Clonmel Óg create huge shock to capture first ever Junior A title in South Tipperary

John Quirke Jeweller's South Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship Final:

CLONMEL OG 6-13 MOYLE ROVERS 3-17

There were magnificent scenes of great jubilation at the final whistle in Cahir this afternoon after Clonmel Óg had produced an outstanding performance to dethrone Moyle Rovers as South Tipperary Junior A hurling champions for 2023.

Coming into the game as rank outsiders against last year’s champions, the town side blitzed the favourites in the first half scoring five goals, and were an incredible 17 points to the good at the interval. Barring falling into a hole, there was to be no denying the boys from Ned Hall Park their first-ever South Junior A Hurling Championship title in what was also their first-ever appearance in a final at this grade.

The winning of the game came in a crazy seven minutes spell in the second quarter when Clonmel Óg scored 4-1 to just a single point for Moyle Rovers. In that mad period it seemed that every time the ball went near the Rovers’ goal it ended up in the back of the net.

Leading by 5-9 to 0-7 at the short whistle - the Monroe side only managing two points from play in that opening half-hour - Clonmel Óg were not to be denied their first adult hurling title since 2000 when they won the South Junior B crown. However, credit where credit is due, John McGrath’s side were much improved after half-time, but realistically they were hurling in hope trying to bridge that gargantuan gap. They did manage to get it back to just four by the 60th minute before ‘The Óg’ finished with  a rallying 1-1 to signal the start of their celebrations.

From the outset Clonmel Óg took the game to their opponents with two quick-fire and well-struck points from the outstanding Mattie Norris at wing-forward. But Rovers seemed to have settled into their stride and three placed balls from Dara Ryan (two frees and a 65) edged them ahead at 0-3 to 0-2 by the eighth minute.

The influential Ciarán Barrett then landed his first free for Clonmel Óg before a nice move linking Kevin Grace and Shane Ryan ended with a lovely Daire Luttrell point over his shoulder to restore Rovers minimum lead at 0-4 to 0-3 - the last time they would lead all day.

The game’s first goal came 11 minutes in, scored by Niall O’Connor when his effort at a point seemed to dip into the top corner beyond the reach of Ian Browne in the Rovers goal.

The green flag gave the Sean Crotty managed side (a member of the 2000 winning team) a boost and they rattled off three excellent points in three minutes from Conor Arrigan, Cian O’Sullivan and TJ Quigley to lead 1-6 to 0-4 by the 14th minute.

Kevin Grace had Moyle Rovers second point from play from the puck-out - but they wouldn’t score from play again in the first half.

A race for possession between Graham Quinn (Clonmel Og) and Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers) in today's South Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship Final played at Cahir. Pic: Michael Boland

A Dara Ryan 65 for the Rovers had the lead back to three points in the 16th minute, but between then and the interval they were cleaned out by Clonmel Og who outscored them 4-3 to 0-1 in that quarter hour. It was one of the most amazing displays ever produced by the club who were founded in the GAA Centenary Year and will celebrate 40 years next year.

A long delivery in the 17th minute by Cian O’Sullivan was fielded superbly by Ciarán Barrett and his deft lay-off was blasted low past Ian Browne by Aaron Arrigan. 

A minute later another goal arrived when a free from inside his own 65 by ‘man of the match’ Mattie Norris went all the way to the net.

The Óg odyssey was well and truly on its way.

From the resultant puck-out Niall O’Connor, afforded plenty of time, shot straight over before Moyle Rovers got the briefest of respites with a Dara Ryan free in the 20th minute, their last score of that opening half.

The next two scores were two more goals from ‘The Óg’.

Firstly a long delivery from Mattie Norris was bang on the money, caught on the edge of the square by Ciarán Barrett and the former Tipperary All-Ireland minor and under 21 winning goalkeeper turned to blast past Browne for a 13 points advantage, 4-8 to 0-7.

Four minutes later the exact same result, a Mattie Norris delivery saw Barrett out-muscle Conor McGrath at the edge of the square to gain possession and the gamekeeper turned poacher shot home past Browne once more.

To cap a great first half for Barrett he struck over a free from his own 65m line giving the outsiders a mind-boggling 17 points half-time advantage against a stunned Moyle Rovers.

Rovers made four interval changes with Brian Gleeson coming into goals and Riain Quigley, Cathal McKeown and Sean Keating all joining the fray in an effort to repair the damage of the first half.

