Clonoulty Rossmore dominate the second half to avoid relegation at Templederry's expense

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship - Group 4 - Round 3

Clonoulty Rossmore 3-23 

Templederry Kenyons 1-20

John O’Shea at The Ragg

Clonoulty Rossmore got the better of Templederry Kenyons in this bottom-of-the-table clash in the FBD Senior Hurling Championship Round 3, Group 4 game at the Ragg on Sunday. 

Templederry, aided by a strong breeze which was blowing intermittently, laid down a marker from the throw-in while attacking the road goal in the opening half.  

They attacked from the start with Sean Ryan getting the scoreboard moving inside the first minute. Following two Clonoulty points, Colm Murray split the defence, forcing Jason O’Dwyer into a save at the expense of a sixty five. 

The opening ten minutes were even enough before Templederry eased into a two-point advantage. Clonoulty then got their first break, following a Cathal Bourke run at the defence when Robert Doyle goaled from close-in. 

The North side were causing problems in attack, with Sean and Gearoid Ryan, particularly influential. On the quarter-hour mark, Jason O’Dwyer again came to the rescue, with a top-class save from Sean Ryan. 

Templederry were taking the game to their opponents, were winning a lot of possession but were not transferring this possession onto the scoreboard due to wayward shooting from both open play and placed balls. Clonoulty certainly were the happier side as led at the break by the minimum, 1-9 to 0-11.

With the aid of the breeze for the second period, Clonoulty would be expected to push on but it was Templederry who took control from the restart. With the sides on level terms six minutes after the break, the West side were rocked back by a Padraic O’Leary goal, following an unforced error in their defence. 

This served as a wake-up call and they responded in a positive fashion, hitting the next five points in a four minute spell. Robert Doyle then hit goal number two following a defence-splitting run from out at the stand side. 

This goal really knocked back Templederry, from which they never recovered, as Clonoulty dictated the remainder of the game, with Mikey Ryan (Winnie) putting in a storming finish and Stephen Ferncombe adding a third goal two minutes from time. 

In the end, the West side ran out easy winners, but not before they encountered strong resistance for the opening 45 minutes.

Templederry, playing with the aid of the breeze, were quickly off the mark when Sean Ryan fired over within forty seconds. Two minutes later, Stephen Ferncombe had the West side back on level terms from a placed ball, before Enda Heffernan landed a huge point from well inside his half. 

Templederry were taking the game to Clonoulty and Colm Murray split open their defence, only to have Jason O’Dwyer save well at the expense of a 65. Murray brought the sides back on level terms from the resulting free, before Jack Ryan opened his account from out around the half way line.

The wind gave way to light rain for the next fifteen minutes, but this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm on the pitch. Sean Ryan was drifting out around midfield and his play was telling. He won a Clonoulty puck out and split the posts from 60 meters and then capitalised when they coughed up possession to strike his third minor in ten minutes.

Eanna Murray and Gearoid Ryan added two more, either side of a Robert Doyle point at the far end, as the game switched from end to end. 

Clonoulty’s opening goal came on 13 minutes when Cathal Bourke, who was quiet up this, raced through from midfield and with a deft pass set up Robert Doyle who beat McCutcheon with a low shot to the corner. Mikey Ryan (Winnie) was beginning to cause problems for the inside line of defence and he found Stephen Ferncombe who put two between the sides.

On the quarter hour, Jason O’Dwyer again saved his side, this time keeping Sean Ryan’s goal-bound shot at bay. Colm Murray hit his second from a placed ball, but Robert Doyle cancelled out at the other end. 

Gearoid Ryan hit his second of the half to cut the deficit to the minimum, but Jack Ryan and Danny Slattery eased the West side out to a three-point advantage, with four minutes of normal time remaining. 

Templederry, who had been guilty of wayward shooting earlier, finished the half with a flurry. Eanna Murray and Stephen Ferncombe traded scores while Colm Murray hit two late frees, leaving just one between the sides, 1-9 to 0-11, as Peter Carroll sounded the half-time whistle.

Clonoulty were certainly the happier side at the break, as Templederry failed to take advantage of their overall possession during the opening thirty minutes, putting some good chances outside the posts from favourable positions.

The Kenyons were quickly into action after the restart, with Colm Murray equalising inside the opening minute from a placed ball. Ferncombe and Murray then exchanged minors before Clonoulty were rocked back with a goal from substitute Padraic O’Leary when he capitalised on an unforced error in the defence. 

This goal put his side three up after 36 minutes, but from that point on, Clonoulty dictated the terms of engagement. They upped the intensity and played more direct ball out of defence, where John O’Keefe showed all of his experience. Their forwards worked really hard with Mikey Ryan (Winnie) leading by example. 

He started the comeback when he came outfield, won a dirty ball, turned and split the posts. This score lifted Clonoulty and scores followed thick and fast, with two from Stephen Ferncombe and one each from Thomas Butler and Cathal Bourke, all inside four minutes. 

Their second goal was a thing of beauty. Robert Doyle picked up a breaking ball out at the stand side, around midfield, and his searing run cut open the defence before crashing a low unstoppable shot to the far corner of McCutcheon’s net. They were now six to the good as the game entered the final quarter.

Templederry tried hard to get back into the game during the final quarter and never gave up. The goal they needed never materialised. Sean Ryan put over a close-in free while Colm Murray was on target following good work by Padraic O’Leary, but Clonoulty’s experience came to the fore and Mikey Ryan (Winnie) found a new lease of life. 

He scored three great points, drew a couple of frees and was instrumental in the build-up to Stephen Ferncombe’s late goal. Sean Ryan put over two points in quick succession before retiring late on with a leg injury, while Colm Murray was also on the mark.

Clonoulty Rossmore finished the group in third place, their season over, while Templederry now go into the relegation semi-finals.

Clonoulty Rossmore: Jason O’Dwyer; Donnchadh Quirke, Ronan Heffernan, Jimmy Ryan (Con); Sean O’Connor, Enda Heffernan (0-1), John O’Keeffe; Nathan Slattery, Danny Slattery (0-1); Jack Ryan (0-3), Stephen Ferncombe (1-8, 0-7f), Cathal Bourke (0-4); Mikey Ryan Winnie (0-4), Thomas Butler (0-1), Robert Doyle (2-1). 

Subs used: Jimmy Maher for Thomas Butler (46), Aidan Loughman for Nathan Slattery (51), Ciarán  Quirke for Danny Slattery (56).

Templederry Kenyons; Tim McCutcheon; Liam McCutcheon, Chris Coughlan, Dale Donnelly; Darragh Carey, Adrian Ryan, Tom Stapleton; Pio Kennedy, Cillian Kennedy; Colm Murray (0-9, 0-7f), Gearoid Ryan (0-2), Sean Ryan (0-6, 0-5f); Mikie Ryan, Eanna Murray (0-3), Sean Collins. 

Subs used: Paidi Ryan for Adrian (18); Padraic O’Leary (1-0) for Cillian Kennedy (HT); Padraig Hogan for Eanna Murray (54); Conor Looby for Sean Ryan (59, inj); Cathal O’Brien for Sean Collins (60).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)