St Patrick’s end eleven-year wait with South Junior A hurling title triumph

Quirke Trophies South Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final

St Patrick’s 1-16

Fethard 0-14

St Patrick’s bridged an eleven-year gap to win the Quirke Trophies South Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship title at Páirc na nEalaí, Carrick-on-Suir, on Sunday with a more comprehensive victory over Fethard than the five-point winning margin would suggest.

They led by 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time after playing with the advantage of the stiff breeze, and even though Fethard improved with the elements in their favour in the second half, the St Patrick’s defence was immense in curtailing the revival.

St Patrick’s had defeated Fethard by nine points in the group stages and lived up to their billing as favourites with a much more balanced display than the Blues. While Willie Cleere and Tony O’Brien both converted three frees each, the Drangan/Cloneen side hit 1-10 from play, with the outstanding Cathal Foley getting six of those.

In contrast, Fethard scored just three from play, one from Danny Barry, who was also their top scorer with ten from frees and one 65. It was a mixed day for Barry, who was sent off on a second yellow card at the end of normal time.

Fethard’s scoring woes owed much to the brilliant defending from St Patrick’s, especially team captain Cathal Mahoney, Sean Nash and Aidan Fitzgerald. But Fethard also suffered from a lack of penetration and wayward passing, while they often misjudged the strength of the breeze in the second half when long balls drifted harmlessly over the end line.

But those issues were not apparent in the opening two minutes, after which Fethard led by 0-2 to no score. A quick move involving Gavin Neville and Luke Lacey saw Danny Barry point inside forty seconds. Within a minute, following a foul on Matt Coen, Barry put them two ahead.

But that was as good as it got for them, with Willie Cleere, Aidan Buckley, Cathal Foley and Daithí Hogan starting to move the ball quickly for St Patrick’s. They were level within another two minutes, with Cleere pointing a free following a foul on Hogan, and then Ciaran Mockler setting up Foley.

And within another two minutes, it was they who led by two, Cleere pointing another free after he had been fouled himself, and Foley again from a Buckley assist. Then, in the eighth minute, it looked like the title was only going one way when Buckley broke up a Fethard attack and, when play switched to the other end, Hogan shot to the net past Brian Delahunty.

A Barry free in the ninth minute briefly halted the St Patrick’s momentum, but they dominated the next twenty minutes with five points on the bounce. Buckley hit a great point from the sideline after a clearance from Ryan Cranitch; Mahoney followed up with another fine score; Cleere pointed a free that was brought forward for dissent; Cleere pointed after a Fethard attack broke down; and Hogan set up Foley to make it 1-9 to 0-3.

Fethard had their chances, but both Matt Coen and Joedy Sheehan were off target when they needed a score. Barry reduced the margin by the interval from a free given for a throw ball.

When Foley emerged from a scrum of players to hit the first point of the second half within a minute, the omens were poor for Fethard. But then the defence tightened up, with Darragh Spillane, Rory O’Mahoney and Charlie Walsh impressing, and Gavin Neville and Joedy Sheehan busy around the middle third. Conor Neville had to be replaced for the second half by Ryan Walsh, with Jack Davey also making way for Keenan Ahearne.

Mark Neville hit an immediate response to Foley’s opening score and then Barry pointed from a free. A goal threatened when Matt Coen put Jack Quinlan through, but the shot was deflected for a 65 that Barry converted. Fethard gained possession from that puck-out and Sheehan put Gavin Neville through to score and reduce the margin to five points, 1-10 to 0-8.

St Patrick’s steadied the ship with a huge point from Foley and a Tony O’Brien free, but there was a feeling among the Fethard players and sideline that they were still in the game. That belief intensified when they scored the next three points, all from Barry frees, the last a huge score from well inside his own half.

Tony O’Brien, who had taken over the free-taking duties from Willie Cleere, pointed a St Patrick’s free, but back came Fethard again with two more Barry frees, one for a throw pass that referee Shane O’Neill was particularly vigilant on.

The margin was down to three points, 1-13 to 0-13, with just over five minutes to go, but the Fethard revival was stalled. St Patrick’s were re-energised with the score of the game from Cathal Foley, a superb point from the sideline while challenged by a Fethard player.

Fethard hit back with another Barry free, but the steam was going out of their challenge, and Aidan Buckley responded to the Barry point with another fine score. As the game ticked into overtime, Fethard were reduced to fourteen players when Barry was sent off on a second yellow following a heavy challenge on Mahoney.

The final score of the game was Tony O’Brien’s third point from frees, as St Patrick’s players, officials and supporters among the very large attendance celebrated the win.

Scorers: St Patrick’s: Cathal Foley 0-6, Willie Cleere (0-4, 0-3f), Daithí Hogan 1-0, Tony O’Brien 0-3f, Aidan Buckley 0-2, Cathal Mahoney 0-1.

Fethard: Danny Barry (0-12, 0-10f, 0-1 65), Gavin Neville, Mark Neville 0-1 each.

St Patrick’s: John Moroney; Eoin Ryan, Sean Nash, Conor Duggan; Cathal Mahoney, Aidan Fitzgerald, Ryan Cranitch; Willie Cleere, Cian Cranitch; Aidan Buckley, Cathal Foley, Oran Gahan; Daithí Hogan, Ciaran Mockler, Tony O’Brien.

Subs used: Finn Madigan for Mockler (36); Cormac Duggan for Ryan Cranitch (55, inj); Jamie Broderick for Cleere (59); Charlie Noonan for Foley (61).

Fethard: Brian Delahunty; Rory O’Mahoney, Darragh Spillane, Liam Kiely; Luke Lacey, Noah O’Flynn, Charlie Walsh; Gavin Neville, Joedy Sheehan; Conor Neville, Danny Barry, Jack Quinlan; Matt Coen; Jack Davey, Mark Neville.

Subs used: Ryan Walsh for Conor Neville (HT); Keenan Ahearne for Davey (HT); Michael Quinlan for Lacey (43).

Referee: Shane O’Neill (St Mary’s)