Moyle Rovers made slow inroads and after eight minutes of the second half had it back to 13 points following three frees by Dara Ryan and points from play from Daire Luttrell and Killian Butler, with Ciarán Barrett replying with a free for ‘The Óg.’

The game took a breather for the next 10 minutes it seemed, the town side happy enough to be still 11 points to the good after 48 minutes, following three frees for Dara Ryan and a reply from Ciarán Barrett leaving the game poised at 5-11 to 0-15.

The determination of the Clonmel Og players evident as Moyle Rovers' Dara Ryan holds possession during today's South JAHC final played at Cahir with Shane O'Connor (26) and Cian O'Sullivan (9) blocking his route to goal. Pic: Michael Boland

But Moyle Rovers were going to need goals if they were to have any chance of pulling this final out of the fire, and one arrived in the 50th minute. It came, strangely enough, after Clonmel Óg looked destined to rattle the net when Aaron Arrigan had a great chance, but the ball was cleared to Riain Quigley and his diagonal delivery was caught and goaled by substitute Cathal McKeown to reduce the lead to eight points.

One of the points of the game arrived next with a superb catch and long range point from the just introduced Simon Ahearne for Clonmel Óg.

Still Rovers kept chipping away with a fine point on the run from Killian Butler and another from a 65 from the accurate Dara Ryan leaving seven separating the sides, 5-12 to 1-7 after 58 minutes.

With the clock gone into the red Rovers strung together a fine move linking Dara Ryan, Killian Butler and Stephen Quirke leading to Dean English beating Mick Muldoon in the Clonmel Og goal. Dare to dream now at just four down, 5-12 to 2-17.

An excellent angled point from Clonmel Óg corner-forward Niall O’Connor steadied shattered nerves on the sideline and the deal was finally done from the puck-out when long-serving Óg loyalist Karl Kearney intercepted a short puck-out to return the ball past the goalkeeper as the Óg supporters went wild.

The final score of the day went to Moyle Rovers when Dean English got in for his second goal just before Paddy Ivors brought an historic evening for Clonmel Óg to a conclusion. No one could deny them their fully deserved victory.

From the throw-in to the final whistle the efforts of Clonmel Óg players to get their hands on this silverware were heroic. It was a hugely impressive team display from the Derek Hogan coached side, through every line. Captain Derry Phelan was rock solid and inspiring all evening at full-back, with the half-line of Graham Quinn, Darragh Kearney and Shane O’Connor trojan in their workrate. Conor Arrigan and Cian O’Sullivan worked well in midfield while in the forwards Mattie Norris, Niall O’Connor and Ciarán Barrett came up with the vital scores for the victory but everyone contributed.

It was a day Moyle Rovers won’t wish to dwell on for too long. Some complacency may have played a part but certainly the weight of short-odds favouritism didn’t sit easily on their shoulders. They seemed to desperately lose their way in that second quarter with some badly conceded goals. But there were some good moments from Ben Owens, Luke Boland, Stephen Quirke, Killian Butler and the full-forward line of Sean English, Daire Luttrell and Dara Ryan. But obviously not enough. They’ll dust themselves down after this and go again.

Clonmel Óg:

Mick Muldoon, Julian Kerton, Derry Phelan (capt), Conor Anderson, Graham Quinn, Darragh Kearney, Shane O’Connor, Conor Arrigan (0-1), Cian O’Sullivan (0-1), Mattie Norris (1-2, 1-0F), Aaron Arrigan (1-1), TJ Quigley (0-1), Darragh McVicker, Ciaran Barrett (2-4, 0-4F), Niall O’Connor (1-2).

Subs: Simon Ahearne (0-1) for Quigley (40 mins); Alex Greene for Quinn (inj., 41 mins); Karl Kearney (1-0) for Arrigan (57 mins); Gino Lonergan for McVicker (60 mins).

Moyle Rovers:

Ian Browne, Cillian Crowe, Conor McGrath, Sean Hackett, Shane Ryan, Ben Owens, Nathan Croke, Kevin Grace (0-1), Brian McKeown, Luke Boland, Stephen Quirke (capt), Killian Butler (0-2), Dean English (2-0), Daire Luttrell (0-2), Dara Ryan (0-12, 0-9F, 0-3x65)

Subs: Brian Gleeson for Browne (half-time); Riain Quigley for Croke (half-time); Cathal McKeown (1-0) for Grace (half-time); Sean Keating for Hackett (half-time); Anthony Phelan for B. McKeown (51 mins)

Referee: Paddy Ivors (Ballingarry).