Robbie Stapleton the hero as Thurles Sarsfields win extra-time epic to reach Munster final

AIB Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Thurles Sarsfields 0-23

Inagh Kilnamona 0-22

Robbie Stapleton wrote himself into Thurles Sarsfields folklore with a quite sensational winning point in the dying embers of extra time as the Tipperary champions booked their place in the Munster senior club hurling final at the expense of Inagh Kilnamona in an epic encounter in Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

The young substitute hit three points from play in extra time, but it was his final contribution that will live long in the memory of the travelling Sarsfields faithful, who were put through the emotional wringer over the course of a remarkable 80-plus minutes of championship hurling.

There was so much to admire about the performance of Pádraic Maher’s charges, not least their ability to go again after seeing a four-point lead evaporate in the closing stages of normal time. In Aidan McCormack, they had an outstanding performer who struck seven points from open play, while the collective work rate of the Blues was immense throughout.

A ferocious cutting breeze was blowing into the seated stand for the first half, but the contest on the pitch from the very first whistle set an example of the white heat of championship hurling; both sides were well up for it.

That wind favoured nobody in particular, and it was the visitors in blue who adapted to it best in the first ten minutes.

Kieran Rossiter was proving elusive again and had Shane Woods in trouble early, getting out in front on two occasions before finishing well, while the Aidans - Stakelum and McCormack - helped Sarsfields into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

It was the stereotypical battle for the middle third unfolding, with the defensive setups for both teams wary of giving space. Inagh, through Sean Rynne and Conner Hegarty, hit early scores, but the Clare side would have to wait eight minutes for their next, coming from an Aidan McCarthy placed ball in the 12th minute.

Paddy Creedon came close to raising a green flag on 11 minutes, with a long ball in being won by the big full-forward but, under pressure, his one-handed strike just hit the side netting.

The Clare champions, though, would have a nice purple patch in the next ten minutes.

Aidan McCormack finished a well-executed passage from defence on the quarter-hour mark, teed up by Aidan Stakelum before the number eleven judged the wind to perfection to float it over.

Inagh, though, would come into their own, hitting four points in succession in a six-minute spell, with Sean Rynne, David Fitzgerald and Conner Hegarty all scoring from open play, while a subdued Aidan McCarthy nailed a free from beside the shed from range.

That put the Clare champions in front by two points, but the Sarsfields work rate was ferocious in the final ten minutes and they made hay with the chances they would create before the interval.

A savage Euan Murray score after brilliant composure under pressure was followed by a wonderful strike from Aidan McCormack, and by the time Aidan McCarthy (free) and Daniel Rossiter traded the final scores of the half in added time, it was finely balanced between the sides, with Thurles still holding Ronan Maher in reserve.

It was a lung-punishing first half from both teams, but the Thurles effort didn’t wane upon the restart as they brought massive intensity once again after the break.

By the 41st minute, Thurles had put themselves into a three-point lead, with the forwards’ work rate, tackling and finishing the takeaway. Kieran Rossiter pointed early in the spree before his brother Daniel showed his ball-winning ability out of rucks, setting up scores for Keith Loughnane and a McCormack free to help Sarsfields in front.

Ronan Maher was introduced to the fray in the 38th minute at centre-forward but, despite the rousing of the travelling Sarsfields crowd, it coincided with an Inagh revival.

Soon after, the Clare champions’ county men became prominent, with Aidan McCarthy claiming two restarts from Eamon Foudy to set up Conner Hegarty and Sean Rynne respectively to fire over.

Aidan McCormack supplied the best score of the game so far on 43 minutes, with sublime stickwork to control possession and fire over from a tight angle, but an Eamon Foudy long-range free cancelled that out quickly to keep Thurles in front by just the minimum; 0-13 to 0-12.

Aidan McCormack was proving to be the catalyst for all the good Thurles work, and he hit his fifth point from play on 51 minutes after a breathless passage of play from both sides, edging Sars two in front.

Ronan Maher followed that with a moment of class at both ends, first blocking a Sean Rynne strike at a score before setting up Kieran Rossiter to fire over his fourth of the game, and when newly introduced substitute Tommy Maher rifled over a minute later, Sarsfields were looking strong as they led 0-16 to 0-12 with six minutes remaining.

However, the first-time Clare champions weren’t going to roll over, and they responded like a champion team to that flurry of Sarsfields scores, with Aidan McCarthy the provider of four points in succession - two from play - levelling the contest in the blink of an eye with the clock ticking down into the red. 0-16 each.

