Rivalry of 2024 continues as Éire Óg and Cashel King Cormacs can't be separated yet again

FBD Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship - Round 3 - Group 2

Eire Og Annacarty Donohill 0-25 

Cashel King Cormacs 3-16

By John O’Shea

In this eagerly awaited re-run of the West Final Cashel King Cormacs came from being four points down, with six minutes of normal time remaining, to salvage a share of the spoils in this entertaining Round 3, Group 2, FBD Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty on Saturday afternoon.

In a game, played before a good size crowd, the sides were on level terms on fourteen occasions throughout, which included nine during the opening period. 

Eire Og will consider themselves unlucky not to have taken both points, as they coughed up at least two goal chances and won’t be happy with some of their defending, especially for Cashel’s third goal.

Eire Og came into this game with the knowledge that a draw would be good enough for them to advance to the knockout stages of the championship, while Cashel needed a win, at least, if they were to avoid a preliminary quarter-final. 

At the end, a share of the points was enough for the West runners-up to top this group and advance directly to the quarter-final, whereas Cashel must now play a preliminary quarter-final against a second-placed team from one of the other three groups.

The opening half was an even affair, with play moving from end to end, and was level on nine occasions. The first real drama came after 12 minutes, when Eire Og turned over a short puck out by Cashel, resulting in Aidan Griffin being pulled down at the expense of a penalty. 

Darragh Mooney came up-field but his shot was brilliantly saved by Aaron Browne. This was a let-off for the town side who immediately attacked through Oisin O’Donoghue and he set up Davy McGrath for the opening goal. A six-point turnabout in the space of ninety seconds.

Eire Og recovered well from this minor setback and pushed on to lead by the minimum, 0-15 to 1-11 at the break.

Cashel drew level, forty seconds after the restart, before Aaron Browne saved well from Seanie Ryan, to keep Eire Og at bay. Cashel then survived another Eire attack on four minutes which should have resulted in a major, only for the ball to go outside of the post.

Eire Og’s best spell came between the fortieth and 50th minute when they hit five minors without reply, but again Cashel came storming back with a Devon Ryan goal at the far end. 

Eire Og rallied and it looked as if they might hold out, but Ger Browne, who had been introduced in the 48th minute, got in behind the defence and latched on to a high ball, before crashing past Mooney for goal number three, to tie the game coming up to 60 minutes. 

A point from each side in added time ensured a share of the spoils, with both teams advancing to the knockout stages.

Eire Og defended the dressing room end for the opening period and availed of a slight wind, which blew diagonally towards the bottom right-hand corner. Eoghan Connolly got the scoreboard moving inside a minute before Darragh Kelly set up Tom Fox for the first of his four first-half points. Connolly doubled his tally from a long-range placed ball, from around 95 meters, but again Fox replied with an equaliser inside four minutes. 

Play was switching from end to end, as the sun emerged. Ross Bonner put over two minors, in between a Darragh Kelly point, all from open play. Aidan Griffin had his opening shot on goals, from a placed ball, and fired over the fired over the first of his ten points, judging the wind to perfection. 

Eire Og created their first goal chance but the ball didn’t fall kindly for Darragh Kelly, who done well to come away with a point. 

Twelve minutes into the game, a short puck out from Cashel went astray and was turned over by Aidan Griffin, who was then pulled down inside the parallelogram. Darragh Mooney came up-field and his drive to the right was well saved by Aaron Browne. 

This let-off drove on Cashel and in their next attack Oisin O’Donoghue set up Davy McGrath and the corner forward beat Mooney with a low shot for the game’s opening goal.

Eire Og responded well and points from Donal O’Dwyer and Darragh Kelly had the sides back on level terms for the fifth time at the quarter-hour stage.

The second quarter continued in the same fashion with play moving from end to end. Eoghan Connolly landed another long-range free, but Tom Fox replied again. Oisin O’Donoghue eased the West champions back in front but Eire Og hit the next three minors, one from Dinny Crosse, which was followed up by Paudie Bradshaw, before Mooney put two between the sides from a free deep inside his half.

Devon Ryan opened his account from a placed ball after 22 minutes but Griffin replied from a sideline cut from the stand side. Devon Ryan set up Eoghan Connolly for his fourth of the half, but again Tom Fox was equal to it with his reply. 

Connolly then set up Oisin O’Donoghue following a puck out, but again Eire Og replied through Dinny Crosse to keep two between the sides.

With three minutes remaining, Davy McGrath slipped his marker out near the corner at the stand side before cutting in and splitting the posts. Dan Moloney then took advantage of a spilled ball by Eire Og to tie the game, but Seanie Ryan had the last say of the half before Sean Lonergan sounded the half-time whistle as Eire Og led by the minimum, 0-15 to 1-11.

Cashel attacked from the restart and Devin Ryan had the sides back on level terms, from a free, inside the opening minute. Two minutes in Aaron Browne pulled off a save from Seanie Ryan when a goal looked on. 

Aidan Griffin, from a placed ball, and Ross Bonner, from open play, traded scores before Cashel had a big let-off. Conor O’Brien won possession close-in and set up Tom Fox, but with Arron Browne beaten his shot went just outside the right-hand upright.

The sides were again back on level terms by the 40th minute when Devon Ryan cancelled out a Dinny Crosse point. For the next ten minutes, it was all Eire Og as they upped their game and pressed home their advantage on the scoreboard. 

Aidan Griffin, who was unerring from placed balls, grew into the game and hit four minors in that period. Darragh Kelly hit his fourth from open play, to put Eire Og five up, with ten minutes of normal time remaining.

Cashel came storming back, following a turnover from Oisin O’Donoghue around midfield. O’Donoghue fed Eoghan Connolly, whose powerful running split the defence before setting up Devon Ryan and the corner forward gave Mooney no chance from close in. 

Aidan Griffin pushed Eire Og’s advantage out to three as the clock headed towards the sixty minutes. 

As the game headed towards added time, it looked as if Eire Og might hold out, but Ger Browne, who had been introduced in the 48th minute, got in behind the defence and latched on to a high ball, before crashing past Mooney for goal number three, to tie the game once more. 

Aidan Griffin put over his tenth minor of the day, from open play, but Anthony Walsh closed out the scoring, two minutes into added time, to ensure a share of the spoils.

Eire Og topped the group and will advance directly to the quarter-finals, while Cashel, by their West Championship victory back in July, will contest the preliminary quarter-final.

Eire Og Annacarty: Daragh Mooney (0-1f); Paul Devlin, David Fox, Mixie Bradshaw; Paudie Bradshaw (0-1), Brian Fox, Paul Downey; Seanie Ryan (0-1), Tom Fox (0-4); Donal O’Dwyer (0-1), Conor O’Brien, Connie Bradshaw; Aidan Griffin (0-10, 0-8f), Dinny Crosse (0-3), Darragh Kelly (0-4).

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne, Conn Bonner, Nathan Ryan, Kieran O’Dwyer, James Cummins, Conor O’Dwyer, Anthony Walsh (0-1), Ross Bonner (0-3), Ronan Connolly, Dan Moloney (0-1), Eoghan Connolly (0-4, 0-2f), Oisin O’Donoghue (0-2), Davy McGrath (1-1), Johnny Walsh, Devon Ryan (1-4, 0-4f). 

Subs used: Ger Browne (1-0) for Johnny Walsh (48).

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers)