Clonoulty crowned champions after finally overcoming Lattin in a thriller

By John O’Shea at Golden

Clonoulty Rossmore are the Gleeson Concrete West Junior A Hurling champions for the thirteenth time following their victory over Lattin Cullen at a sun drenched energy sapping Golden on Saturday evening. The fact that it needed extra time to separate these two teams, on a day conducive to good entertaining hurling tells it all. At the finish of close on ninety minutes of hurling, both sides were out on their feet having given it all.

Lattin Cullen, champions of 2022, were hoping to put back-to-back titles for the first time, but in the end had to bow to the superior fitness levels of Clonoulty during the extra time period. During these twenty extra minutes plus added time they were outscored by 0.11 to 0.4 as weary legs took their toll.

Meeting in a final for the first time since 1958, this game was expected to go to the wire and it certainly lived up to expectations. While Clonoulty set the pace for most of the game Lattin reeled them in when they looked like putting clear light between them.

A first half injury time penalty conversion from Cathal Dillon left the sides level at the break and a Pat O’Donoghue goal at the three-quarter stage ensured that this game went to the wire.

Clonoulty, appearing in their first final since 2019, looked at different stages that they would pull away but Lattin, with Mark Russell in top form, had other ideas in a game that saw the sides level on eleven separate occasions.

Lattin started the game in whirlwind fashion with Mark Russell firing over at the far end after just fifteen seconds. Cathal Dillon doubled their advantage two minutes later. The challengers were slow to get off the mark, hitting a couple of early wides, and it took them seven minutes to get the scoreboard ticking with a free from top scorer, Paudie White.

Fiachra O’Keeffe tied the game for the first time a minute later before Nathan Slattery popped over his first of the game following a pinpoint pass from Nicky Kearns. Clonoulty were moving well and further points from Thomas Butler and Paudie White put them three to the good by the eleventh minute. Mark Russell hit a huge point before Luke Ashmore saved from Thomas Butler following a good Clonoulty move. This save lifted Lattin and two points from Cathal Dillon had the game level by the quarter mark.

What followed was a period where defences were on top and scores hard to come by, with no movement on the scoreboard for the next eight minutes, the longest period of the game without a score. Around the twenty third minute Paudie White eased Clonoulty to the front, only to be pinned back by Cathal Dillon.

White again and Ed O’Meara exchanged points to tie the game with two minutes of normal time remaining. Points from Paudie White and Fiachra O’Keeffe had Clonoulty two up as the game entered injury time. Two minutes into injury time Pat O’Donoghue was hauled down and following consultations with his umpires, referee Davy Ryan awarded a penalty, which Cathal blasted home.

Clonoulty’s reply was fast and swift as Padraig Heffernan gathered the puck-out and sent over the equaliser at the dressing room end to leave the sides level, 0.10 to 1.7 after a pulsating and energy sapping first half.

The second half started with a Cathal Dillon point from play when he put over from an acute angle at the dressing room end. Clonoulty hit back and scored four unanswered points in a seven minute spell, two from frees by Paudie White and one each from Nicky Kearns and Thomas Butler. Clonoulty had upped the anti and were moving well, but were rocked back on their heels by a Pat O’Donoghue goal after fourteen minutes.

A long range free from Cathal Dillon dropped short and was not adequately dealt with by the Clonoulty defence before O’Donoghue struck green. Clonoulty again replied via Paudie White with two converted frees before Mark Russell hit two wonder long range points, to tie the game for the seventh time. With eight minutes of normal time remaining, Jack O’Halloran eased Lattin to the front, only to be hauled back with points from Nathan Slattery and a huge effort from James Heffernan.

Mark Russell hit his fifth of the evening, tiring the game once more. Paudie White and Diarmaid Looby exchanged points in injury time before James Heffernan put over what looked like being the winner on sixty-three minutes. However, Lattin battled and won a free around the half way line., which Cathal Dillon converted to send the game to extra time on the score Lattin Cullen 2.14, Clonoulty Rossmore 0.20.

