Killenaule just hold on to win South Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final

Killenaule 1-20 Carrick Swan 2-16

Saturday evening’s Clonmel Oil South Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final at Clonmel Sportsfield ended in a welter of excitement as Killenaule, ten points up at one stage in the first half, held off a stirring Carrick Swan revival to squeeze home by a single point, 1-20 to 2-16.

Torrential rain before the game didn’t deter a huge attendance from turning up and they were treated to a rip-roaring contest that wasn’t finally decided until the 64th minute.

The final between the two most successful clubs in the south championship saw Killenaule close the gap in the roll of honour against their rivals to just one, the Carrick club now just one ahead at 24 titles to Killenaule’s 23.

Killenaule dominated the opening half, leading 1-10 to 0-3 after twenty two minutes and they were still six ahead at the break, 1-12 to 1-6, against a totally out of sorts Swan.

An improved Swan got back into the contest in the second half, reducing the margin to just three points midway through the half. Yet the Robins withstood the challenge and led again by five, 1-20 to 1-15, with three minutes of normal time remaining.

However, as they had done in the semi-final win over St Mary’s, Swan finished strongly and 1-1 without reply in the closing minutes set up a finale that had the supporters in the packed stand on the edges of their seats.

However, time ran out on them as they failed to score the equaliser that would have sent the game to extra time.

A brilliant contest will also be remembered for an incredible display from Killenaule’s Joe O’Dwyer. Not only was he superb in open play but he ended with a tally of 1-12, nine frees, two 65s, a point from play and a freak goal from a sideline cut that proved crucial in the end.

Fielding without John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, Killenaule were still on the front foot early and led 0-4 to 0-1 after five minutes, from two Joe O’Dwyer frees and points from play from Dara Fitzgerald and Dean O’Connor, to a Swan reply from Aidan Waters.

Carrick’s Gavin O’Halloran and Killenaule’s Dara Fitzgerald exchanged points before O’Dwyer’s goal in the eighth minute put daylight between the sides. A sideline cut on the stand side was well struck by O’Dwyer but appeared to pose no real danger until it landed on the artificial surface in the goalmouth and skidded to the net past Kieran Lonergan.

O’Dwyer followed up with two pointed frees in the next two minutes to make it 1-7 to 0-2.

Swan hadn’t got into the game at this stage. They were lacking their usual intensity, they were second best to fifty-fifty balls and they couldn’t make their passes stick.

By the 25th minute they had added just two further points, from a Gavin O’Halloran free and a great Kevin Lanigan point from distance, while a Killenaule side in cruise control – despite losing the influential Jimmy Feehan to injury in the 18th minute - extended the lead to 1-11 to 0-4 with two further Joe O’Dwyer frees.

They also had a superb score from open play from O’Dwyer following a slick passing move, and another good score from Eoin Barry following a pass from O’Dwyer that split open the Swan defence through the centre.

Defending champions Swan needed something to happen before the game ran away from them and it came in the 26th minute. A sublime pass from Dean Waters put Gavin O’Halloran clear and he hit a great goal past Joe Caesar.

Corey Ryan added a point from a tight angle in the next move and Swan were back in touch. Killenaule captain on the night, Killian O’Dwyer, with an outstanding score, and Aaron Dunne for Swan exchanged points to leave Killenaule ahead by six at the break, 1-12 to 1-6.

A pointed free from Gavin O’Halloran 45 seconds after the restart signalled Swan’s intentions and their greatly improved performance made for a highly competitive second period.

A Joe O’Dwyer 65 cancelled out O’Halloran’s score but Swan replied again through Aaron Dunne.

However, six minutes into the half Killenaule had gone seven points clear, 1-15 to 1-8, with points from substitute Luke Ryan and another O’Dwyer free.

But then in the space of five minutes, Carrick Swan hit four points without reply. Eric O’Halloran started the run, followed by Aaron Dunne who did well under pressure; Eric O’Halloran put Taylor Fleming through to point and then substitute Danny O’Hanlon fielded brilliantly to turn and score, and reduce the Killenaule lead to three points.