Three minutes of added time were signalled as the game and a place in the Munster final were on the line. Aidan McCarthy and Conor Stakelum had efforts from range drop short.

Daniel Rossiter won a softish free for Aidan McCormack to convert after the first minute, but that lead lasted all of 20 seconds, with Aidan McCarthy again finding room to equalise from a savagely acute angle.

The 2024 All-Star had a sighter to win it with the last puck but was under too much pressure with his effort from a narrow angle. Referee Thomas Walsh blew the final whistle. Extra time would be needed to separate the sides.

EXTRA TIME

Understandably, the pace dropped substantially at the start of extra time from both sides, despite a fresh injection of bodies from the bench.

One of those, Robbie Stapleton, made his first touch count with a classy score inside 60 seconds, but Aidan McCarthy responded well two minutes later, with a half-chance of a goal snuffed out by some good last-ditch defending by Denis Maher.

Sarsfields took the game by the scruff of the neck soon after as the Inagh effort off the ball was waning, allowing Sars to play the ball around with no pressure being applied. Add to that the finishing class of Aidan McCormack, who would hit his sixth and seventh from play in the first period, and it was starting to give Sars room.

Aidan Stakelum slotted a class long-range point also as Sars led by two with the first half of extra time coming to a close, but David Fitzgerald struck an incredible score from the sideline on the stroke of the half-time whistle. Sars ahead 0-21 to 0-20 at the mini-break.

Inagh had the biggest sight of goal in the whole game after the restart but thankfully, from a Sarsfields viewpoint, Josh Guyler missed his first touch, forcing him back from goal to take the point. Level game.

Robbie Stapleton hit a fine second point of his short cameo in the 75th minute as the game was incredibly stretched now, with bodies dropping all over the field.

With time hitting 80 minutes, Inagh got a lifeline with a late free from 100 yards, with Eamon Foudy nailing his second point of the game to send the West Clare outfit wild.

A minute of added time was given and it looked as if penalties were now inevitable, but Thomas Walsh played on. A free from Sarsfields’ own full-back line landed into the 45 and, with super-sub Robbie Stapleton getting on the ball, he struck the point of his young life over the shoulder to win the game for Sarsfields.

It was a cruel way for Inagh Kilnamona’s memorable season to come to an end, but few could begrudge Sarsfields their victory given the sheer volume of work they put in over the course of the afternoon and the character they showed when the game looked to be slipping away from them.

Having ended a nine-year wait for county honours, this group of Thurles players now have an opportunity to add a provincial title to what is becoming a very special season for the Blues.

The small matter of Ballygunner awaits in the Munster final, but Sarsfields will head into that encounter with no shortage of belief after coming through a battle of this magnitude.

Scorers: Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan McCormack (0-10, 0-3f), Kieran Rossiter 0-4, Robbie Stapleton 0-3, Aidan Stakelum 0-2, Keith Loughnane, Daniel Rossiter, Euan Murray all 0-1 each.

Inagh Kilnamona: Aidan McCarthy (0-11, 0-8f), Conner Hegarty, Sean Rynne 0-3 each, David Fitzgerald 0-2, Eamon Foudy 0-2f, Josh Guyler 0-1.

Thurles Sarsfields: Paddy McCormack; Stephen Maher, Denis Maher, Paul Maher; Keith Loughnane, Conor Stakelum, Cian Stakelum; Euan Murray, Daniel Rossiter; Aidan McCormack, Darragh Stakelum, Aidan Stakelum; Eoin Purcell, Paddy Creedon, Kieran Rossiter.

Subs used: Ronan Maher for Purcell (38); Niall Mullins for Guyler (46); Tommy Maher for Creedon (42); Seosamh Ryan for S Maher (60); Robbie Stapleton for K Rossiter (ET); James Armstrong for C Stakelum (ET); Eoin Purcell for D Stakelum (74).

Inagh Kilnamona: Eamon Foudy; Keith White, Shane Woods, Conor Rynne; Kevin Hehir, James Hegarty, Darren Cullinan; Mark Callinan, Sean Rynne; David Fitzgerald, Kealan Guyler, Aidan McCarthy; David Mescall, Fred Hegarty, Conner Hegarty.

Subs used: Gearoid Barry for Mescall (36); Jason McCarthy for F Hegarty (56); Josh Guyler for C Hegarty (58); Jack Mescall for Callinan (60); Conner Hegarty for Barry (ET); Cathal Ryan for White (ET); Fred Hegarty for J Mescall (ET); Brian Foudy for Cullinan (ET).

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).