AIB Munster Club Intermediate hurling semi-final: Roscrea through to the final

Roscrea 1-17

Inniscarra(Cork) 3-9

A two points win did not do justice to Roscrea’s superiority over Cork’s Inniscarra in the Munster intermediate hurling club championship semi-final at Semple Stadium.

After a low-key first half the Tipperary champions, as they had done against Ballysaggart of Waterford in the quarter-final, took complete control in the second period and were eight points ahead as the game drifted into injury time. Inniscarra hit two goals in the six added minutes to finish just two points off their rivals but the reality was they were never going to catch them and the Tipp champions now face up to Limerick’s Monaleen in the final on Dec 4th.

Inniscarra were bidding to extend Cork’s dominance of this championship but Roscrea were favourites and on the evidence of their second half performance, will make a bold bid to annex provincial honours. The Tipp lads looked very lively and focussed from the word go and enjoyed the better of things in the opening 15 minutes at which stage they led 0-4 to 0-3.

Above: Sam Conlon on the attack for Roscrea

An Inniscarra goal by Colm Casey at that stage ignited the Cork challenge. Roscrea were subsequently on the back foot and at half-time Inniscarra led 1-6 to 0-7 and were playing with a confidence that suggested they could cause an upset.

The early threat of Roscrea’s Sam Conlon operating on the edge of the Inniscarra square diminished as the defence came to terms with it, but in that early period Roscrea could have had three goals, one by Conlon in the 4th minute disallowed for an infringement of the square, and a minute later the Roscrea man was denied a goal by a fine save from Inniscarra goalie John O Keeffe. Shane Fletcher too might have goaled off a Luke Cashin flick, and Conor Sheedy was foiled in the 22nd minute by the keeper with Roscrea determined to go for goals at every opportunity.

It was certainly anybody’s game at half-time and though Inniscarra resumed with a pointed free inside a minute from Owen McCarthy, Roscrea hit seven unanswered scores in the third quarter, the most significant of which, Luke Cashin’s goal in the 41st minute after an excellent build-up put them 1-12 to 1-7 ahead and looking likely winners. Alan Tynan, Daniel Ryan, and Michael campion were all buzzing for Roscrea who now dictated as the scores began to flow.

Over the next eight minutes, they added six points to Inniscarra’s one for a nine point advantage as the game drew to a close. In the 64th minute Inniscarra netted through sub Jerry Roche and with virtually the last puck of the game Cork senior Sean O Donoghue notched their third goal but the puck-out signalled the final whistle and confirmed Roscrea’s place in the final.