Eoin Kelly shines for Mullinahone yet again but in goals this time!

Eoin Kelly once more proved himself one of the best club hurlers in Tipperary, if not in Ireland, when he played a pivotal role as goalkeeper for his club Mullinahone as they beat Nenagh Eire Og 2-21 to 1-16 to secure a place in the Dan Breen Cup championship quarter-finals.

He made a vital reflex save from close range in the first half to deny Nenagh a certain goal while also striking over a long range free from near his own goals. Hitting pin point puckouts all afternoon, the hurling legend also struck a second half penalty.

The south team led by eight points at the break but pre match favourites Nenagh, who had three players sent off in the second half, fought back to bring it to a one score game.

At this point Nenagh were pressing but Mullinahone stayed in the game long enough to get a break. When Mullinahone were awarded a penalty, the 2010 All-Ireland winning captain stepped up from minding his own goals to score one at the other end and put his team six points up.

After the game, the Clubber TV man of the match Eoin Kelly said it was all for the glory of the village: "It's a win for a small little club just hoping to keep going for the next couple of years. That's where it is. We're trying to develop.

"We came here today to win. When the game started, we realised Nenagh were missing couple of players. We were prepared that they'd come with everybody.

"Then they had one or two men sent off. There was a strong breeze there that we had in the first half, they clawed their way back into the game. It's unfortunate that they lost a couple of players. Their discipline, they'll look at it as it let them down.

"I'm delighted for Jack Shelly, our player-manager, who took us on this year when nobody really wanted it. He's after proving everyone wrong, even maybe within the club, and further afield that we've got ourselves into a quarter-final."

Others to shine for Mullinahone included Sean Curran and Mikey O'Shea but the experience and cleverness of Kelly with pin point puckouts proved vital for Mullinahone once more as they turned the tables on the red hot favourites.

Despite being without star defender Conor Whelan who was absent due to an appendix operation, Mullinahone are now through to the knock out stage of the Tipperary hurling championship once again. 

You can watch the post match interview here as well as watching the inspiring long range first half point struck by Eoin Kelly: 

LISTEN

"Lads saying last night watching Clubber, Tipperary have got it right! It's a very exciting Championship!"

We caught up with Eoin Kelly yesterday after a massive performance by himself and a massive win for Mullinahone.

Full game available on https://t.co/8RTIDVIpju pic.twitter.com/GmZgTiY4J2

— Clubber (@clubber) August 28, 2023

The Mullinahone goalkeeper scored a penalty for his club on Sunday afternoon and also chipped in with this unbelievable point from a free out:

Class is permanent @mullinahonegaa Eoin Kelly scoring from inside his own 45 yesterday.

One of the best to ever do it did it again yesterday as he picked up the #Clubber MOTM

Full game available here https://t.co/8RTIDVIpju pic.twitter.com/ZrpH3fUuyj

— Clubber (@clubber) August 28, 2023