Another county final goes the distance as Thurles Sarsfields and Kiladangan draw in senior final

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship Final 

Thurles Sarsfields 0-22

Kiladangan 1-19

The weekend of county finals had its second stalemate as Thurles Sarsfields and Kiladangan couldn’t be separated after a pulsating and incredibly tight FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship final in FBD Semple Stadium as they must get ready to do battle again in next weekend’s replay.

The teams were level no fewer than 13 times in the game and that statistic as much as anything speaks for how evenly matched these two teams were on the day and really, a draw was the correct result on the balance of play.

Sarsfields made small bursts for the finish line a few times in the second half, in particular in around the three-quarter mark as they took a 0-16 to 0-13 as Sarsfields were asking all the questions, but Sean Hayes’ lung-busting run a minute after that gave Paul Flynn the opportunity for goal, and the former Tipp senior hurler finished in typically clinical fashion to give new life to the Kiladangan effort.

Alas, the sides both found unreal scores at various points over the last quarter in an effort to break the stalemate but the last act of the game came from Willie Connors unbelievable point from range as it levelled the game for the final time and meant another match will be required to find a winner.

We were blessed with the weather in Semple Stadium and it was perfect for the players on the field, and it showed in the first half with some really sharp hurling unfolding; if lacking in a bit of malice and physical intensity you would associate with the senior decider over the years.

Early exchanges of scores set the tone for the first 30 minutes with Conor Stakelum and Andy Loughnane finding the target first for their teams, as the match-ups around the pitch made for interesting viewing.

Kiladangan looked hellbent on avoiding Ronan Maher and the same was true of Thurles going the other direction as Alan Flynn moved to centre-back to play the spare man role, but what it did do was create plenty of space in front of the half-back line and midfield for the teams to exploit, with the sides deadlocked at 0-3 apiece after ten minutes with Billy McCarthy hitting his first before Aidan McCormack followed suit from a placed ball for Thurles; Paul Flynn and Sean Hayes settling down early themselves as they provided the Kiladangan scores in that time.

Thurles were using the ball that bit better in the first quarter and they deservedly went 0-6 to 0-4 in front by the 15-minute mark as three points in succession from Eoin Purcell, Aidan McCormack (free), and a first for Darragh Stakelum who was being picked up tightly by David Sweeney.

It was Stakelum’s first clean possession and between himself and Eoin Purcell he was causing issues after that, with Purcell in particular causing John O’Meara issues, but the north side responded well with the next two scores, first from a booming Alan Flynn point along with a very first from Billy Seymour who had yet even to touch the ball in open play.

Likewise for Sarsfields, Stephen Cahill’s influence had been minimal to that point but he finally got in on the scoring act with a 16th-minute score, but on the other side of the coin, Billy Seymour made an impact then in the next two minutes with a brilliant puck out catch to set up Sean Hayes for his second

, before adding his second from a huge free to level the game at 0-7 apiece after 18 minutes of play.

Thurles spurned a massive goal chance on the 20-minute mark when Eoin Purcell ran through on goal and with Paddy Creedon across the square he completely flapped at the hand pass as the ball dribbled harmlessly wide to let Kiladangan off lightly.

The second quarter was loose for the most part with the sides unwilling to give up short puckouts as Barry Hogan and Paddy McCormack pilfered points due to their restarts to midfield.

Kiladangan were starting to hit the heights they are capable of and they got some huge scores in the final ten minutes of the half, the first coming from an absolute major from Joe Gallagher before Paul Flynn showed an unreal first touch to feed Decky McGrath for a score from the 65; Kiladangan’s gander firmly up now.

But it was Sarsfields who finished the last five minutes of the half strongest with Stephen Cahill’s booming point, along with a few Aidan McCormack frees sending Sarsfields in at the break ahead by just one point at 0-11 to 0-10. All to play for in the second half with very little between the teams as expected.

The half began in a similar fashion to the first as the sides link up play was exquisite but the lack of physicality was notable and it allowed the teams to connect that bit easier, and it was Darragh Stakelum who hit the first of the half within the first two minutes.

Aidan McCormack and Billy Seymour were faultless all game from placed balls and both hit a few points in the next few minutes but Sean Hayes was finding his way into the game in a big way now, carrying a possession from deep to burn past Ronan Maher and fire over his third of the day to make it 0-13 apiece after 38 minutes.

Sarsfields though looked the more composed team as the nitty gritty was starting to come into focus and they hit a mini spurt of scores through Darragh Stakelum, Stephen Cahill, and another McCormack free to take a three-point lead going into the final quarter.

Kiladangan were starting to look vulnerable but the big score they needed game on the 45-minute mark, again it was Sean Hayes with a powerful run, burning past a few Sars’ defenders and when he dished out a hand pass to Paul Flynn close to goal, the inevitable outcome came as the former Tipp hurler buried his effort low past Paddy McCormack. Level again!

That rejuvenated the Kiladangan effort and they promptly took the lead in the next five minutes with Flynn again proving too hot to handle for Paul Maher as he fired over an inspirational point from the sideline, but in fairness to Thurles, they didn’t get fazed and notched the next three points in as many minutes from a brace of Aidan McCormack scores and a good point from Seanie Butler to push them out to two points ahead.

Five minutes remained and still, Kiladangan continued to land their blows and Paul Flynn again was on target again before a Billy Seymour point had the sides level again, and from here it felt as though it was inevitable that the sides would not leave with a win, and that’s how it transpired.

Conor Stakelum had Sars in front again two minutes from time, but Billy Seymour found the score of the day under real pressure from the sideline to once again level the game, and despite an Aidan McCormack free asking the question of Kiladangan going into added time, Willie Connors stepped up to the mark with a massive equalizing score from nearly 90 yards out to send this fixture to a replay next weekend.

Scorers: Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan McCormack (0-11, 0-7f, 0-2 65s); Stephen Cahill 0-3; Darragh Stakelum 0-3; Conor Stakelum 0-2; Eoin Purcell 0-1, Billy McCarthy 0-1; Seanie Butler 0-1.

Kiladangan: Billy Seymour (0-7, 0-6f); Paul Flynn 1-3; Sean Hayes 0-3; Joe Gallagher 0-1; Alan Flynn 0-1; Decky McGrath 0-1; Dan O’Meara 0-1; Andy Loughnane 0-1; Willie Connors 0-1.

Thurles Sarsfields: Paddy McCormack; Paul Maher, Denis Maher, Stephen Maher; James Armstrong, Ronan Maher, Michael Purcell; Stephen Cahill, Cathal Moloney; Billy McCarthy, Conor Stakelum, Paddy Creedon; Darragh Stakelum, Aidan McCormack, Eoin Purcell.

Subs used: Seanie Butler for B McCarthy (47); David Corbett for Creedon (54).

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; David Sweeney, James Quigley, John O’Meara; Fergal Hayes, Alan Flynn, Joe Gallagher; Decky McGrath, Tadhg Gallagher; Paul Flynn, Andy Loughnane, Billy Seymour; Sean Hayes, Dan O’Meara, Bryan McLougney.

Subs used: Willie Connors for J O’Meara (21); Conor Byrne for Loughnane (48); Eoghan Sharkey for Hayes (54).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle)