LONG READ: It's still all to play for in Tipperary club hurling championships

The backdoor route into the knockout stages of our county championship hasn’t a good record. Last weekend all three divisional winners – Kiladangan, Clonoulty/Rossmore and JK Brackens – bowed out. The message is clear: if you can’t survive in your county group then your chances of progressing in the championship are slim.

It has always been thus, which is the strongest argument available to those who would break all linkage between divisions and county. The counter argument is that the divisions need their glamour event, which is a critical source of income for the Boards. It’s an argument that just about holds sway - for now.

It has been a letdown year for Kiladangan, one of the pre-championship fancies. They began okay with a North title but it’s been mostly downhill since. They fell heavily to both Holycross and Toomevara and were second best on Sunday last to Kilruane MacDonaghs. Their era of prominence brought county titles in 2020 and 2023, but for the moment progress has stalled.

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On Sunday their poor form this year was again on display. They were overly-dependent on a few individuals but the overall team cohesion was lacking. James Quigley was excellent in defence and both Sean Hayes on 0-4 and Paul Flynn on 0-5 stood up manfully but too many of their colleagues didn’t. A wides tally of 17 was symptomatic of their present mood.

For Kilruane the outlook is much brighter. The 2022 winners are right back in the mix as we head towards the quarter-finals. They always looked the more likely winners here. Niall O’Meara was again a chief playmaker from half back and with Craig Morgan and his brother Aaron completing that line it offered a formidable bulwark to Kiladangan.

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They led by just three at half-time and were value for it. Thomas Cleary set up Kian O’Kelly for their first half goal and the pair produced a carbon copy combination early in the second half for a second “greenback”.

Even when a Willie Connors delivery went all the way to the net (maybe with Joe Gallagher assistance) five minutes from the end it failed to fire Kiladangan. Instead Kilruane found an immediate response with points from Jerome Cahill and Shane Cleary before Niall O’Meara rattled home a penalty after substitute, Eoin Hogan, was fouled. An injury-time goal for Bryan McLoughney was no consolation for Kiladangan.

For Clonoulty/Rossmore too a divisional title this year represents a poor harvest. They’ve struggled in the county series, winless from their three games and unable to stop the rot here despite a brave effort against Drom/Inch. A relegation battle looms.

It was a high-drama spectacle where Clonoulty lost out tantalisingly in a second half shootout. With wind assistance the West side had the better of the first half. Stephen Ferncombe was hitting the target impressively from frees and play as Clonoulty built a 0-14 to 1-6 interval lead. Enda Heffernan chipped in too with a pair of rousing points near the break.

That Drom goal, finished by Cormac Cahill from a Seamus Callanan pass, was a crucial score for the Mid side. Callanan was denied by a great Jason O’Dwyer save earlier, but that goal limited the first half damage for Drom; five points was a modest advantage given the wind.

Clonoulty will have deep regrets about letting this one slip. In the third quarter they hit two goals in three minutes to go eight-up. Stephen Ferncombe rifled home the first from a penalty after Jimmy Maher was fouled near goal. Two minutes later a Jack Ryan effort from outfield broke out to Jimmy Maher, who flashed home a second from a sharp angle.

At that stage it looked like being Clonoulty’s day, but they couldn’t hold it. David Collins was the Drom saviour with a pair of goals. The first was cheaply conceded as goalie and defender were indecisive when a Cormac Fitzpatrick lob dropped in. They seemed to wait for the ball to bounce wide, allowing David Collins to flick home.

The second was even more damaging because it gave Drom the lead in the 57th minute. And worse followed. Within a minute substitute Paudie Kinnane had the ball in Clonoulty’s net again as the West side went five-down with time almost up. Defensive frailty cost them heavily.

There was still some drama left in the match, however. Clonoulty got the lead back to three points but there were four between them when they were awarded a twenty-metre free in the fourth minute of injury time. Once again Stephen Ferncombe stepped up to blast to the net. However, time ran out on Clonoulty, who lost by the minimum at the end of a pulsating game.

Once again Stephen Ferncombe contributed a massive 2-16 of Clonoulty’s total. An incredible marksman, he seems to do this as a matter of routine. If he could bring more confidence and daring to his general play he’d have the complete package.
The problem for Clonoulty is their over-dependence on Stephen Ferncombe. It’s easy to see why they’ve played both Robert Doyle and Danny Slattery in the attack in recent years. And yet with both back defending on Sunday they still conceded a whopping 4-21.

As regards Drom, it should be remembered that they were only pipped by Loughmore by a late point and won their remaining group games against Lorrha and Brackens. They have an upcoming star in Cormac Fitzpatrick but still retain a core of older reliables. Johnny Ryan made a significant impact when introduced.

Toomevara got their expected win over Brackens, but only just. A tight, compressed game came down to a cliff-edge finish. Toome’ might have had goals from Adam Hall and Austin Duff but didn’t and just about got there when Shane Doyle hit the post with an injury-time penalty.

In a game of mistakes, both Darragh McCarthy and Shane Doyle missed the target on several attempts.The teams managed a mere three points apiece from open play in the second half.

Not a classic then but that won’t bother the Greyhounds, who will have Kevin McCarthy back from suspension for the quarter-final, which will be a repeat of last year’s decider.

Finally, St. Mary’s this week celebrate a hard-won county Under 19 triumph over Cashel KC after a controversial encounter. The physically stronger team stayed the course better, as they did in the semi-final win over Borris-Ileigh.

Cashel dominated the first half with Oisín O’Donoghue unmarkable at half forward and his brother, Brian, dominant in defence. The screw turned, however, in the second period when Oisín was crowded out of possession and Mary’s substitute, Dara Beckett, delivered the vital goal.

The King Cormacs fumed at the end. The free-count was 17-6 in Mary’s favour. Most of those 17 frees were legitimate but the problem was that Cashel weren’t getting similar calls.

It reminded me of the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final where Galway beat Tipperary by a single point after benefitting from a very lobsided free count. Paudie Maher afterwards claimed that they didn’t even get the 60/40 calls not to mention the 50/50 ones. Cashel now know the feeling.

Annoyance was understandable but offers no justification for the abuse of the official at the end. There may well be fallout.
It’s a pity the controversy shadows St Mary’s’ win. Once again, they showed incredible character to come from behind. Aaron Cagney was the individual star of the win but from David McSweeney in defence to Ben Fuller in attack there was much to admire about the entire Mary’s unit.

The bench press was again very impactful in such a tight game.

A decade ago, Mary’s did a minor double but there was little pay-off at senior level. Let’s hope this will be different.

Lastly, quarter-finals hog the limelight this coming weekend. The table-topping teams will be favourites but I wouldn’t go betting, even if Kilruane at 15/2 are attractive odds for the title.