Clinical second half from Sarsfields sees them clinch U21 county tournament title

U21A County Hurling Tournament Final

Thurles Sarsfields 2-16

Mullinahone 1-10

A strong second half showing by Thurles Sarsfields carried them to victory over C J KIckhams, Mullinahone in the county under 21 A hurling final at Clonoulty on Sunday evening.

This was not a county championship but a competition featuring the winners of the four divisional championships in the grade, with proceeds from all the games going to the Dillon Quirke Foundation which was set up in memory of the late Dillon Quirke who collapsed and died of SADS last August while playing for his club Clonoulty-Rossmore in the county championship.

The two semi-finals and the final drew large attendances, testimony to both the worthiness of the cause and the popularity of the grade and the likelihood that there will be a push to have this grade re-introduced as a championship proper at county level.

This game was not up to the standard of the semi-final but the large attendance were treated to a competitive first half full of lots of honest endeavour.

Sarsfields took charge in the second half and, having made adjustments to counter the Mullinahone attacking threat, they pushed on for the win they fully deserved.

From start to finish Sarsfields always looked more likely to win. They struck early with a Jock Fogarty goal after nine minutes and they were 1-5 to 0-3 ahead after the first quarter.

Mikey O'Shea was the big threat for Mullinahone but he lacked support while at the other end Mullinahone were finding it difficult to contain Liam McCormack, Jack Lanigan and Eoin Purcell with James Armstrong marshalling the Thurles defence confidently.

Some tenacious Mullinahone defending denied Sarsfields a couple of goals. They still led 1-7 to 0-6 approaching the break but a Conor Whelan point and a Mikey O'Shea goal just before the interval brought Mullinahone level at 1-7 each.

Would Sarsfields rue the first half misses and could KIckhams build on their strong finish to the first half. Opinions varied but Sarsfields took a firm grip on resuming, Darragh Stakelum firing over a point, followed by a cracking Paddy Creedon goal, all inside three minutes.

Sarsfields pressed home their advantage with points from Eoin Purcell(2) and Liam McCormack(2) to go seven clear by the end of the third quarter, a Mikey O'Shea pointed free in the 40th minute, Mullinahone’s only response.

Mullinahone’s challenge was not helped by missing three pointable frees that could have kept them in the frame, but Sarsfields were in control and used their bench in the closing stages for an encouraging start to the 2023 season.

Sarsfields had nine scorers to Mullinahone’s four with the South champions registering just 1-4 from play, and the greater range of options enjoyed by the Thurles lads in that regard was the winning of the game. All six forwards scored and at different stages in the game they had key men to lead the charge.

James Armstrong and Jack Lanigan shone in the first half while Eoin Purcell, Darragh Stakelum, and Cian Stakelum also had a big influence but the player who most stood out was Liam McCormack whose pace and ball control was a constant threat to the south defence.

Sarsfields, under new management this year, and in a rebuilding phase will draw great encouragement from this win with many young players putting their hands up for inclusion in the senior side.

Perhaps their exertions in the semi-final a week earlier against Borrisoleigh which went to extra time took its toll on the Kickham’s boys but they never moved with the same purpose and fluency of the previous week.

Having been unlucky to lose to Moyarkey-Borris in the U20 county final last year, there was optimism in the Mullinahone camp that they could lift this prize but it was not to be.

The positive side of the campaign was the continued progress of their young players, many of whom will be figuring in the senior squad this year. Mikey O'Shea was their “main man” in attack but Eanna Ryan, and Eoin O'Dwyer also did well. Daire O’Brien, Conor Whelan and Conor O’Brien played well.

Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan Stakelum; Jack O Mara, Kieran Costello, Emmet Fogarty; Henry Fogarty, James Armstrong (0-1), Conor Fogarty; Tommy Maher (0-2f), Cian Stakelum; Eoin Purell (0-2),Darragh Stakelum (0-3, 0-1f), Jock Fogarty (1-0); Paddy Creedon (1-0), Jack Lanigan (0-4, 0-1f), Liam McCormack (0-3).

Subs: Robbie Stapleton (0-1), Paddy Stakelum, Ciaran Woodlock, Urban Nolan, Conor Stapleton.

Mullinahone: Stephen Hickey; Sean O’Dwyer, Daire O’Brien, Cillian White; Danny Dunne, Conor Whelan (0-3f) James Cody; Conor O’Brien, Rian O Halloran; Shane Morris, Eanna Ryan (0-2), Josh Rowan; Patrick Hayes, Mikey O’Shea (1-4,0-4f), Eoin O’Dwyer (0-1).

Subs: Jack Lonergan, Diarmuid White.

Referee: Donie Horan (Éire Og Annacarty)