Sarsfields and Kiladangan will hope to bring something different to county final replay in Tipperary

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Will it be Thurles Sarsfields’ 37th county crown on Sunday or Kiladangan’s second? The battle lines are drawn for our latest replay, something that is becoming quite a habit in recent years.

Sarsfields’ memories of replays won’t offer much encouragement to the present side. In 2021 Loughmore took them to a rematch where John McGrath orchestrated the winning free. Back in 2002 Mullinahone had their measure in a re-fixture and ten years earlier, in 1992, it was the turn of Toomevara to take full advantage of the second chance.

The club has to go back to its greatest era-ever for their only replay win. In 1965 an upcoming Carrick Davins team took them to a re-fixture when that generation of Sarsfields’ players enjoyed something of a last hurrah. They completed their second five-in-a-row in an eleven-year period.

For Davins it was a learning curve. They returned for two-in-a-row in 1966 and ’67, defeating Lorrha and Roscrea in the process. Golden moments for the south side.

Leaving the drawn final, one’s sense was that Sarsfields were the more disappointed team. They led for all bar a few minutes of the match but couldn’t close it out. Kiladangan clung on doggedly and got their reward with that monster point from Willie Connors.

Replays rarely follow the same trajectory as the drawn game. Teams become very familiar with each other and there’s often a different dynamic operating in the re-fixture. The side that learns most from the first day and brings something different for the replay usually wins.

Kiladangan will be encouraged by the return of Willie Connors. He’s working his way back to full match fitness after injury and got around forty minutes of play-time in the draw, where his influence was significant. With full health and fitness, he’s a major asset to the team, usually playing a free role where his anticipation is excellent.

Interestingly, if players played as numbered the last day, we would have had a direct match-up between Billy Seymour and Ronan Maher. However, it never happened because it wasn’t in the interest of either team. Kiladangan wouldn’t want one of their top forwards tied up in that clash and, of course, Sarsfields want Ronan Maher playing that sweeper role. Thus, their paths rarely crossed.

Ronan Maher has been Sarsfields’ main man throughout this campaign, sitting deep in front of his full back line and mopping up endless possession. Counteracting his influence isn’t easy, though I thought Kiladangan did somewhat better at the job in the second half the last day.

There’s no doubt these two sides are evenly matched. Interestingly some of the stats would suggest that Kiladangan are marginally better in some regards. Sarsfields have been goal-shy, hitting just six majors in seven games whereas Kiladangan notched eight in their six matches. On the points count Kiladangan’s figures are also better, averaging twenty four per game against Sarsfields’ twenty one.

With sweepers operating at either end and the teams evenly matched, shooting from distance tends to be the score option of choice. In that regard both teams are well endowed. The quality of some of the point-taking the last day was one of the best features of the match.

All starting forwards on both teams got on the score sheet, with some of the best individual efforts coming from the likes of Paul Flynn, Billy Seymour and Willie Connors for Kiladangan and Aidan McCormack, Darragh Stakelum and Stephen Cahill for Sarsfields.

Once again Sarsfields are the bookies’ fancy but I suspect Kiladangan will feel emboldened from the draw. This is an open case, where I’d be surprised if there’s much separating the sides at the end. It’s intriguing to anticipate.

Meanwhile, Lorrha’s hurling is on the upward swing after back-to-back county final wins have now taken them into Dan Breen territory. They were relegated to intermediate in 2021 but bounced back last year and have now added another bounce. It’s quite a story.

Their replay with Sarsfields on Saturday was a hugely entertaining contest that came down to the tightest of finishes. An early Cian Hogan goal gave the northerners initial advantage and when “Bonner” Maher snapped one from the air and finished their second it set up an interval advantage of 2-7 to 0-10.

It was a shaky start by Sarsfields but they didn’t go quietly. With Jack Lanigan excellent from frees and play, the mid side stormed back into the reckoning to eventually slip marginally ahead. Lorrha missed a few goal chances early in the second half but it was Sarsfields who were left regretting wides at the end.

Eventually it was a Cian Hogan point that proved the winner. Sarsfields’ substitute, Mikey O’Brien, had a late chance of a leveller from the right corner but was wide, though some were adamant afterwards that it took a deflection.

On balance Lorrha – they tend to pronounce it Lurrha – were physically stronger and more combative against a Sarsfields team that lost Michael Cahill to injury in the second half. He was seen clutching his thigh following a dash outfield in the first period and thereafter was clearly curtailed in his movement before being withdrawn.

The returning Brian Hogan was a big influence on events for Lorrha, as was Colm Fogarty from both frees and play. Cian Hogan’s 1-3 was a huge input to the victory.

I suspect some on the County Board were happy enough with the outcome because it would have presented a real conundrum if Sarsfields won. The club couldn’t have two senior sides, so would that mean just fifteen Dan Breen teams for 2024? Or would Upperchurch get a reprieve from their relegation? I think not, though nobody seemed sure about what exactly would happen. It’s a scenario that needs to be addressed in the by-laws ahead of next season.

Elsewhere, I watched the Limerick senior hurling semi-final between Na Piarsaigh and Doon on Saturday week last. It was an exciting game, with several members of John Kiely’s panel involved. The teams were level at the end of regulation time and again deadlocked following extra time. A penalty shootout then followed, with Na Piarsaigh winning four-three to advance to meet Patrickswell in the decider this Saturday.

To me it’s a totally unsatisfactory way to decide a game; you might as well draw lots. Yet this finish-on-the-day fashion has crept into all our sports, often with no logical reason behind it other than some committee doing a book-keeping exercise and wanting games completed.

A few weeks back I watched a county junior C ladies’ football final over in Solohead. Golden and Boherlahan finished level and were again tied after extra time. They were then put through a free-taking contest, which Golden won.

Think about it, this was a junior C final in early October, the last game of the year for these girls. There was no deadline to be met and yet they were put through this ridiculous finish-on-the-day protocol.

There were logical reasons why this method was introduced during Covid but now that the logic is gone there’s no sense in continuing with it, except in extreme situations where deadlines are looming. Wouldn’t it have made sense for Na Piarsaigh and Doon to replay their game last weekend ahead of the final this Saturday. The winners wouldn’t have the luxury of a fortnight’s break before the decider but I’m sure that’s an inconvenience Doon would love to be facing this week.

Finally, experimental rules are currently being trialled by third level freshers. These include Conor O’Donovan’s proposal on the hurling handpass. Initial reactions seem to be cautiously favourable, which is encouraging. What’s important here is that there’s no knee-jerk response either way, but rather allow teams to adapt before making any judgement. So far the vibes are positive.