Killenaule get the better of Cahir in Tipperary senior football championship

Killenaule 2-13 Cahir 1-8

Killenaule reignited their campaign with a thoroughly deserved eight-points win over Cahir in this FDB Insurance County Senior Football Championship group 1, round 2 game at Fethard on Sunday.
Both sides had lost their opening encounter and a win here was vital to maintain an interest in coming out of the group, and it was Killenaule who showed the greater intensity, drive and attacking flair to claim the points.
Central to their win was county hurling star John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, who gave a master class in kick-passing. He not only scored a great goal but had numerous assists in other scores, finding better placed team-mates with inch-perfect passes.
An injury to county player Paudie Feehan just four minutes into the second half saw his withdrawal and that could have derailed the Killenaule effort when their lead was a single point, 1-7 to 1-6.
But instead they kicked on in impressive fashion, with Jack Hassett, Killian O’Dwyer, Tom Stakelum, Joe O’Dwyer, ‘Bubbles’ and sub Eoin Barry all outstanding, as they outscored Cahir 1-6 to 0-2 to the finish.
All but one of the Cahir scores came from play but unfortunately for them there weren’t enough of them to trouble Killenaule. Ger Quinn and Jack Buckley put in huge performances with three points each but they hadn’t enough support upfront. They were resolute in defence, with club stalwart Robbie Costigan to the fore and Eddie Kendrick put in a big shift at midfield.
Clonoulty/Rossmore and Tipperary hurler Dillon Quirke was remembered before the game with a minute’s silence and the two number 11 jerseys placed on the pitch.
The game was only a minute old when a superb ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer pass found Eoin Shaw in space and he provided the final pass to Michael Doyle for the game’s opening score. But the lead lasted less than thirty seconds, when an immediate response from Cahir saw Jack Buckley race down the right wing and pass across goal for Sean O’Connor to palm to the net.
Buckley was proving to be the target man for the Cahir attacks and he added a point before Ian Flannery made it 1-2 to 0-1 after just three minutes. But the Killenaule response was decisive and impressive, with a good move opening the Cahir defence and ‘Bubbles’ finishing sweetly to the net. Johnny Gleeson pointed to level it at 1-2 each and that remained the score until the water break.

Moyle Rovers make it two wins from two in Tipperary senior football championship

Powerstown/Lisronagh team hold off stern challenge from Rockwell Rovers

Killenaule were sharper on the resumption, with Shaw pointing from a ‘Bubbles’ free and Michael Doyle pointing a free. Sean O’Connor replied for Cahir with a great score but another Doyle free had them 1-5 to 1-3 ahead with seven minutes remaining to half-time. Cahir got back on level terms with two superb scores from Ger Quinn but Killenaule edged it at half-time with another Doyle free following a foul on Dean O’Connor, after he gathered a pass from ‘Bubbles’.
With his third point in a row, Ger Quinn tied up the score just 15 seconds into the second half but Cahir were to add just two more points for the remaining thirty minutes.
It was The Robins who grabbed the initiative with a brand of expansive and attack-minded football that won its reward.
After great work down the standside touchline by Tom Stakelum, Michael Doyle restored the lead that they were not to relinquish again. Following a collision with a Cahir player, Paudie Feehan had to leave the field but his replacement Eoin Barry came on to give a great display and the Killenaule momentum wasn’t impacted.
Temperatures were rising and tempers fraying in the extremely warm conditions – over the hour, referee Brian Tyrrell issued ten yellow cards, seven to Cahir and three to Killenaule – but it was Killenaule who kicked on. Two points from Joe O’Dwyer, one a free, and another free from Michael Doyle pushed their lead out to four, 1-10 to 1-6, at the second water break.
‘Bubbles’ might have been through for another goal just before the break, as he burst through the centre and wasn’t pleased when referee Tyrrell didn’t play advantage after he had been fouled.
Jack Buckley reduced the margin from a mark immediately after the break but it was just a slight interruption to the Killenaule pressure. Shaw pointed after great work from Stakelum and Liam Meagher and Joe O’Dwyer pointed two frees to push the lead out to six, 1-13 to 1-7, with eight minutes to go.
Another Buckley point showed there was still some fight in Cahir but it was finally extinguished when Ciaran O’Dwyer put Joe O’Dwyer through on goal and he wrapped up the game and the two vital points with a well-placed shot past Aaron Wall.
Killenaule: David McCormack, Jack Hassett, Jimmy Feehan, Dean O’Connor, Liam Meagher, Killian O’Dwyer, Ciaran O’Dwyer, Tom Stakelum, Paudie Feehan, Joe O’Dwyer 1-4, 0-3 frees; John O’Dwyer 1-0; Johnny Gleeson 0-1; Darragh Fitzgerald, Michael Doyle 0-6, 4 frees; Eoin Shaw 0-2.
Subs: Eoin Barry for Paudie Feehan, Cian Johnson-Croke for Doyle, Mark Heffernan for Gleeson, Denis Fogarty for O’Connor, Eoin O’Connell for Darragh Fitzgerald.
Cahir: Aaron Wall, Nicholas Reidy, Robbie Costigan, Gerald Halley, Ciaran Condon, Eoin Wyse, Eanna Heffernan, Eddie Kendrick, Colin McInery, Oisin Maher, Ian Flannery 0-1; Jake Kiely, Jack Buckley 0-3, 1 mark; Ger Quinn 0-3; Sean O’Connor 1-1.
Subs: Conor O’Brien for Condon, Eoghan Kelly for Heffernan, Kieran O’Dwyer for Maher.
Referee: Brian Tyrrell (Clonmel Commercials).