During the final ten minutes of normal time plus the extra time, substitutions became a huge factor in this energy sapping game and here Clonoulty appeared to get it right. They were able to introduce fresh legs and this certainly paid dividends. The introduction of Odhran Quirke and Oisin Fryday added strength to the attack while Padded Kennedy proved a handful with his piercing runs.

Scores were at a premium for the first five minutes of extra time but Clonoulty finished the half in style out-scoring Lattin 0.4 to 0.1. Nathan Slattery, who put in a huge shift at midfield, put over his third of the evening, Paudie White was unerring from two placed balls and Fiachra hit his third of the game. Cathal Dillon converted his seventh to leave the half time score in extra time, 0.24 to 2.15 in favour of Clonoulty Rossmore.

The second period of extra time was completely dominated by Clonoulty, with Oisin Fryday hitting two huge points under pressure, Paddy Kennedy also getting on the scoresheet and Fiachra O’Keeffe taking over the free taking duties following the replacement of the exhausted Paudie White.

The introduction of Adam Fryday and Cathal Ryan (Raymond) also instilled a bit of pace around the middle third for Clonoulty. Cathal Dillon and Jack O’Halloran got consolation points for Lattin but Clonoulty finished on a high with a long range free from Padraig Carew and two close in efforts from Fiachra O’Keeffe, running out seven point winners, 0.31 to 2.18.

After the game West Board chair, Tommy Hayes, accompanied by Sponsor Michael Gleeson presented the Hickey Cup to Clonoulty Rossmore captain Paddy Ryan.

Scorers:
Clonoulty Rossmore: Paudie White (0.13, 12 frees), Fiachra O’Keeffe (0.5, 3 frees), Nathan Slattery (0.3), Oisin Fryday (0.2), Thomas Butler (0.2), James Heffernan (0.2), Padraig Heffernan (0.1), Nicky Kearns (0.1), Paddy Kennedy (0.1), Padraig Carew (0.1 free)

Lattin/Cullen: Cathal Dillon (1.9, 8 frees, 1.0 penalty), Mark Russell (0.5), Paddy O’Donoghue (1.0), Jack O’Halloran (0.2), Ed O’Meara (0.1), Diarmuid Looby (0.1)

Clonoulty Rossmore: David Egan, Aidan Loughman, Padraig Carew, Niall Shanahan, James Heffernan, Donnchadh Quirke, Paddy Ryan (Captain), Nathan Slattery, Sean Ryan (Raymond), Paudie White, Padraig Heffernan, Aidan White, Nicky Kearns, Thomas Butler, Fiachra O’Keeffe
Subs used; Oisin Fryday for Nicky Kearns (41 mins.), Odhran Quirke for Aidan White (50 mins.), Paddy Kennedy for Padraig Heffernan (50 mins.), Aidan White for Sean Ryan (Raymond) (ET), Adam Fryday for Nathan Slattery (ET), Cathal Ryan (Raymond) for Paudie White (ET) 

Lattin/Cullen: Luke Ashmore, Daragh O’Brien, Mark Hanley (Captain), Laurence Coskeran, Tim Corcoran, Barry Grogan, Stephen Carey, Ben Carey, Tadhg Carew, Mark Russell, Cathal Dillon, Jack O’Halloran, Diarmuid Looby Pat O’Donoghue, Ed O’Meara
Subs used; Tony O’Neill for Ed O’Meara (41 mins.), Raymond Hennessy for Ben Carey (46 mins.), Tom Hanley for Pat O’Donoghue (55 mins.), Liam Carew for Tony O’Neill (ET), Ben Carey for Tim Corcoran (ET), Pat O’Donoghue for Liam Carew (ET), Gary Quirke for Tadgh Carew (ET)

Referee; Davy Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs)