Cashel send out message of intent in quarter-final destruction of Thurles Sarsfields

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

Cashel King Cormacs   3-25

Thurles Sarsfields         1-13

By Ronan Loughnane 

Cashel King Cormacs powered their way into the last four of the Premier Intermediate championship with a storming performance that simply blew Thurles Sarsfields out of the water. The foundations were laid in the opening half when they played against the strong wind and led by two points following a real workmanlike display. 

They were energetic, direct, and had a great pace about their play. Robbie Stapleton replaced Pa Bourke before the throw-in and it was he who landed the opening point inside two minutes. 

The ever-willing Ross Bonnar got Cashel off the mark in the third minute with a point from play before the sides shared four wides. Oisin O’Donoghue was very effective throughout and he pointed in the sixth minute. Conor Lanigan was in fine form for the Sars and he opened his account a minute later. 

Hurling is all about the first touch and David McGrath showed beautiful skill to set up Cathal Quinn for a point. Hesitant Cashel defending allowed Harry Fitzgibbon to nip in and finish to the net for the opening goal in the ninth minute. 

Thurles had a number of aimless wides with the wind behind them and might have been better served to play the ball in. Lanigan and Mikey O’Brien did manage to find the target with two points but Cashel found twice as many through Devon Ryan, Quinn and one apiece from the Connolly brothers, Ronan and Eoghan to leave the sides tied at 1-4 to 0-7 after the opening quarter. 

The scores came thick and fast over the next nine minutes, six for the Sars courtesy of their captain Tommy Doyle, Keith Loughnane, Rory Purcell, Tommy Maher, Robbie Stapleton and another from Lanigan in reply to three for Cashel through David McGrath (2) and Eoghan Connolly. Sars were three but crucially they failed to score again before the break. 

Two minors from Devon Ryan closed the gap to a point before the same player played a great ball through to Ross Bonnar for a Cashel major and a half-time lead of 1-12 to 1-10.

The signs were ominous for the Sars with such a strong breeze against them and when Cashel came galloping out of the traps after the break they never stood a chance. Eoghan Connolly pointed a free from distance in the opening minute before a cracking move involving four players resulted in James Cummins firing past Kevin Bracken in the Sars goal just 60 seconds later. 

Cathal Quinn and Ryan followed up with two more points and the lead was gone out to eight in the blink of an eye. Sars were stunned but did manage a response through points from Tommy Maher, Rory Purcell and Keith Loughnane in reply to two Ross Bonnar points to leave Cashel 2-17 to 1-13 ahead after 40 minutes. Incredibly Thurles Sarsfields never scored thereafter and Cashel tacked on points at their ease. 

Kevin Bracken did his best to prevent a third goal with some excellent saves but he was finally beaten by Bonnar in the 57th minute to put the icing on an excellent Cashel performance. They will be delighted with the pace of their play and will provide a stern test for Upperchurch Drombane in the Saturday weeks’ semi-final. 

They had many fine displays throughout the field with the Connolly’s, Conor O’Dwyer, Oisin O’Donoghue, Ross Bonnar, David McGrath and Cathal Quinn really catching the eye. 

It was an unusually below par performance from the Sars who never got up to the speed of the game. Michael Cahill got on an amount of ball as sweeper while Conor Lanigan, Rory Purcell, Robbie Stapleton and Aidan Ryan did their best to stem a powerful Cashel tide.

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne; Con Bonner, Nathan Ryan, Kieran O’Dwyer; James Cummins, 1-0), Conor O’Dwyer, Ronan Connolly (0-1); Paddy Fahy, Eoghan Connolly (0-6, 0-4f, 0-1 65); Cathal Quinn (0-3), Devon Ryan (0-6, 0-4f), Oisin O’Donoghue (0-1); David McGrath (0-2), Anthony Walsh, Ross Bonner (2-3).

Subs used: Simon Delaney for Fahy (52); Adrian Cummins (0-2) for Ronan Connolly (58); Ger Browne (0-1) for Bonnar (58); Aaron Moloney for Conor O’Dwyer (60).

Thurles Sarsfields: Kevin Bracken; Kieran Moloney, Aidan Ryan, Jack O’Mara; Tommy Doyle (0-1), Michael Cahill, Kieran Costello; Tommy Maher (0-2f), Harry Fitzgibbon (1-0); Rory Purcell (0-2), Michael Russell, Keith Loughnane (0-2); Michael O’Brien (0-1), Conor Lanigan (0-3), Robbie Stapleton (0-2). 

Subs used: Daniel Rossiter for Russell (27, inj); David Maher for Keith Loughnane (45); Seosamh Ryan for Tommy Maher (47); Aidan Stakelum for Doyle (52); Pa Dunne for Costello (55). 

Referee: Nigel Carrigan (Ballybacon Grange)