Kilsheelan Kilcash outclass their final opponent to clinch South U19B Hurling crown

South Tipperary U19B Hurling Championship Final

Kilsheelan Kilcash 1-21

St. Patrick’s 2-13

By Michael Heverin

A whirlwind second half by Kilsheelan/Kilcash, which matched the wintery conditions at times, swept them to a stunning five points victory over St Patrick’s in the South Tipperary U19B Hurling Championship Final at Monroe on Wednesday night last.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash trailed by four points at the break, 1-10 to 0-9, but outscored the holders bidding for three-in-a-row by 1-12 to 1-3 in a remarkable second-half display.

Inspired by the brilliant Tommy O’Connor, who scored 1-9 of his 1-10 total in the second thirty minutes, Kilsheelan totally disrupted St Patrick’s who had looked the better team in the first half.

With their full forward Charlie Noonan in outstanding form, and who finished with a 1-8 total, they looked sharper and more focused in that first half. Evan Holohan, Sean Nash, and Cormac Duggan were hurling well at the back, with William Cleere, Daithi Hogan, and Tom Ryan busy in attack. But they lost their way in the second half when they failed to match the intensity and energy levels of Kilsheelan.

Kilsheelan team captain O’Connor was an unstoppable force in that second half, mopping up any loose ball around midfield, converting seven points from frees and two from play, catching the St Patrick’s defence off-guard to hammer a free to net, and providing assists to his teammates.

The Kilsheelan attack was suddenly transformed, with Mikey Maguire and Michael Bates leading the Drangan/Cloneen defence a merry dance at times, and scoring four points between them, and Liam Freaney, Ru Kelly, Senan Butler, and Matthew Roche Nagle all in imperious form.

At the back, a defence that had struggled to contain St Patrick’s in the first half, were a different outfit in the second, with Lucas Sheil a powerhouse at center half back, and big displays also from Harry Roche Nagle and Conor O’Shea.

However, it was St Patrick’s who started on the front foot, going 0-4 to 0-1 ahead in nine minutes, with two pointed frees from Charlie Noonan, and points from play from William Cleere and Tom Ryan, to a Kilsheelan response from Michael Bates.

Kilsheelan wingback Liam Freaney then made his presence felt in the game, pointing two frees, and then after another Noonan free for St. Pat’s, he made it three in a row with a point from play, to make it 0-5 to 0-4 at the end of the first quarter. Matthew Roche Nagle drew Kilsheelan level for the first time before Senan Butler and Michael Bates put them two ahead.

As the wind and rain started to make life difficult for players, Charlie Noonan had no problems dealing with the conditions as he burst through the Kilsheelan cover to strike a great goal past Oisin O’Donoghue and restore his side’s lead, 1-5 to 0-7, after 20 minutes.

The sides shared the next four points, Noonan with two for St Patrick’s, one a free, and McGuire and a Tommy O’Connor free for Kilsheelan, before St Patrick’s ended the half stronger. They hit the last three of the half, from another Noonan free after Daithi Hogan had been fouled; Robbie Noonan, and Oran Gahan from a Daithi Hogan pass for a 1-10 to 0-9 half-time lead.

Tommy O’Connor took less than a minute to make his impact on the second half, pointing two frees on either side of a fine Mikey McGuire point to reduce the margin to three. All the traffic at this stage was towards the St Patrick’s goal, but in their first attack of the half, the holders burst through the Kilsheelan cover, with Oran Gahan setting up Daithi Hogan for a super goal, to push the lead out to four, 2-10 to 0-12.

But the Kilsheelan response was outstanding. They were first to virtually every ball as St Patrick’s lost all their first-half composure. O’Connor spearheaded the revival – indeed, he singlehandedly orchestrated it. 

Points from a free and open play from O’Connor, plus a lovely score from Mikey McGuire, brought the margin back to a single point, 2-10 to 0-15 before O’Connor was fouled in the 11th minute of the half after taking a pass from Senan Butler. As O’Connor stood over the free, he was expected to tie up the scores with another point, but instead saw a gap in the cover and hit a low drive to the net past Conor Brett for a lead that Kilsheelan/Kilcash were never again to lose.

Over the next two minutes, he pointed two further frees for a 1-17 to 2-10 lead entering the final quarter.  St Patrick’s scored their first point of the second half in the 16th minute when Noonan pointed a free following a foul on William Cleere, but it didn’t signal any improvement in their fortunes.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash hit back immediately when a foul on Matthew Roche Nagle saw O’Connor point another free. Daithi Hogan and O’Connor swapped points before another Noonan free, after he had been fouled himself, saw St Patrick’s narrow the gap to three points with over eight minutes still to play.

But as the Kilsheelan defence stood firm, St Patrick’s couldn’t get through for the scores they needed. Even Noonan was off target from a free when William Cleere was fouled. Kilsheelan were the stronger team in the closing minutes as the St Patrick’s challenge faded. 

A foul on Tadgh McGuire was brought closer to goal for dissent for O’Connor to tap over, and with the game two minutes into injury time, Mikey McGuire set up Tadgh McGuire for the game’s final score.

Kilsheelan Kilcash: Oisin O’Donoghue; Mark Ryan, Jack Norris, Harry Roche Nagle; Conor O’Shea, Lucas Sheil, Shane Cronin; Tommy O’Connor (1-10, 1-8f), Tadgh McGuire (0-2); Liam Freaney (0-3, 0-2f), Ru Kelly, Senan Butler (0-1); Matthew Roche Nagle (0-1), Mikey McGuire (0-3), Michael Bates (0-1). 

Subs used: Reuben Darcy for Michael Bates; Eoin Barry for Conor O’Shea.

St. Patricks: Conor Brett; Mike O’Dwyer, Evan Holohan, Cathal Keane; Sean Fitzgerald, Sean Nash, Cormac Duggan; Oran Gahan (0-1), Robbie Noonan (0-1); Danny Broderick, Wiliam Cleere (0-1), Finn Madigan; Daithi Hogan (1-1), Charlie Noonan (1-8, -0-7f), Tom Ryan (0-1). 

Subs used: Eoin Morrissey for Sean Fitzgerald.

Referee: Brian Tyrell (Clonmel Commercials)