Cashel claim a 7th Tipperary Co-Op West Junior B Hurling Championship Final

Cashel King Cormacs 4-16
Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams 0-15

By: Francis Coughlan at Golden

The adage that goals win games was never truer than in Golden on Saturday evening as Cashel King Cormacs claimed a second Tipperary Co-Op West Junior B Hurling Championship title in three seasons. The 2018 final meeting the only final meeting between sides before Saturday’s game had taken two games at the same venue to confirm a winner, but two goals in the first half, the second on the stroke of half time and a third immediately on the resumption ultimately broke Kickhams resilience and laid the way for a convincing Cashel King Cormacs victory.

The early chances fell to Kickhams, but they failed to find the target instead registering two wides. Both sides struggled to gain a foothold on the game in the opening quarter and scores were slow to come by. Adrian Cummins got the scoring going at the other end as he continued his good form from their semi-final victory over Solohead as he pointed both a 65 and a free in the space of four minutes. Kickhams were finally of the mark in the eighth minute when Peter Comerford pointed from a place ball and doubled his and Kickhams tally two minutes later from another free.

The game’s first score from play eventually arrived in the thirteenth minute when Adrian Cummins fired over from just inside the Cashel King Cormacs 65. Jack Ryan tied up the game two minutes later with Kickhams first from play and Kickhams briefly led when Pater Comerford pointed his third from placed balls after Dean Thompson was fouled. It was short lived however as the next attack saw Cashel King Cormacs rattled the net for the first time Jaymes O’Sullivan after Kickhams failed to clear their lines. The sides went for the water break with just one between them after Peter Comerford added another from a placed ball, 1-3 to 0-5.

The lead interchanged between a point and two from the resumption with Kickhams starting to find the target from open play through Dean Thompson and Ben Ryan. Cummins continued to be scorer in chief for the Cashel men. Both sides had been guilty of missing chances but just before the break and two points up Cashel King Cormacs added goal number two to give them a five-point cushion. Tomas Skeffington getting onto Adrian Cummins sideline cutting and striking to the net. Cashel King Cormacs ahead at the break 2-7 to 0-8.

Cashel got the perfect start from the throw in when Cummins gathered possession around the forty-five after a pass from Tomas Skeffington, his strength powered his way past the Kickhams defence before unleashing his shot from twenty-one yards to the net with just twenty seconds on the clock. It was now double scores and a mountain to climb for Kickhams. Further points from Adrian Cummins and Adam and Tomas Skeffington had the gap briefly at eleven points. Joe Fitzgerald got Kickhams off the mark for the half, but the gap remained between ten and eleven points.

When Ben Ryan was fouled on his way to goal Kickhams were awarded a twenty-one yard free but Eoin Carew’s effort went the wrong side of the bar. Pa O’Brien and Joe Griffey, the latter on as a substitute both pointed to see eight between the sides but again Cashel King Cormacs retaliated to bring the gap back to double figures. Kickhams tried to try and work goal chances but were met by a well drilled Cashel defence who refused to let them in. Eoin Carew had another twenty-one yard free blocked as time ran down on the clock. Adrian Cummins put the gloss on the score line when he breached the Kickhams rear guard to eventually toe poke the ball to the net.

Adrian Cummins just like in the semi-final was scorer in chief for Cashel King Cormacs as he finished with a tally of 2-10 of which 0-5 came from place balls. 4-11 of their 4-16 tally came from play while their two starting corner forwards finished with 2-3 between them. Cashel hit 1-3 in the opening three minutes of the second half to put them in a commanding position in the game. They were strong in defence, down the middle with Ciaran Quinn at full and Cormac Ryan at centre. Their ability to get goals ultimately put pay to Kickhams challenge as they always looked dangerous in attack.

Kickhams managed just seven of their fifteen points from play with Peter Comerford top scorer with 0-7. Conor O’Mahony was solid in defence. Kickhams struggled to create a goal scoring threat which they badly needed especially in the second half to get themselves back in the game. The concession of the goals either side of half time was a serious blow to their chances as they had matched Cashel points wise in the opening half. Eoin Carew was the target man especially in the second half and he did win a lot of ball, but the Cashel defence held firm. Conor O’Mahony was solid in defence

It was a seventh title for Cashel King Cormacs and a second in three seasons. They will now face Silvermines in the County semi-final on Saturday June 26th in the County semi-final.

Afterwards Adrian O’Dwyer received the Jamesie O’Donoghue Cup from West Board Chairman Michael Ryan C, in the presence of Jamesie’s mother Una O’Donoghue.

See this weeks Tipperary Star for full report.