Kilsheelan/Kilcash win back-to-back South Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championships

Kilsheelan/Kilcash 1-16 Carrick Davins 0-12

On Saturday last in Cahir the Martins Fruit and Veg South Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship Final was played before a handy attendance, and with the showers staying away it made for a good contest that lived up to its billing.

Davins, bringing all their experience, made it a close contest for 45 minutes.

However, the Kehoes, Mark and Barry, proved the difference between the teams, scoring 12 points between them for Kilsheelan.

Kilsheelan’s goal, which came from Jamie Roche following a great pass by Mark Kehoe, proved the icing on the cake.

Kilsheelan had solid performances from Kevin Guiry, Daire Brennan, Mark Stokes, Micheal Freaney, Martin Gibbs and Paul Maher.

For a gallant Davins, goalkeeper Stephen Cronin made some great saves while Jamie Houlihan, Ray Cooke, Michael Whelan, Lee Mackey, Mikey Ryan and Luke Faulkner played their hearts out.

However, the youth of Kilsheelan came to the fore in the final quarter, as they won their first back-to-back South Intermediate hurling titles.

Barry Kehoe received the John Quirke Jewellers award for man of the match, while Mark Kehoe, captain, received the Jerome O’Dwyer Cup from Seamus Mullins, South Board Chairman, to great applause.

The game was only a minute old when Michael Whelan scored a point from play. Davins were two up in the fourth minute when Lee Mackey converted a fifty metre free.

In a game played at a frantic, hard pace, Kilsheelan bounced back with three points in five minutes from frees, two from Barry Kehoe and a long range effort from Martin Gibbs.

Davins’ Lee Mackey made a great run and tied the game up with an excellent point from play. In the next two minutes Kilsheelan added two points, one from a free from 60 metres by Martin Gibbs and the second from Barry Kehoe following a great pass by Mark Stokes from 80 metres, which left the score Kilsheelan 0-5 Davins 0-3.

In the 13th minute Pa Harris pointed after a pass from Luke Faulkner and in the next two minutes Kilsheelan added two points, the first from Barry Kehoe from a free out on the touch line from 40 metres, with the second from Mark Kehoe, his first of the day, leaving the score at the end of the first quarter Kilsheelan 0-7 Davins 0-4.

We then had an exchange of points from Mikey Ryan (Davins) and Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan), who was starting to make his mark and show his inter-county senior form.

Davins’ Michael Whelan and Lee Mackey added points from play before Mark Kehoe picked off an excellent point when picked out by Barry Kehoe, to leave the score at the short whistle Kilsheelan/Kilcash 0-9 Carrick Davins 0-7.

On the resumption Kilsheelan introduced Eoin Kehoe for Paul Maher and within a minute Mark Kehoe took up where he left off with a point from play. In the next few minutes Davins had a point from Luke Faulkner that Mark Kehoe cancelled out from long range.

As the tit for tat scoring pattern continued, Ray Cooke scored a point after a great run up field ,with Barry Kehoe on target from a free from 20 metres. Then Michael Whelan added a fine point from play, leaving the score at the end of the third quarter Kilsheelan 0-12 Davins 0-10.

But then the whole game changed when Mark Kehoe won a loose ball in the middle of the field and took off on a run goalwards. Drawing out the backs, he passed to the unmarked Jamie Roche, who made no mistake in burying the ball in the net. The Davins puckout went astray and Mark Kehoe made no mistake in scoring a point, putting Kilsheelan very much in the driving seat.

From there to the end it was score for score. The first was a Luke Faulkner point from a free, with Mark Kehoe replying with one from play.

Then Brandon Sullivan pointed from play, with Michael Freaney scoring the best point of the day from play, with the final score of the game a point from play by Barry Kehoe.

This game was good preparation for both teams when they go forward to the county championship, which will start in the next two weeks.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Tadhg Lonergan, Kevin Guiry, Daire Brennan, Sean Ryan, Emmet Butler, Mark Stokes, Jason Madigan, Michael Freaney 0-1, Tommy O’ Connor, Martin Gibbs 0-3 frees, Mark Kehoe (captain) 0-7, Jamie Roche 1-0, Senan Butler, Paul Maher, Barry Kehoe 0-5 (2 frees).

Subs: Eoin Kehoe for Paul Maher (30 minutes), Billy Murphy for Jamie Roche (59 minutes).

Carrick Davins: Stephen Cronin, Brandon O’Sullivan 0-1, Adam Foran, Conor Corcoran, Jamie Houlihan, Ray Cooke 0-2, Aaron O’Halloran, Michael Whelan 0-4, Lee Mackey 0-3 (2 frees), Pa Harris 0-1, Mikey Ryan 0-1, Billy Roche, Conor Mackey, Willie O’Dwyer, Luke Faulkner 0-2 (1 free).

Subs: Conor O’Leary for Conor Corcoran (45 minutes), David Houlihan for Adam Foran (50 minutes).

Referee: Nigel Carrigan (Ballybacon/Grange).