First half goals help Cloneen win Leinster League Division 3 title

Cloneen and St Patrick’s of Wicklow met in a very competitive Leinster League Division 3 Hurling Final on Saturday with the Kilkenny side running out six point winners in the end.

Opening half goals from Gary Delaney and Kieran Whelan gave Cloneen the edge and although team captain Breanainn Buggy was sent off in the second half, they still ran out comfortable winners in the end.

The game was a repeat of the subsequent encounter in 2024 and the result remained the same even if Cloneen were relatively slow out of the blocks.

Michael Doyle and Andrew O’Brien exchanged frees in the opening three minutes before the visiting Wicklow outfit went into the lead through two more O’Brien frees and a further effort from play via the full forward.

Cloneen then found their groove with the following four points as Padraig Cooney, Kieran Whelan, Harry Roche and Breanainn Buggy edged the North Kilkenny outfit into a 0-5 to 0-4 advantage.

Two more O’Brien scores helped St Patrick’s regain the initiative with the talented attacker getting all six of of his side’s pointed tally at the end of the first quarter.

The winning of the game for Cloneen then arrived when they netted a quickfire double of goals in the 15th and 16th minutes.

The first one was of the fortuante variety as a long range free from goalkeeper Gary Delaney evaded the St Patrick’s defence with the sliotar going all the way to the net.

St Patrick’s barely had the energy to compose themselves by the time a second goal went into the O’Loughlin Gaels end goal as a well worked move saw Kieran Whelan finish past Christy Moorehouse.

The winners followed up on that goal with further points from Ciaran Cooney, Michael Doyle, Adam Buggy, Breanainn Buggy and Michael O’Keeffe as they raced into a 2-10 to 0-6 lead approac hing the break.

St Patrick’s did rally before the interval through efforts from Terry Healy, George O’Brien, Patrick Murphy and Andrew O’Brien bt it was Cloneen who still maintained control.

A Billy Joe Connors goal coupled with a harsh looking red card to Breanainn Buggy really brought the Wicklow side back into the contest and when Andrew O’Brien knocked over successive frees in the 35th and 40th minutes, there was only a puck of the ball seperating the sides.

Crucially though St Patrick’s would only add on one more point in the time remaining as Cloneen piled on the pressure.

Michael O’Keeffe’s score in the 51st minute was a real nerve settler as it was their first point in almost 20 minutes and it helped Liam Dowling’s oufit find another gear.

Three Ciaran Cooney frees as well as an Eoin Regan point from play soon followed as the Kilkenny club kicked on to claim a six point victory in the end.

Teams and Scorers

Cloneen: Kieran Whelan (1-1); Ciaran Cooney (0-4, 3fs); Gary Delaney (1-0); Michael O’Keeffe (0-3); Michael Doyle (0-2, 2fs); Breanainn Buggy, Eoin Regan (0-2 each); Adam Buggy, Harry Roche, Padraig Cooney (0-1 each)

St Patrick’s: Andrew O’Brien (0-11, 9fs); Billy Joe Connors (1-0); Terry Healy, Patrick Murphy, George O’Brien (0-1 each)

Cloneen: Gary Delaney; John Kelly, Paul Kelly, Malachy Flaherty; Adam Buggy, Brian Cahill, Aidan Barry; Harry Roche, Breanainn Buggy; Michael Doyle, Michael O’Keeffe, Ciaran Cooney; Kieran Whelan, Padraig Cooney, Eoin Regan.

Subs: Brian McDonald for Barry, 43 mins; Michael O’Leary for Flaherty, 50 mins.

St Patrick’s: Christy Moorehouse; Dale Quinn, John Connors, Senan Donovan; Ciaran Matthews, Michael Connors, Tom O’Brien; Christy Moorehouse, Terry Healy; Patrick Murphy, George O’Brien, Billy Joe Connors; John Moorehouse, Andrew O’Brien, Paddy Moorehouse.

Referee: Gearoid McCraith (Wexford)