Moyle Rovers avenge earlier defeat by St Patrick's to capture South Tipperary Junior A hurling title

Moyle Rovers 1-22 St Patrick's 0-18

With both midfielders and the six starting forwards scoring, and substitute Stephen Quirke coming off the bench after five minutes to put in a man-of-the-match performance, Moyle Rovers put in a complete team performance to claim the John Quirke Jewellers South Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship title at Kilsheelan on Sunday afternoon.

The Monroe side could have won by more than seven points but a combination of some wayward shooting, going for goals when points were there for the taking, and a spirited performance from St Patrick’s ensured the game remained competitive until the closing stages.

However, no one could deny the merit of Rovers’ victory, reversing a defeat to St Patrick’s earlier in the competition. They used the full width of the Kilsheelan pitch to stretch the St Patrick’s defence, with Riain Quigley and Kevin Grace spraying passes around that set up the chances for Killian Butler, Dean English and Luke Delahunty.

Moyle Rovers had raced into a 0-11 to 0-7 lead by the 28th minute when livewire forward Dean English scored the game’s only goal, taking a pass from team captain Dara Ryan, turning his marker and shooting to the net past Johnny Moroney. By half-time they were 1-13 to 0-8 ahead.

Their only concern in the second half was when the Drangan/Cloneen side hit five points in a row to reduce the margin to three, 1-18 to 0-18, but they couldn’t get through for the goal they needed and Moyle Rovers hit the last four points of the game to run out deserving winners.

While Moyle Rovers had a good spread of scorers, St Patrick’s had an over-reliance on Cathal Foley, who converted seven frees and hit four points from play in a hugely impressive display. Their next highest scorer was Tony O’Brien with three from play, but he didn’t finish the game after receiving a straight red card from referee Michael Kennedy for a dangerous pull.

An injury as early as the fifth minute to full back Sean Keating might have disrupted the Moyle Rovers performance, Keating pulling up suddenly with what looked like a hamstring problem. However, the arrival of substitute Stephen Quirke provided a huge boost. It took a great save from Johnny Moroney to deny Quirke a goal with his first touch, but he went on to hit four points from play and three from placed balls in a virtuoso performance.

St Patrick’s took a second minute lead when Foley pointed a free following a foul on Daithi Hogan, but when Dara Ryan put Anthony Phelan through for the equaliser, Rovers were never headed again. They nearly had their first goal when Dean English put Stephen Quirke clear but his low shot was brilliant blocked by Johnny Moroney.

Ryan from a free then put Rovers ahead and they also led 0-3 to 0-2 and 0-4 to 0-3, with scores from Quirke and Rory Collins, to St Pat’s replies from a Foley free and O’Brien from play. Then in a purple patch, Rovers hit three without reply to open up a four-points lead, 0-7 to 0-3, with two 65s from Quirke, and a score from Kevin Grace after a lovely move. At the other end St Patrick’s were denied what looked a certain goal with a superb block from corner back Cathal McKeown.

Points from Luke Delahunty and a Dara Ryan free, to a St Patrick’s response from Aidan Fitzgerald, put Rovers five clear, 0-9 to 0-4. That remained the margin following Rovers points from Riain Quigley and Stephen Quirke – a monster score from the touchline – and St Patrick’s points from Tony O’Brien and Cathal Mahoney. St Pat’s looked to be on the cusp of a revival when a sideline cut from Pauric O’Brien was gathered by Cathal Foley to shoot a super point.

But the game’s decisive score followed within a minute. Kevin Grace created the opening with brilliant play at midfield, and then Dara Ryan provided the final pass for Dean English’s super goal. Killian Butler added a point within a minute for an eight-point lead and that remained the margin at the break, 1-13 to 0-8, with Foley from a free and Riain Quigley exchanging points.

St Patrick’s enjoyed the brighter start to the second period, half time substitute Jamie Broderick setting Daithi Hogan clear, and when he was fouled Cathal Foley pointed the free. Broderick was also involved in the next score, finished by Tony O’Brien.
Killian Butler had Rovers’ first score of the second half in the fourth minute, and when Aidan Fitzgerald replied for St Patrick’s, Rovers came back with two in a row from Quirke and a Dara Ryan free. The game was now a more even contest, with St Patrick’s starting to show the form that saw them come through the qualifying rounds unbeaten, and running up some big scores in the process.

Two Cathal Foley frees to Rovers replies from Killian Butler saw the gap still at eight points, 1-18 to 0-13, entering the final quarter. But the Drangan/Cloneen men were not giving up without a fight and played some of their best hurling of the game to hit five points without reply.

With Rovers profligate at one end, St Patrick’s were clinical at the other. William Cleere found himself in space for a fine point and Foley added the next. Foley then set up Cian Cranitch for a brilliant point. They were reduced to fourteen players with Tony O’Brien’s dismissal, but that didn’t halt their momentum and when Daithi Hogan was fouled, Foley pointed the free.

It was not all one-way traffic, as Rovers had chances at the other end, but the Monroe club had lost some of their first half composure, and wayward shooting and over-elaboration in front of goal was proving costly. When a superb hook from Cathal Foley saw him turn over possession and shoot a great point, it brought the margin down to a very manageable three points for St Patrick’s, 1-18 to 0-18, with three minutes plus added time still to play.

But just in time for Moyle Rovers, they regained their composure and put a halt to the St Patrick’s revival. Luke Delahunty, who had a great game at corner forward, hit a fine point, and Stephen Quirke followed up with another long-distance score. Then Quirke and Delahunty combined for Delahunty to hit his third from play, and Quirke again completed the scoring three minutes into injury time.

Moyle Rovers: Brian Gleeson, Cathal McKeown, Sean Keating, Brian McKeown, Luke Boland, Ben Owens, Shane Ryan, Riain Quigley 0-2; Kevin Grace 0-1; Killian Butler 0-3; Dara Ryan 0-4 frees; Rory Collins 0-1; Dean English 1-0; Anthony Phelan 0-1; Luke Delahunty 0-3.

Subs: Stephen Quirke 0-7, 2 ‘65s, 1 free, for Sean Keating, Daire Luttrell for Anthony Phelan, Conor McGrath for Kevin Grace, Nathan Croke for Shane Ryan, Sean Hackett for Killian Butler.

St Patrick’s: Johnny Moroney, Conor Duggan, Pauric O’Brien, Evan Holohan, Eoin Ryan, Cathal Mahoney 0-1; Michael Boland, Ryan Cranitch, Cian Cranitch 0-1; Cathal Foley 0-11, 7 frees; Aidan Fitzgerald 0-1; William Cleere 0-1; Tony O’Brien 0-3; Richie Needham, Daithi Hogan.

Subs: Bill Cuddihy for Ryan Cranitch, Jamie Broderick for Eoin Ryan, Finn Madigan for Michael Boland.

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle).