Kilkenny IHL- Carrickshock kick off league campaign in style

After survivng relegation by the skin of their teeth in the last two seasons Carrickshock will have been delighted to make a wining start to the intermediate league when running out fully deserved winners over the Fenians on Sunday.

Led by Adam Franks on the frees and a two goal tally from Eoghan O’Neill, the Hugginstown outfit were more than worthy of their six point success as they took command of the game in the second half.

Johnstown were very much in the game during the first half but they struggled to make a mark when Carrickshock upped it a few gears and they will hope for a better result when they meet Danesfort in the next round this weekend.

Carrickshock’s Kevin Farrell and Fenians midfielder Adam Duggan swapped the opening two points of the game before teh side in green and yellow struck for goal as Eoghan O’Neill finished to the net after embarking on a storming run through the Johnstown defence.

Fenians responded with a Jerry Henderson point from distance before Adam Franks and Barry Lennon pushed the ‘Shock into a four point advantage (1-3 to 0-2).

Johnstown then had a bit of a purple patch with scores from Willie Brennan, Mark Webster and Adam Duggan bringing them within a point of their Southern opponents at the halfway mark of the second half.

Adam Franks is one of the new additions to the Carrickshock team in 2025 and he gave his team a bit of breathing room when converting successive frees to make it 1-7 to 0-7.

Shane Lanigan’s team would only add on two more first half scores as Fenians started to get a grip on proceedings and after Franks briefly stalled their mometum on the back of points from Regan Downey and Cathal Phelan, the Johnstown lads really got moving when aother Phelan effort as well as a Mark Webster free left the sides deadlocked for just the second time.

Webster hit the target again for his fourth first half point a couple of minutes later and it gave Fenians the lead for the first time.

It was an advantage that didn’t last long as Carrickshock’s Adam Franks knocked over the final point of the half and there was nothing to seperate the clubs as they went into the dressing rooms at the break.

Carrickshock introduced the influential Jake O’Dwyer at half-time and the ‘Shock were the much more forceful side as points from Eoghan O’Neill and Kevin Farrell helped them go two clear.

Johnstown replied with efforts from play by Mark Hughes and Willie Brennan and after Franks and Thomas Sharkey exchanged further efforts, it remained all to play for as the scoreline stood at 1-12 to 0-15.

Fenians wouldn’t score for another 14 minutes however and with Carrickshock adding seven points on the spin in that time, the game all but moved out of Johnstown’s reach.

Adam Franks was responsible for the majority of that tally with three frees and one from play while Sean Moore, Jake O’Dwyer and Barry Lennon also split the posts.

Mark Webster tallied on a couple of frees afterwards for the Fenians but their task was a forlorn one once O’Neill forced in a second goal for both himself and Carrickshock with time almost up on the clock.

An extended period of stoppage time did allow Fenians to get a goal of their own through sub Sean Tobin but it came too late in the day as the ‘Shock ran out six point winners in the end.

Teams and Scorers

Carrickshock: Adam Franks (0-10, 8fs); Eoghan O’Neill (2-1); Barry Lennon, Kevin Farrell (0-3 each); Sean Moore (0-2); Michael Murphy, Jake O’Dwyer (0-1 each)

Fenians: Mark Webster (0-7, 6fs and 1 ‘65); Sean Tobin (1-0); Adam Duggan (0-3); Cathal Phelan, Willie Brennan (0-2 each); Thomas Sharkey, Mark Hughes, Regan Downey, Jerry Henderson (0-1 each)

Carrickshock: Jamie Power; Eddie Dunphy, John Cahill, Niall Tennyson; Michael Rohan, Padraig Lennon, Sean Moore; Michael Murphy, John Power; Adam Franks, Eoghan O’Neill, Brian Donovan; Barry Lennon, Kevin Farrell, Eoin Crowley.

Subs: Jake O’Dwyer for Donovan, h-t; James Grace for Crowley, 47 mins; Oisin Drea for Murphy, 53 mins; Aaron Roche for B.Lennon, 58 mins.

Fenians: Billy Garrett; Darragh O’Grady, John Henderson, Padraig O’Grady; Jerry Henderson, Rory Garrett, Rory Phelan; Adam Duggan, Mark Webster; Regan Downey, Conor Tobin, Mark Hughes; Thomas Sharkey, Cathal Phelan, Willie Brennan.

Subs: Alex Lawlor for Phelan, 47 mins; Sean Tobin for Downey, 50 mins; Daragh Tobin for Hughes, 54 mins.

Referee: Patrick O’Reilly.