Joe Hayes Cleanline Farm Services West U19A Hurling Championship Final
Cashel King Cormacs 0-30
Golden Kilfeacle 2-22
After Extra Time
By John O’Shea
Cashel King Cormacs are the Joe Hayes Cleanline Farm Services West U19A Hurling champions for the second time, joining Knockavilla Kickhams on the roll of honour, following their extra time three point victory over Golden Kilfeacle at a sharp but dry Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty on Tuesday evening.
In what was a repeat of last year’s decider, this game certainly lived up to it’s billing, the game went right down to the wire after over 85 minutes in total of some excellent hurling.
After an evenly balanced opening 20 minutes, Cashel led by the minimum, but in a three-minute period they were rocked back by two Golden/Kilfeacle goals, the first from Jack Bergin and the second from Aidan Tuohy.
However, Cashel hit back to reduce the deficit to four by the half-time break. This was mainly due to the accuracy of their sharpshooter Oisin O’Donoghue, who finished the half with 0-7.
The town side had the advantage of the wind for the second period and gradually ate into the Golden lead, eventually drawing level on the fiftieth minute. The final ten minutes were certainly edge-of-the-seat stuff and as the game entered added time, it looked as if Cashel had done enough, that was until Cian Ryan popped up with the equalising point to bring the game to extra time.
The lights were switched on for the extra time, but it was the players on the field who really lit up the occasion. Cashel were ahead at the break by the minimum and pushed on after the restart, with Oisin O’Donoghue and Denis O’Callaghan leading by example.
With three points separating the sides late on, Eoghan Dunne saved a certain goal when he got down well to a shot from Eanna Ormond after a defence-splitting run from Jack Bergin. Cashel held out and overall just about deserved their two-point victory.
Golden/Kilfeacle played with the aid of a sharp diagonal breeze, which was blowing into the clubhouse corner, and Jack Bergin got the scoreboard moving after just forty seconds, when he put over a placed ball from out near the sideline.
This was to be the start of a personal shootout between himself and Oisin O’Donoghue, with both displaying unbelievable accuracy in the tricky conditions.
Callum Byrnes equalised before Jack Bergin again eased Golden to the front. Cashel then hit three points in quick succession, O’Donoghue, Denis O’Callaghan and Davy McGrath on the mark.
Jack Bergin replied with two on the trot from placed balls before Oisin O’Donoghue showed his remarkable skill, catching the high puck out, turning and firing over from the halfway line out on the sideline. This was a score to inspire any team.
Golden were back on level terms, for the third time, through Jack Bergin but Aidan Skeffington put over from a narrow angle to go one up by the twentieth minute. Golden got their first big break when Charlie Hall set up Jack Bergin to fire past Eoghan Dunne in the Cashel goal.
This was quickly followed up with a point from a placed ball before Aidan Tuohy got a flick onto a high ball from the outfield for goal number two. In the space of three minutes Golden were six points to the good, but Cashel didn’t panic and kept to their game plan.
They finished the half in a flurry with O’Donoghue putting over two from placed balls, before Jack Dalton found the target from long range, to leave the half-time score, Golden Kilfeacle 2-10, Cashel King Cormacs 0-12.
Golden hit the opening point after the restart when Jack Bergin set up Eanna Ormond, but Cashel slowly began to eat into the advantage. Callum Byrnes hit his second, before Oisin O’Donoghue hit a brace, the second from open play. Jack Bergin had his tenth point of the evening before Davy McGrath added his second, O’Donoghue being the provider.
Over the next ten minutes scores were exchanged, but Cashel were beginning to make inroads with good interchange play and when Andrew Irwin equalised for the fourth time on 50 minutes, this signalled a hectic final ten minutes.
Jamie Moloney intercepted an attempted clearance to fire over from close in, but Davy McGrath set up Irwin for his second on 55 minutes. Bergin put Golden one up as the clock ticked down, but not for the first time O’Donoghue hit back with two from placed balls as the game entered added time.
In the third additional minute, and Cashel with one hand on the cup, upped stepped Cian Ryan from defence to put over the equaliser from out on the far sideline to send the game to extra time, with the score Cashel 0-23, Golden 2-17.
Sometimes extra time can change a game, but this wasn’t the case here as both sides continued to go at one another. The sides were level on three occasions during the opening nine minutes of the first period of this extra time before a converted free from O’Donoghue eased Cashel ahead by the minimum at the break.
For the second period Cashel showed more urgency, and had no intention of surrendering their title without a fight, with Oisin O’Donoghue showing great leadership in these tense final minutes, tracking back to clear his lines while also converting three invaluable placed balls.
In the closing minutes, Jack Bergin split the Cashel defence with a piercing run, before putting Eanna Ormond through on goal. However, Ormond’s well struck shot was saved by Eoghan Dunne at the near post. Gavin Dalton closed out the scoring with a point in injury time, but Cashel held out for a two-point victory, in what was a very honest game of hurling.
There were many heroes on both sides, Jack Bergin led by example for Golden and finished with 1-14. However, Oisin O’Donoghue was the difference in the destination of the title, with not only his contribution on the scoreboard where he finished with 0-17, but with his overall contribution. He covered every blade of grass in Clonoulty and definitely, this is a guy for the future.
After the game, West Chairman Tommy Hayes, accompanied by sponsor Joe Hayes, presented the Liam O’Duibhir Cup to winning captain Kieran O’Dwyer.
Scorers & Teams
Cashel King Cormacs; Oisin O’Donoghue (0.17, 14 frees), Davy McGrath (0.4), Callum Byrnes (0.3), Denis O’Callaghan (0.3), Andrew Irwin (0.2), Aidan Skeffington (0.1)
Golden/Kilfeacle: Jack Bergin (1.14, 13 frees), Aidan Tuohy (1.0), Sam Hall (0.2), Jack Dalton (0.1), Gavin Dalton ().1), Tyler Barry (0.1), Cian Ryan ().1), Jamie Moloney (0.1), Eanna Ormond (0.1)
Cashel King Cormacs: Eoghan Dunne; Kyle Cully, Kieran O’Dwyer, Cormac McInerney; Brian Manton, Anthony Walsh, Colm Ryan; Oisín O’Donoghue, Callum Byrnes; Lee O’Riordan, Andrew Irwin, Briain O’Donoghue; Denis O’Callaghan, Davy McGrath, Aidan Skeffington.
Subs used: Tudor Mereacre for Briain O’Donoghue (43); Tommy O’Connor for Lee O’Riordan (58); Lee O’Riordan for Tommy O’Connor (77).
Golden/Kilfeacle: Lee Hayes; Ning Brennan, Cian Ryan, Cian Lonergan; Aidan Tuohy, Ciaran Byrnes, Aaron Colohan; Gavin Dalton, Jack Dalton; Eanna Ormond, Jack Bergin, Padraig Dalton; Charlie Hall, Sam Hall, James McLoughlin.
Subs used: Jamie Moloney for James McLoughlin (48); Harry Fogarty for Ning Brennan (50); Kevin Hogan for Aidan Tuohy (57); Tyler Barry for Aaron Colohan (ET).
Referee: Donie Horan (Eire Og Annacarty Donohill)
