All-conquering Clonoulty win tenth title in a row in West Tipperary

Clonoulty/Rossmore 1-20 Cashel King Cormacs 1-16

It was a case of the old dog for the hard road as Clonoulty/Rossmore claimed a tenth successive ArraTipp West Senior Hurling Championship title in blistering heat at Páirc Ciocaim, Dundrum on Saturday evening last. The defending champions were slight underdogs in a lot of people’s eyes and many thought that Cashel’s time was about to arrive, and that they would bridge a 31-year gap to their last success in the competition.

Cashel King Cormacs had gone into the final on the back of a Crosco Cup Final success and a notable Division 1 league campaign, which finished with a final victory over Kiladangan. Clonoulty/Rossmore, while having a decent league campaign, just missed out on the final through score difference. The defending champions too had suffered a few injuries in the weeks leading to the final, most notably to Enda Heffernan and Ciaran Quirke.

This was a tough, honest final, with John O’Keeffe and Jimmy Ryan Con to the fore for the defending champions in defence. Jimmy Maher at midfield got on a lot of ball while Cathal Bourke and Stephen Ferncombe always proved a handful.

Eoghan Connolly, Ger Browne - when going further into attack - Ross Bonnar, David McGrath and Cathal Quinn led the line for the challengers.

While the game at times struggled to get into a rhythm, both sets of players could not be faulted for their endeavour, with numerous hooks and blocks made in energy- sapping conditions. It was their experience in the later stages of the game that saw the defending champions outscore their opponents with five unanswered points in reply to Ger Browne’s goal.

The first half was a low-scoring affair, with just fifteen scores shared between the teams, after which Clonoulty/Rossmore led by the minimum, 0-8 to 0-7. Both sides, though, were guilty of some bad shooting, as they went in at the break with as many wides each as scores. Ronan Connolly got Cashel off the mark in the first thirty seconds with a well-taken point. A minute later Donnacha Quirke had the sides level.

Cathal Bourke, who put in a big shift for Clonoulty, traded points with Devon Ryan before Ryan and Stephen Ferncombe swapped pointed frees.

When Cashel opened a two-point lead through Shane Neville and Cathal Quinn, Clonoulty replied through Stephen Ferncombe and Cathal Bourke. This tied the game for a fourth time. Cathal Quinn, who was getting on a lot of possessions, struck with his first of four great points. Ferncombe and Connolly traded pointed frees, as the game struggled to get into any real pattern. Both defences were well on top and the fluency of the game wasn’t helped by the energy-sapping conditions.

There were just three scores in the final ten minutes of the half, with Ross Bonnar pointing in reply to Cathal Bourke and Stephen Ferncombe scores. Cashel could have gone in ahead at the break but Jason O’Dwyer denied Eoghan Connolly from the penalty spot with a fine save, after David McGrath had been fouled.

Eoghan Connolly levelled the game for a sixth time almost straight after the throw-in. The tit for tat nature of the game continued and the teams were level for an eighth time when Cathal Quinn pointed four minutes after the resumption.

Ferncombe and Jack Ryan briefly pushed Clonoulty two-up but in such a tight game no team was dominating, with Eoghan Connolly and Ger Browne levelling the scores for a ninth time by the ninth minute.

Jack Ryan was now operating at full forward and starting to cause problems for Cashel. A pair of Ferncombe frees were cancelled out by Devon Ryan and Ross Bonnar.

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The final quarter saw things step up a gear. Cathal Quinn gave Cashel a brief lead before the game's first goal. Minutes earlier Aaron Browne saved brilliantly to deny Michael Ryan W, but he wasn’t to be denied a second time. Jack Ryan, who was proving a handful and now being marked by Oisin O’Donoghue, snapped a high ball on the edge of the square and fed Michael Ryan W, who scored from close range. Cathal Quinn and Stephen Ferncombe traded points to leave Clonoulty two up.

With ten minutes to go the game's second major arrived. David McGrath gathered possession from an Aaron Browne puckout before taking on his marker and feeding Ger Browne, who had snuck in behind the Clonoulty defence before beating Clonoulty goalie Jason O’Dwyer. The goal put Cashel one up with about ten minutes to play but crucially they failed to score for the remainder of the game.

Ferncombe levelled the game for an eleventh time with another well-struck free. Cashel were not without their chances but crucially after this they hit three wides in succession.

The game remained on a knife edge but Clonoulty have the experience of seeing these tight games out. Ferncombe and Ryan W pointed within a minute of each other as the clock was winding down. Ferncombe pointed twice more in injury time as Clonoulty hit the last five points of the game for a history-making win.

Scorers: Clonoulty/Rossmore: Stephen Ferncombe (0-13, 0-11f), Mikie Ryan W (1-1), Cathal Bourke (0-4), Jack Ryan (0-1), Donnacha Quirke (0-1).

Cashel King Cormacs: Ger Browne (1-1), Cathal Quinn (0-4), Eoghan Connolly (0-4, (0-2f), Devon Ryan (0-3, 0-2f), Ross Bonnar (0-2), Shane Neville (0-1), Ronan Connolly (0-1).

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Jason O’Dwyer, Danny Slattery, Robert Doyle, Jimmy Ryan C, John O’Keeffe, Ronan Heffernan, Jamie Davern, Nathan Slattery, Donnchadh Quirke, Jimmy Maher, Cathal Bourke, Mikie Ryan W, Stephen Ferncombe, Jack Ryan, Stephen Quinn.

Subs: Sean O’Connor for Jamie Davern, Seamus Kennedy for Jimmy Maher (temporary), Thomas Butler for Stephen Quinn (temporary), Philip Kelleher for Nathan Slattery.

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne, Conn Bonnar, Nathan Ryan, Kieran O’Dwyer, Colm Ryan, Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Connolly, Ross Bonnar, Devon Ryan, Oisin O’Donoghue, David McGrath, Cathal Quinn, Shane Neville.

Subs: Dan Moloney for Colm Ryan, James Cummins for Nathan Ryan, Denis O’Callaghan for Shane Neville.

Referee: Cian Ryan (Éire Óg Annacarty/Donohill).

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