Clonoulty Rossmore cruise to opening round win in West Junior A championship

Gleeson Concrete West Junior A Hurling Championship

Clonoulty Rossmore 1-20

Cashel King Cormacs 2-7

By John O’Shea

Clonoulty Rossmore got off to a winning start in the Gleeson Concrete West Junior A Hurling championship at Pairc Ciocaim Dundrum on Friday evening.

After the opening quarter, which had been very even, they controlled the game throughout with Cashel unable to make any inroads into a tight defence, built around Padraig Carew and James Heffernan.

The game was effectively won and lost in a six-minute period from the nineteenth to the twenty fifth minute, in which they outscored the town side by 1-6 to 0-1, building up a lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game.

Played in glorious conditions, on a well-maintained surface, both sides were guilty of wayward shooting, especially early on. The sides were level on two occasions in the opening ten minutes and only one point separated the teams by the end of the opening quarter.

However, a Padraig Heffernan goal at the Railway end on twenty minutes changed the course of the game as Clonoulty tacked on the scores and were nine points to the good with five minutes remaining in the opening half. Cashel pulled a goal back on twenty-six minutes when Ross Whelan capitalised on a ball coming back off the upright. Clonoulty replied with two points in succession to lead at the break by eight.

The second half was a very dull affair with both sides finding scores hard to come by, with only four points in total scored in the twenty minutes after the break. However, the final ten minutes plus injury time served up some good entertaining hurling.  
James Hammersley opened the scoring with a point inside the first minute. Clonoulty then hit a succession of wides before Adrian Cummins tied the game on five minutes. Paudie White converted a free to open his account, easing Clonoulty ahead, only for Jack McGrath to put over at the dressing room end following a cross field ball from Adrian Cummins.

The sides were level for the second and last time with eight minutes on the clock. Padraig Heffernan fielded a high ball and put over from close in when a goal looked on. A good run by Paddy Kennedy down the Station Road side finished with point number four for Clonoulty.

Aaron Browne reduced the lead to the minimum on the quarter hour, but this was as near as Cashel would get on the night as Clonoulty upped the intensity and pace of the game. They replied with two points in quick succession from Fiachra O’Keeffe and Paudie White to go three up.

Their first break came on twenty minutes when a shot from Padraig Heffernan beat Johnny Walsh for the game’s opening goal. James Hammersley added two points before Anthony Walsh hit his opening score of the evening, a point from out the field. Oisin Fryday and Paddy Kennedy tacked on two more points, giving Clonoulty a nine-point advantage with five minutes of the half remaining.

Ross Whelan, who was covering an amount of ground, reacted quickly to a high ball coming back off the upright and the Cashel captain found the Clonoulty net with a low shot to the corner. James Hammersley hit his fourth point of the evening and wing back, Aidan Loughman closed out the half with a long-range effort in injury time. Half time score, Clonoulty Rossmore 1-12, Cashel King Cormacs 1-4.

Cashel needed a good start after the break, but it was Clonoulty who got the opening two scores, points from Paudie White in the sixth minute, and from James Hammersley in the eight. The wides tally began to add up for both sides, but Anthony Walsh converted a free on twelve minutes and eight further minutes passed before Paddy Kennedy hit the next score for Clonoulty.

The game again came alive in the closing ten minutes. Paudie White, from a free and open play putting twelve between the sides, Jack McGrath and Anthony Walsh pulling two back for Cashel.

Inside the final five minutes, Nathan Slattery and Fiachra O’Keeffe added to Clonoulty’s tally before a Long range free from Anthony Walsh went directly to the Clonoulty net in injury time. Paudie White had the final say when he hit his sixth point of the evening as Clonoulty ran out easy winners, in what was a good sporting game.

Scorers: Clonoulty Rossmore: Paudie White (0-6, 0-3f), James Hammersley (0-5), Padraig Heffernan (1-1), Paddy Kennedy (0-3), Fiachra O’Keeffe (0-2), Nathan Slattery (0-1), Aidan Loughman (0-1), Oisin Fryday (0-1).

Cashel King Cormacs: Anthony Walsh (1-3, 1-1f), Ross Whelan (1-0), Jack McGrath (0-2), Adrian Cummins (0-1), Aaron Browne (0-1).

Clonoulty Rossmore: David Egan; Niall Shanahan, James Heffernan, Adam Fryday; Aidan Loughman, Padraig Carew, Paddy Ryan; Nathan Slattery, Sean Ryan (Raymond); Oisin Fryday, Paudie White, Paddy Kennedy; James Hammersley, Padraig Heffernan, Fiachra O’Keeffe.

Subs used: Keelan Ryan for James Heffernan (inj. 35 mins)

Cashel King Cormacs: Johnny Walsh; Paddy Morrissey, Alan Cummins, Oisin Dwan; Fearghail O’Donoghue, John Darmody, Pauric Brosnan; Adrian O’Dwyer, Anthony Walsh; Ross Whelan, Jack McGrath, Mickey Coleman; Robbie Anglim, Adrian Cummins, Aaron Browne.

Referee: Paddy Russell (Emly)