John O’Shea at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty
Cashel King Cormacs are the inaugural winners of the Shane Hennessy Agri Advisor 2024 West Premier Junior Football championship following their two point victory over Sean Treacys at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty on Saturday evening last.
Played before a small crowd on a dry but cold evening, on a surface that had recovered well from the previous week’s snow, this game had high entertainment value with both sides intent on playing attacking attractive football from the get go.
The sides were level on four occasions inside the opening twenty minutes, with never more than one point separating the teams.
A Davy Brennan goal after twenty-one minutes eventually put some light between the sides. The Cashel half back line of Conor O’Dwyer and the Bonner brothers, Conn and Ross kept things tight at the back while also the launchpad for several of their attacks.
They led by two at the break, 1.4 to 0.5 and were good value for this lead. After the restart, they pushed on and a Simon Delaney minor on thirty-nine minutes gave them a four-point cushion.
However, a well taken goal by Padraig O’Leary on the three-quarter mark ensured that this contest went down to the wire.
Devon Ryan kept the town side ticking over from placed balls and a point from open play with ten remaining, put them three up. The final ten minutes were full of drama with both sided reduced to fourteen, following the dismissal of Treacys Donnacha O’Brien to a black card and Devon Ryan a few minutes later for a similar offence.
Sean Treacys had a chance to tie the game on sixty minutes but a free from a very acute angle drifted wide of the upright, before Ronan Connolly wrapped the game up for the town side three minutes into added time with a converted free at the far end.
From the throw-in both sides were content to play attractive entertaining and attacking football and James Deegan opened the scoring with a point into the wind at the far end.
Devon Ryan had the sides level for the first time after four minutes when he kicked the first of his four points from placed balls after Davy Brennan was fouled.
Ross Bonner was winning a lot of ball around the middle third to set up good attacks but wayward shooting in attack ensured no movement on the scoreboard.
Padraig O’Leary found the target from around forty meters after being set up by James Deegan, but Davy McGrath had the sides back on level terms by the eleventh minute after jinking his way through the defence.
Padraig O’Leary kicked two minors from frees, either side of an Adrian Cummins point for Cashel before Cathal Quinn tied the game for the fourth time on nineteen minutes.
Cashel’s big break came nine minutes before the half time break when Davy Brennan beat Brian Hammersley with a low shot following a good move involving Davy McGrath and Conor O’Dwyer.
Sean Treacys had a chance to pull back a major when they were awarded a penalty, four minutes before the break, but Padraig O’Leary’s shot just skimmed over the cross bar with Gearoid Slattery beaten, leaving the half time score, Cashel KC 1.4, Sean Treacys 0.5.
After the restart both sides traded minors, Ronan Connolly finished off a move involving Kieran O’Dwyer and Ross Bonner, before Mattie Feehan replied for Treacys.
A Devon Ryan converted free and a point from open play by Simon Delaney eased Cashel’s advantage out to four by the thirty ninth minute. Sean Treacys upped their game and Padraig O’Leary, after a good forward build up beat Gearoid Slattery at the road end. This brought the game to life and ensured a nail-biting final quarter.
Devon Ryan kicked his third from out near the sideline at the stand side, but Pat Dawson cancelled within a minute. Devon Ryan again put three between the sides with two points inside ninety seconds, the first from a placed ball close-in and the second from open play, having been set up by Paddy Fahy.
With seven minutes of normal time remaining, Treacys were reduced to fourteen following the dismissal of Donnacha O’Brien to a black card. Gearoid Slattery came to Cashel’s rescue with a full stretch save from Pat Dawson at the expense of a forty-five.
This save certainly kept Cashel in the game at this vital stage. O’Leary then cut the deficit to two before Devon Ryan was black carded, three minutes from time.
O’Leary again from play put one between the sides and had a chance to bring the game to extra time, but his free from a very acute angle out on the sideline drifted wide of the upright.
From the kick-out Cashel attacked up field and Ronan Connolly added the insurance point from a free kick, three minutes into added time.
After the game West Board Chairman Andrew Fryday, accompanied by Sponsor Shane Hennessy, presented the John O’Gorman Cup to winning captain, Conn Bonner.
Scorers:
Cashel KC: Davy Brennan (1.0), Devon Ryan (0.5, 4 frees), Ronan Connolly (0.2, 1 free), Davy McGrath (0.1), Adrian Cummins (0.1), Cathal Quinn (0.1), Simon Delaney (0.1)
Sean Treacys: Padraig O’Leary (1.6, 3 frees), Pat Dawson (0.1), Mattie Feehan (0.1), James Deegan (0.1)
Teams:
Cashel K.C.: Gearoid Slattery, Colm Ryan, Nathan Ryan, Kieran O’Dwyer, Conn Bonner (Captain), Ross Bonner, Conor O’Dwyer, Cathal Quinn, Paddy Fahy, Devon Ryan, Adrian Cummins, Ronan Connolly, Davy McGrath, Davy Brennan, Simon Delaney
Subs used; Oisin Dwan for Adrian Cummins (44), Aidan Skeffington for Davy McGrath (57), Adrian Cummins for Simon Delaney (inj 59)
Sean Treacys: Brian Hammersley, Philip Deegan, Brian Nolan, Brendan O’Dwyer, Eoin Sheldon, Paul Nolan, Tommy O’Dwyer, Mikey Feehan, Mattie Feehan, Pat Deegan, Padraig O’Leary, Darragh Carr, Andy O’Brien, James Deegan (Captain), Pat Dawson
Subs used: Colm Kennedy for Eoin Sheldon (HT), Paddy Carey for James Deegan (39), Ian Fahy for Darragh Carr (50), Donnacha O’Brien for Andy O’Brien (50)
Referee: Paul Carew (Lattin Cullen)
