Killenaule turn the tables on St Mary's for sweet victory
Below par performance by Clonmel team
Killenaule 0-19 St Mary’s 1-13
Killenaule outscored St Mary’s by four points to one in the last six minutes to claim a deserved victory in the all-South Tipperary FBD Insurance County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 1 clash at Fethard on Sunday evening.
It was sweet revenge for the Slieveardagh side who had lost to St Mary’s in the divisional semi-final three weeks earlier.
The Clonmel side went on to claim the South title for the first time in 45 years, with victory over Mullinahone in the final, but they failed to take that form in the county series with a below-par performance.
They failed to score in the opening quarter, after which they trailed by 0-4 to no score, and were 0-6 to 0-4 behind at the break. Killenaule were quicker, crisper and more committed in their tackling and looked set for victory when leading by three, 0-15 to 0-12, with five minutes to go.
But they were rocked when St Mary’s captain Seamus Kennedy drove the ball over Killenaule goalkeeper David McCormack for the game’s only goal. The score might have given impetus to the Clonmel side but instead it was Killenaule who responded better, with two points from Tony Ryan, one a free; Darragh Doyle and Tom Stakelum to a St Mary’s reply from a Peter McGarry free to give them an opening round win.
Fionn Fitzgerald had come on for the injured Mark Stakelum after just twelve minutes and he went on to give a masterful display, with four points from play. Darragh Doyle and Tom Stakelum were also huge threats to the Clonmel defence, with Podge O’Dwyer having a big game at midfield. At the back, team captain Killian O’Dwyer was rock solid with great support from Jimmy Feehan and Joe O’Dwyer.
St Mary’s lost Ruairi Leahy at half time to a hamstring injury and that curtailed their threat upfront in the second half. Aaron Cagney, Joe Higgins and Peter McGarry worked hard for openings against a tight-marking Killenaule defence. County player Seamus Kennedy was a pillar at the heart of the St Mary’s defence, with big games also from Richie Gunne, Darragh O’Connor and Sammy Ryan.
Killenaule dominated the opening quarter and should have been more than four points ahead midway through the half but for some poor shooting. Joe O’Dywer from a free gave them an early lead, with Podge O’Dwyer doubling their advantage by the tenth minute. With St Mary’s failing to make an impact, and also guilty of wayward shooting, another Joe O’Dwyer free and Darragh Doyle from a tight angle put Killenaule 0-4 to no score ahead.
Sammy Ryan got the Clonmel side off the mark in the 16th minute before Podge O’Dwyer restored Killenaule’s four-point advantage. Aaron Cagney had St Mary’s second point in the 20th minute and even though Killenaule hit back with a 65 from Tony Ryan, the recently-crowned divisional champions hit two in a row from a Ruairi Leahy free, and Joe Higgins from play following a superb crossfield pass from Thomas Charles, to trail by two at the break following an under-whelming first thirty minutes.
Despite the departure of Leahy, St Mary’s had gone ahead five minutes into the second half with points from McGarry, a Cagney free and Charles. Killenaule replied through Paudie Feehan, but two more on the bounce from St Mary’s, through Conor Deely and McGarry, put them two ahead, 0-9 to 0-7 six minutes in.
In a game of fluctuating fortunes, the sides were level again by the 40th minute, Darragh Doyle and two from Fionn Fitzgerald for Killenaule to a St Mary’s reply from a Cagney free following a foul on Higgins.
Harry Lawlor edged the town side ahead again, but four in row from Killenaule put them in sight of the winning post with ten minutes to play – Tom Stakelum hit a great point from a tight angle on the stand side and then made a similar run before providing the assist for Fionn Fitzgerald to point – the score only given after referee Paddy Russell twice consulted with his umpires, and then with his linesman, after it had been initially waved wide.
The confusion didn’t distract Killenaule and further points from Charlie Barrett, with a great score, and then Tom Stakelum put them 0-15 to 0-11 ahead. Tadhg Sheehan brought it back to a three-point game before Seamus Kennedy’s foray forward resulted in the levelling goal.
But Killenaule, not wanting to suffer a second successive defeat to their keen rivals, were not to be denied. They hit back immediately with a Tony Ryan free and within a minute Ryan followed up with a brilliant point from play. Darragh Doyle pushed it out to three points one minute into added time and Tom Stakelum quickly added the insurance score.
There was still time for St Mary’s, and McGarry from a free brought it back to three points as they laid siege to the Killenaule goal. McGarry then gathered an Enda Dunphy free, only to see his low shot blocked for a 65. Dunphy lobbed in another high ball but it was cleared and Killenaule held on for an opening round win.
SCORERS: Killenaule: Fionn Fitzgerald 0-4, Tom Stakelum, Darragh Doyle, Tony Ryan (1f, 1x65) 0-3 each, Podge O’Dwyer, Joe O’Dwyer (2f) 0-2 each, Charlie Barrett, Paudie Feehan 0-1 each.
St Mary’s: Aaron Cagney 0-3 (2f), Seamus Kennedy 1-0, Peter McGarry 0-2 (1f), Tadhg Sheehan, Sammy Ryan, Thomas Charles, Conor Deely, Harry Lawlor, Joe Higgins, Sean Kennedy, Ruairi Leahy (1f) 0-1 each.
Killenaule: David McCormack; Shane Ryan, Killian O’Dwyer, Jimmy Feehan; Charlie Barrett, Joe O’Dwyer, Thomas Keaveney; Podge O’Dwyer, Luke Ryan; Tony Ryan, Tom Stakelum, Darragh Doyle; Paudie Feehan, Mark Stakelum, Oisin Shelly. Subs: Fionn Fitzgerald for Mark Stakelum (12), Gus Browne for Shelly (54).
St Mary’s: Enda Dunphy; Richie Gunne, Liam Ryan, Darragh O’Connor; Tadhg Sheehan, Seamus Kennedy, Sammy Ryan; Tadhg Condon, Thomas Charles; Conor Deely, Ruairi Leahy, Peter McGarry; Harry Lawlor, Joe Higgins, Aaron Cagney. Subs: Niall Deely for Leahy (HT), Ross Peters for Charles (49), Sean Kennedy for Lawlor (49), Ross Slattery for Liam Ryan (52), James Power for Cagney (57).
Referee: Paddy Russell (Emly).