphy setting up Ben O’Connell for a point.

Fethard hit back with a Keenan Ahearne point from a free before Kilsheelan restored their four-points advantage at the break when Ewan Rumble was first to a breaking ball to score.

It could have been a bigger lead but Tommy Sheehan pulled off a brilliant save from Ben O’Connell when the Kilsheelan man might have been wiser to take his point.

Four minutes into the second half Jack Davey kicked the point that started the Fethard revival. It was a disputed one, as Davey’s shot from the standside was initially waved wide, but with Fethard players and officials protesting loudly, referee Jamie Sweetman overruled his umpire to award it.

There was no dispute over Davey’s next point three minutes later to reduce the margin to two points. As Kilsheelan struggled to get a foothold in the game, Fethard pressed on and Bergin hit a lovely score, followed by an Ahearne free – he had come on again for the injured Sean Moroney after being substituted at half -time – to tie the score at 0-8 to 1-5 with ten minutes to go

Fethard now had the belief that they could win the title – and add it to the South Under 19 A championship already in their possession – with Jack Davey proving to be the match winner.

Substitute Peter Gough put him through to kick the lead point and then after another flowing move he was there at the end to stretch the lead to two, 0-10 to 1-5.

They had chances to wrap it up in normal time, but both Ahearne and Gough were off target, and that gave Kilsheelan/Kilcash the encouragement to battle to the final whistle.

Tadhg Maguire’s added time point might have ensured a grandstand finish but time ran out before they could launch another attack.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash contributed hugely to a very enjoyable contest and their first half display reflected the quality and composure in their side. However, Fethard’s second half revival was good enough to claim the prize, as the revival of football in the walled town continues to gather pace across all grades.

Fethard: Tommy Sheehan, MJ Phelan, Joe Morgan, Jack Stokes, Charlie Hackett, Shane Neville, Mo O’Meara, Willie Morgan, Paul Moloney, Keenan Ahearne 0-2f; Kieran Bergin 0-1; Jack Davey 0-4; Jack Ward 0-2, 1x2pt f; Ross McCormac, Sean Moroney 0-1f.

Subs: Oisín Ryan for Keenan Ahearne, Ciaran O’Meara for Ross McCormack, Peter Gough for Jack Ward, Keenan Ahearne for Sean Moroney.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Lee Ryan, Leon Roche, Darragh Kelly, Kevin Larkin, Eoghan Kelly, Tadhg McGuire 0-1; Ewan Rumble 0-1; Cathal Kelly, Lucas Sheil, Kevin Kirwan 0-1f; Paul Denn 0-1; Ben O’Connell 0-2, 1f; Eddie Sweeney, Conor Davin Murphy 1-0; James Geraghy.

Subs: Jack O’Loughlin for Leon Roche, Daire Murphy for Ben O’Connell, Nathan Keyes for Eddie Sweeney.

Referee: Jamie Sweetman (Carrick Swan).