Three second half goals seal historic victory for Clonakenny

Clonakenny 3-18
Sarsfields 0-20

Clonakenny scored a rare and emphatic victory in the mid Tipp senior hurling ranks when they defeated Thurles Sarsfields (B) in the Centenary Agri preliminary round at Killea on Sunday - a first ever victory over the Blues in the grade, it is thought.
Goals win games, and Clonakenny bagged three of them in the second half, including two in as many minutes midway through, to put them into a very commanding position as the finishing post came into sight.

As games go, this might have been a low key affair played in a venue unused to hosting senior championship fare. However it was a cracking contest with the initiative flowing this way and that throughout, before the stronger Clonakenny men, with the help of those all important goals, got a grip on the game and claimed a famous win.

They had started in a whirlwind and had 0-3 on the board within four minutes from Jonathan Cody (2) and Bobby Bergin. And, by the water break, though they lost Conor Shanahan to injury - an injury which held up the game for some seven minutes - they maintained a three point advantage with further points from Cian Dwyer (4), while Sarsfields has points from Mossy McCormack and Jack Lanigan (3).

The Thurles men enjoyed a fine spell upon resumption and Jack Lanigan (3), Rory Purcell and Cian Treacy had scores to send them two in front - Nicky Ryan grabbing one for Clonakenny in the interim.
And, Sarsfields held a 0-12 to 0-11 interval lead with Purcell and Lanigan pointing again, while Cian Dwyer had three more for Clonakenny who could easily have had a goal in the 36th minute had it not been for the great save from Matt O'Brien in the Sars goal.

Sarsfields turned the screw win the second half and sub Sean Butler hit three points in quick succession to accompany Michael Russell and Michael Purcell scores, giving their team a 0-17 to 0-13 lead.

However, after a John Joe Ryan point, Nicky Ryan goalled for Clonakenny to tie up the game in the 12th minute. And, two minutes later Jonathan Cody raised another green flag after Nicky Ryan set him up.

The goals sucked the energy out of Sarsfields and though they sent in a number of replacements, Clonakenny were on the front foot and they saw out the win with points from Cian Dwyer (2), Michael John Carroll and a goal from John O'Meara on his senior debut when he over headed on a long free in from Dwyer.

A solid win then for Clonakenny for whom John Joe Ryan, Diarmuid Ryan, Cian Dwyer, Bobby Bergin, and Jonathan Cody were in fine form. They were without the injured Willie Ryan on the day too and will take much heart from this victory against the Blues.

Sarsfields toiled hard throughout the game and Rory Purcell, Jack Lanigan, Jack Derby, Cian Stakelum and sub Sean Butler were to the fore for them, while Harry Fitzgibbon and Michael Russell worked hard