Six-point win sends Cashel King Cormacs through to west Tipperary's Crosco Cup final

Cashel King Cormacs 1-23 Eire Óg Annacarty Donohill 0-20

Cashel King Cormacs are through to the Bertie’s Bar Dundrum Crosco Cup West Tipperary Hurling final following their six-point win over Eire Óg Annacarty at Pairc Ciocaim, Dundrum.

Played before a good crowd on a well prepared pitch, this game lived up to all the expectations, with the difference overall between the sides being a goal from Cathal Quinn two minutes before the break.

This goal proved to be a big score, as it gave the TJ Connolly-managed town side a cushion for the remainder of the game, the teams having been on level terms four times during the opening quarter.

Cashel were quickly out of the blocks and Devon Ryan opened the scoring at the railway end with a converted placed ball inside the first minute.

Eire Óg replied with three minors, two from Tom Fox and one from Donal O’Dwyer, all struck from distance.

Davy McGrath put over from a tight angle before Tom Fox hit his third point in the space of four minutes.

With play switching from end to end, scores were exchanged regularly and when Seanie Ryan hit his opening score on the quarter hour it tied the game for the fourth time.

Devon Ryan then hit three in succession, two from play, before Aidan Griffin opened his account from a placed ball.

As the game headed towards the half-time break, there was only the minimum separating the sides until Cathal Quinn crashed home the only goal of the game, beating Mooney from close range, having been set up by Davy McGrath.

An Anthony Walsh free, while Devon Ryan was receiving attention for an injury, put five between the sides at the break, Cashel KC 1-11, Eire Og 0-9.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with scores exchanged on a regular basis, after Cashel had gone into a seven-point lead early on.

With Johnny Walsh in fine form between the Cashel posts, Eire Óg were unable to get the required goal to pull them back into the game.

Also, their inability late on to convert a few placed balls was a contributing factor to the Cashel victory.

Cashel now meet Kickhams in the decider in a repeat of the 2021 final, which was the last occasion for Cashel to claim victory.

Scorers: Cashel KC: Devon Ryan (0-10, 7 frees), Cathal Quinn (1-0), Davy McGrath (0-3), Paddy Fahy (0-2), Ross Bonnar (0-2), Anthony Walsh (0-1 free), Dan Moloney (0-1), Simon Delaney (0-1), James Cummins (0-1), Ger Browne (0-1), Eoghan Connolly (0-1).

Eire Óg Annacarty Donohill: Aidan Griffin (0-6, 2 frees), Seanie Ryan (0-4, 2 frees), Donal O’Dwyer (0-3), Tom Fox (0-3), Connie Bradshaw (0-2), Kevin Fox (0-1), Dinny Crosse (0-1).

Cashel KC: Johnny Walsh, Conn Bonnar, Nathan Ryan, Kieran O’Dwyer, James Cummins (captain), Conor O’Dwyer, Fabian Ryan, Paddy Fahy, Cathal Quinn, Ross Bonnar, Devon Ryan, Dan Moloney, Davy McGrath, Simon Delaney, Anthony Walsh.

Subs used: Ger Browne (44), Eoghan Connolly (54).

Eire Óg Annacarty Donohill: Daragh Mooney, Paul Downey, David Fox, Darragh O’Brien, Mikey Bradshaw, Brian Fox, Donal O’Dwyer, Tom Fox, Seanie Ryan, Dinny Crosse, Liam Og O’Dwyer, Liam Crosse, Aidan Griffin, Kevin Fox (captain), Connie Bradshaw.

Subs used: Paul Devlin (56), Jordan Hayes (56).

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Knockavilla/Donaskeigh Kickhams).

The final between Cashel King Cormacs and Knockavilla/Donaskeigh Kickhams will be played in Golden at 7.15 next Wednesday evening, June 12.