However, in a game with so many swings of fortune, it was Killenaule’s turn to regain control and they hit three points without reply over three minutes, from two O’Dwyer frees and a point from play from Eoin Shaw, to restore a six-points advantage with twelve minutes left to play.

True to form, back came Swan and Danny O’Hanlon hit his second point from a Taylor Fleming pass when he might have gone for goal.

Joe O’Dwyer from a 65 and Gavin O’Halloran exchanged points before the contest ended in a crescendo of excitement, with virtually all the play in the direction of the Killenaule goal – and one of the key players in that time was Killenaule goalkeeper Joe Caesar with a series of brilliant saves.

Six minutes from the end of normal time, Gavin O’Halloran pointed a free following a foul on Eric O’Halloran to make it a four- point game, 1-19 to 1-15. A minute later Taylor Fleming put Eric O’Halloran through on goal, only for Caesar to make a great block.

In a rare Killenaule breakaway, substitute Eoin O’Connell put five between the sides again, but the traffic was all one-way now. Eric O’Halloran hit a dangerous ball across goal but there was no one on the end of the pass to finish.

Then the outstanding O’Halloran put Fleming clear and again Caesar came to the rescue with another save. However, this time the sliothar rebounded at the feet of Colin Waters and he booted it to the unguarded net to leave just two points between the teams.

The Swan barrage continued and Caesar made another save from substitute Callum Walsh and in the scramble that followed, Swan were awarded a free. With normal time up, Gavin O’Halloran opted to shoot low and hard for a goal but the shot was blocked. Killenaule won a free out and the cheers from their supporters could be heard back in the hills of Slieveardagh.

Two minutes into added time, Eric O’Halloran had another shot saved. Then when Gavin O’Halloran pointed a 65 in the 33rd minute, the margin was down to a single point, but referee Michael Kennedy’s whistle signalled that time had run out on the Swan fightback.

It was a breathtaking finale to the South Board’s showpiece encounter. Both sides left nothing on the pitch and accepting the cup, alongside captain on the night Killian O’Dwyer, club captain Paddy Codd said he would love to see both sides do well in the forthcoming county championship and challenge for promotion back to the Dan Breen Cup.

Spearheading Killenaule to their 23rd south title were the brilliant Joe O’Dwyer, unerring from placed ball and rock solid in open play; outstanding goalkeeper Joe Caesar, whose saves in the closing stages were as crucial as the scores at the other end; as well as Killian O’Dwyer, Dara Fitzgerald, Dean O’Connor and Eoin Shaw.

Carrick Swan’s push for a 25th title fell just short but they didn’t relinquish their crown without a battling display, especially in the second half, when Eric O’Halloran, Gavin O’Halloran, Kevin Lanigan, Aaron Dunne and sub Danny O’Hanlon drove them forward.

Killenaule: Joe Caesar, Padraig O’Dwyer, Killian O’Dwyer 0-1; Jack Hassett, Joe O’Dwyer 1-12, 1-0 sideline cut; 0-9 frees; 0-2 65s; Thomas Keaveney, Ciaran O’Dwyer, Dara Fitzgerald 0-2; Jimmy Feehan, Paudie Feehan, Dean O’Connor 0-1; Eoin Shaw 0-1; Michael Doyle, Tom Stakelum, Eoin Barry 0-1.

Subs: Finn Nolan for Jimmy Feehan (injured), Luke Ryan 0-1 for Michael Doyle, Eoin O’Connell 0-1 for Dara Fitzgerald, Fionn Fitzgerald for Tom Stakelum.

Carrick Swan: Kieran Lonergan, Dean Kiely, Billy Murphy, Jack Murphy, Colin Waters 1-0; Kevin Lanigan 0-1; Share Torpey, Gavin O’Halloran 1-6, 0-3 frees; 0-1 65; Aidan Waters 0-1; Corey Ryan 0-1; Dean Waters, Jamie Holloway, Eric O’Halloran 0-1; Taylor Fleming 0-1; Aaron Dunne 0-3.

Subs: Owen Harrigan for Shane Torpey, Callum Walsh for Aidan Waters, Dean Walsh for Taylor Fleming, Danny O’Hanlon 0-2 for Jamie Holloway, Mikey Loughman for Corey Ryan.

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle).