Single-point victory sends Kilruane MacDonaghs through to Tipperary County Junior B Football final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-5 Cappawhite 0-10

Kilruane MacDonaghs are through to the final of the FBD Insurance County Junior B Football Championship following their one-point victory over Cappawhite at a windy but dry Newport on Sunday.

Playing with the aid of the wind in the opening half on  a good surface, the north champions made the most of the elements.

Man of the match Carl Williams scored two goals, the first coming after two minutes and the second ten minutes before the break when he ran at the throat of the Cappawhite defence, before unleashing a piledriver past Dara McCarthy.

Kilruane were on top around the middle third and were it not for the Cappawhite defence and their own wayward shooting in front of goal, they could have been further ahead than their four-point margin at half-time. They kicked seven wides to Cappawhite’s one during these opening 30 minutes, with the west men being very economical from their limited possession.

Midfielder David Buckley kept them within striking distance with three points, as they trailed 2-2 to 0-4 at the break.

The expected Cappawhite fightback came within the opening ten minutes of the restart, when they sent over three unanswered points to reduce the lead to the minimum. A Carl Williams converted free after 13 minutes temporarily broke their momentum, but two points from Rian Doody and Willie Barry had the sides level for the first and only time with twelve minutes remaining.

During this period, Tom Treacy was at his best, covering acres of ground and linking up with the defence. The Cappawhite defence, as a unit, withstood a lot of pressure from Kilruane, who were very strong and physical, but disciplined around the middle third.

Those last twelve minutes plus injury time showed the power, energy and physicality of the north men, as they won most of the tight exchanges. Again, as in the opening half, their shooting let them down, as they registered a further six wides to Cappawhite’s two. They controlled the middle third, with their fitness being a telling factor.

During this period they outscored their opponents 0-2 to 0-1, with their defence coming to terms with the Cappawhite attack, as they held out for a narrow but deserved victory.

The opening score, a goal, came from Kilruane’s Carl Williams, when he was first to react to a breaking ball around the square. This early goal gave them a cushion that they would hold throughout, as they were never headed in the game.

Eoghan Ryan converted a placed ball after seven minutes to kickstart the Cappawhite men. David Buckley kicked the first of his five points to cut the deficit to the minimum, as the west champions found their rhythm. A point from Matthew Moyles was followed up by a converted fifty metre free from Carl Williams to restore the three- point advantage.

Ten minutes before the break, in what was the move of the game, Carl Williams received a ball from Sean McAdams and the full forward made no mistake from close range, blasting past Dara McCarthy.

This goal gave them a five- point advantage. For the remainder of the half the Cappawhite defence stood firm, snuffing out the Kilruane forwards and forcing them into mistakes. David Buckley’s third point reduced the deficit to four late on in the half to leave the half-time score Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-2, Cappawhite 0-4.

Cappawhite restarted after the break in attacking mode and Gearoid Lennon kicked a point after four minutes. Tom Treacy cut through the defence and finished with a good score two minutes later. The momentum was now firmly with Cappawhite and a David Buckley point after ten minutes left the minimum between the sides.

Carl Williams broke this momentum with a converted free to the left of the posts, but Rian Doody replied with a score at the other end. Willie Barry tied the game for the first time with twelve minutes of normal time remaining, 0-9 to 2-3.

For the remaining twelve minutes plus injury time, the energy and fitness levels of Kilruane were to prove decisive, as they closed out the Cappawhite attack, limiting them to just one point. Points from Cian Darcy and Seamus Hennessy inside the final five minutes gave them breathing space, before David Buckley kicked his fifth point of the afternoon to leave the minimum between the sides as the clock headed towards injury time.

Ninety seconds into injury time, Cappawhite were awarded a free from around 55 metres, but the resulting effort drifted to the left and wide. Kilruane held out for a one-point victory and a place in the final, where they will play Boherlahan/Dualla.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Kevin Shinnors, Ross Austin, Eoin Hogan, Oisin O’Meara, Kevin Oakley, Aaron Morgan, Rob Austin, Kian O’Kelly, Sean McAdams, Matthew Moyles (0-1), Jerome Cahill, Delvin Courtney, Matthew Spain, Carl Williams (2-2, 0-2 frees, captain), Nathan Lynch.

Subs: Cian Darcy (0-1) for Nathan Lynch (21 mins), Ciaran Coffey for Matthew Moyles (36 mins), James Cleary for Oisin O’Meara (44 mins), Seamus Hennessy (0-1) for Delvin Courtney (45 mins), Conor Austin for Rob Austin (46 mins).

Cappawhite: Dara McCarthy, Pakie Barry, Mikey O’Brien, Tommy Coughlan, Ross Dunne, Rian Doody (0-1), Kevin Stapleton, David Buckley (0-5, 1 free), Michael P Buckley, Tom Treacy (0-1), John McGrath (captain), Brendan Murphy, Willie Barry (0-1), Eoghan Ryan (0-1 free), Gearoid Lennon (0-1).

Subs: Colm O’Dwyer for John McGrath (41 mins), Philip Gantley for Tommy Coughlan (41 mins), Sam Carmody for Brendan Murphy (53 mins), Daire Duggan for Tom Treacy (55 mins), Gearoiod Ryan (B) for Michael P Buckley (55 mins).

Referee: Johnny Butler (Upperchurch/Drombane).