Merciless Moneygall and Clonakenny combo romp home for county U19 hurling title victory

FBD Insurance County U19B Hurling Championship Final

Moneygall/Clonakenny 6-27 

Clonoulty Rossmore 0-8

By John O’Shea 

A new name was added to the FBD County U19B Hurling roll of honour as the Moneygall/Clonakenny combination won their first title, with a huge victory over West champions Clonoulty Rossmore at Templederry on Sunday.

READ NEXT: Tipperary will have a unique playoff match this weekend to determine representatives in Munster

With Storm Amy having abated overnight, a nicely sized crowd was treated to an exhibition of hurling by the North champions, who totally dominated the game from the throw-in. 

Two goals inside the opening nine minutes were the foundation for this very comprehensive victory, and really, by that stage, it was only a matter of how much the winning margin would be. 

They led by 2-9 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter, and a third major in added time before the half-time break pushed the lead out to 21 points.

Allowing for Clonoulty Rossmore having the benefit of the wind for the second period, there was still no way that anyone could envisage a comeback of any proportions, given the overall superiority of the opposition. 

Moneygall/Clonakenny took up where they left off after the restart and pushed on, with Tadhg Whyte beginning to exert a big influence on the game. To compound matters, Clonoulty Rossmore lost the services of goalkeeper Gavin Ryan (Lanty) after 40 minutes through injury, and he was replaced by Lorcan Kennedy. 

The final quarter was all about Tadhg Whyte, who hit 3-1 in the final ten minutes of play, as he gave a man-of-the-match performance from the edge of the square.

In a one-sided game that had been played in a good sporting fashion, without any rancour, Clonoulty Rossmore finished with 13 players following an altercation between a number of players in added time.

Moneygall Clonakenny won the toss and defended the dressing room end for the opening 30 minutes. They attacked from the throw-in and set out their stall with their opening move. Eoghan Doughan got the scoreboard moving after 90 seconds from a placed ball and had doubled his account a minute later. 

Clonoulty cut the deficit to a minimum on four minutes when Alex Carroll converted a free from the open side. Unfortunately for the West side, this was as close as they would get as the combination forwards got into motion. 

Doughan converted his second-placed ball before blasting to the Clonoulty net after being put through by Cian Ryan. Two minutes later, Dylan Sayers raised a second major to go eight points up.

At this early stage, the writing was on the wall for the West champions as they failed to get up to the pitch of the game, while Moneygall Clonakenny won every battle, most significantly in attack, where Dylan Sayers, Eoghan Doughan and Tadhg Whyte were dictating. They hit six minors on the bounce before Alex Carroll pulled one back for Clonoulty at the end of the first quarter.

The trend continued over the next 15 minutes as they hit 1-6 to Clonoulty’s single point from an Alex Carroll free, the goal coming from the stick of Tadhg Whyte when he latched onto a long delivery from Eoghan Doughan before blasting to the top of the net. 

After the restart, the North side continued to produce the goods and had stretched their advantage out to 24 points by the end of the third quarter.

With the game well and truly over, both sides brought on their quota of substitutes as Tadhg Whyte put on an exhibition of forward play, hitting three goals in that period.

This was a huge victory for Moneygall Clonakenny in winning their first title in the grade. They won all the major battles, had many leaders, but it was their attack who shone throughout. Clonoulty Rossmore never threw in the towel and battled right to the finish against a much superior opposition on the day.

After the game, County Board chairman Jimmy Minogue presented the cup to the winning captain, Cian Ryan.

Scorers: Moneygal/Clonakenny: Tadgh Whyte (4-7, 0-1f), Eoghan Doughan (1-11, 0-8f), Dylan Sayers 1-2, Sean Stapleton 0-3, Tim Cleary, Brian Toohey, Cormac Hoolan, Andrew Murray all 0-1 each.

Clonoulty Rossmore: Alex Carroll (0-3, 0-2f), Ryan O’Keeffe 0-2f, Shay Carroll, Alex Fryday 0-1 each, Conor Kennedy 0-1f.

Moneygall/Clonakenny: Paddy McCormack; Alex Gleeson, Adam O’Brien, Joe Stapleton; Brian Toohey, Shay Gleeson, Sean Maher; Cormac Hoolan, Dylan Sayers; Sean Stapleton, Eoghan Doughan, Tim Cleary; Oisín O’Dwyer, Tadgh Whyte, Cian Ryan.

Subs used: Jamie Keeshan for Hoolan (temp sub, 22); Oisín Hayes for Seán Maher (48); Sam Carey for Cleary (48); Andrew Murray for B Toohey (48); Killian Toohey for Sayers (50); Darragh Ryan for A Gleeson (50).

Clonoulty Rossmore: Gavin Ryan (Lanty); Luke O’Neill, James Murphy, Mark Kinane; Ryan O’Keeffe, Jack Heffernan, Shane Davern; Danny O’Keeffe, Robert Ryan; Kaelem Maher, Conor Kennedy, Frank O’Dwyer; Shay Carroll, Alex Carroll, Seamus Kennedy.

Subs used: Michael Ryan for Kinane (15); Lorcan Kennedy for Ryan (Lanty) (40, inj); Charlie Ryan for Murphy (47); Alex Fryday for D O’Keeffe (51); Michael Kinane for F O’Dwyer (51).

Referee: Shane O’Neill (St. Mary’s)

READ NEXT: Three red cards sours otherwise brilliant decider as Silvermines win extra time North final