Clonmel Óg crowned South Junior A Hurling champions after terrific dismissal of Cahir

Quirke Trophies South Junior A Hurling Championship Final

Clonmel Óg 2-15

Cahir 0-10

By Michael Heverin

Goals in either half, from Ciaran Barrett and Matty Norris, proved crucial for Clonmel Óg as they won their second divisional title in three years with a comprehensive and totally merited win over Cahir in the Quirke Trophies South Tipperary Junior Hurling Championship ‘A’ Final at Clonmel Sportsfield on Sunday.

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Clonmel Óg were sharper and slicker throughout, running at the Cahir defence with intent and purpose, and taking the chances that their clever play created.

Their attack proved too hot to handle for Cahir, with both Ciaran Barrett and Matty Norris scoring 1-1 from play, but their real playmaker was the outstanding Jamal Yousif.

He scored 0-3 from play, was involved in most of their threatening attacks, and late in the game was back in defence restricting any Cahir attacking options. He was a popular choice as Man of the Match.

Dean Kelleher and Conor Arrigan put in huge shifts at midfield as the Clonmel side dominated the centre, with Shane O’Connor and Darragh Kearney rock-solid in the pivotal fullback and centreback positions.

Cahir struggled to make the game a real contest. They never led and were level only once, after two minutes when Dean Kelleher and Cahir’s Dylan Butler traded the first two scores. Missing Craig Guiry, who got married earlier in the week, weakened their options upfront, with an over-reliance on Dylan Butler from play and placed balls.

Cahir were also hampered by significant injuries during the game that impacted their performance. Centreback Oisín Maher received an injury to his face in an incident when Clonmel Óg scored their first goal in the 11th minute. He was off the field for over ten minutes receiving treatment before coming back on, and was later withdrawn permanently in the second half. They also lost Ciaran Condon after eighteen minutes when he pulled up holding his thigh, to be replaced by Conor O’Brien.

Following the early exchange of points – Kelleher had opened the scoring after just seventeen seconds, following good work from team captain Derry Phelan and TJ Quigley, with Dylan Butler’s response coming two minutes later - Cahir took control with 1-2 without reply.

Mikey Jones from a free restored their lead and Matty Norris set up Conor Arrigan for their third. Then in the 11th minute Ciaran Barrett shot home their first goal after two earlier attempts on goal had been foiled by resolute Cahir defence, with Oisín Maher picking up his injury during the rearguard action.

Dylan Butler had Cahir’s second point of the game in the next move and then their goalkeeper Brian Sweeney had to be alert to deny the Clonmel side their second goal. Ciaran Barrett had gathered brilliantly from a free into the danger area but Sweeney pulled off a superb save from Barrett’s shot at the expense of a 65 that Barrett converted.

Jamal Yousif followed up with his first point of the game to extend the lead to six, 1-5 to 0-2, midway through the half.

Cahir hit back with two in a row, from a Colin McEniry free and their best score of the game, with Dylan Butler setting up Stephen Grogan for a superb point. That was in the 22nd minute and it was their last score of the half.

Clonmel Óg regained the initiative with the next three points for a 1-8 to 0-4 interval lead – from Yousif, a Barrett free and Norris from a Kelleher assist. Cahir had their chances but their accuracy was less than perfect on the day.

Barrett from a free extended the Óg lead four minutes into the second half, but Cahir hadn’t given up the fight and hit back with two on the bounce, from a Butler free after he had been fouled himself, and a Brian Sweeney 65.

Aaron Arrigan pointed for Clonmel Óg when he picked up a clearance after a Barrett shot had been saved, before Butler hit back for Cahir when taking a pass from Kevin Grogan.

But then midway through the half, Clonmel Óg took control of the game. Yousif burst through the centre without a challenge to point in the 45th minute, and a minute later their second goal ended the game as a contest. A Mikey Jones free was only partially cleared and the alert Matty Norris picked up the loose ball to beat Sweeney in the Cahir goal. Barrett then pointed a free to put the Clonmel side 2-12 to 0-7 ahead with just ten minutes to go.

With the cup looking certain to make the short journey to Ned Hall Park on the by-pass, the sides shared the last six points as the game edged towards its inevitable conclusion – Barrett with two for Clonmel Óg, one a free, and a fine Niall O’Connor score, and Butler with two for Cahir, one a free, and the other from Ger Quinn.

It was a complete team performance from the winners that will please manager John Crotty - strong at the back, industrious around the centre, and lethal in attack when the chances came, with Jamal Yousif, Ciaran Barrett and Matty Norris proving particularly effective.

Cahir will know it wasn’t their best performance, but the absence of Craig Guiry, and the first half injuries to Oisín Maher and Ciaran Condon proved disruptive, but they couldn’t have asked more of Dylan Butler, Colin McEniry, Eoin Wyse and Stephen Grogan.

Clonmel Óg: Michael Muldoon; Derry Phelan, Shane O’Connor, Brandon Landers; Mikey Jones (0-1f), Darragh Kearney, Graham Quinn; Dean Kelleher (0-1), Conor Arrigan (0-1); TJ Quigley, Aaron Arrigan (0-1), Jamal Yousif (0-3); Matty Norris (1-1), Ciaran Barrett (1-6, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Niall O’Connor (0-1). 

Subs used: Luke Hannigan for Brandon Landers; Jack Dillon for Derry Phelan; Fabian Kerton for TJ Quigley; Sean Barrett for Darragh Kearney; Karl Kearney for Aaron Arrigan.

Cahir: Brian Sweeney (0-1 65); Jesse Kiely, Eoghan Kelly, Eoin Donaghy; Eoin Wyse, Oisín Maher, Patrick Meehan; Stephen Grogan (0-1), Ian Flannery; Ciaran Condon, Dylan Butler (0-6, 0-2f), Colin McEniry (0-1f); Ger Quinn (0-1), Kevin Grogan, Nicholas Reidy. 

Subs used: Conor O’Brien for Ciaran Condon; Jake Kiely for Oisín Maher; Tom Delaney for Conor O’Brien; Evan O’Regan for Nicholas Reidy; James Walsh for Eoin Donaghy.

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle)

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