Cashel King Cormacs into U15A county decider after winning high scoring semi-final

County U15A Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Cashel King Cormacs 3-17

Gortnahoe Glengoole 3-10

By John O’Shea

Cashel King Cormacs are through to meet Newport in the Coiste na nOg County Under 15A Hurling Championship Final following their seven-point victory over Mid champions Gortnahoe Glengoole at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty on Wednesday night.

Played on a dry, sharp, crisp night, before a good crowd, the West champions were good value for this victory, the foundation being laid during the opening 30 minutes when they hit 2-10 and led by ten points at the interval, with six different players on the score sheet. 

This was the main difference between these two excellent sides, as Gortnahoe was over-dependent on centre forward, Christopher Dunne, to produce their scores. He would finish the game with 3-8 to his name, with 1-2 from open play.

Cashel are a team that is well-coached in the simple aspects of the game, with everyone prepared to do the hard slog. 

During the opening period when they availed of the benefit of the sharp breeze which was blowing towards the road end, they were always content to find a man in a more favourable position, rather than take on speculative shots. 

Their first touch, the stick pass and their ability to chase down an opponent was a joy to watch. 

While Gortnahoe were over-dependent on Christopher Dunne for their scores, this was by no means a one-man show. 

They had four or five players, who were bigger in stature than their opponents and coupled with their hurling ability they proved to be a handful. In that respect, Billy Gleeson, Adam Healy and Patrick Brophy can be happy with their performance.

Cashel had a good opening half and led by 0.5 to 0.2 after eleven minutes, but it was two green flags in 60 seconds coming up to the quarter hour that set down a marker, the first coming from Scott Ryan and the second from the stick of Evan Ryan after good work by MJ Anglim.

The Gortnahoe goal came with ten minutes of the half remaining when Christopher Dunne gained possession around midfield, following a sideline cut, raced up the open side and his shot for a point just dropped under the crossbar, with Fionn Moloney unsighted. This goal lifted the Mid boys but they trailed at the break 2-10 to 1-3.

Gortnahoe, now aided by the breeze for the second period, got off to a better start after the interval and when Christopher Dunne goaled from the penalty spot after seven minutes, the gap was down to six.  

They managed to reduce the deficit to five by the end of the third quarter, but Cashel upped their intensity and pushed on to the final whistle.

Nicholas Walsh got the scoreboard moving inside the opening minute, when he split the uprights, having received a pass from Scott Ryan. Two minutes later Christopher Dunne made the first of his many runs at the Cashel defence before drawing a free which he easily converted to tie the game. 

Further points from Ultan O’Donoghue, Scott Ryan, from a free, and a second from Nicholas Walsh eased Cashel into a three-point advantage by the seventh minute. Colin Maher drew a free which Scott Ryan converted, but this was cancelled by Christopher Dunne.

Scott Ryan got in for the opening goal of the evening when he finished off a good Cashel move and within sixty seconds MJ Anglim put Evan Ryan through for a second to create a ten-point gap at the end of the first quarter.

Gortnahoe rallied with a goal that came with ten minutes of the half remaining when Christopher Dunne gained possession around midfield, following a sideline cut, raced up the open side and his shot for a point just dropped under the crossbar, with Fionn Moloney unsighted. This goal lifted the Mid boys but they trailed at the break 2-10 to 1-3.

The Mid champions were quickly off the mark following the restart when Dunne cut the deficit from a placed ball, but a goal attempt from a 20-metre free in their next attack was saved and cleared by Cashel. 

Scott Ryan and Dunne then traded minors before the latter found the net from the penalty spot. Two further white flags had the Mid side within four points as the game entered the final quarter. 

This is as near as they would get as Cashel upped their intensity for the final fifteen minutes and a point from Scott Ryan followed by a goal from Jamie Grayson pushed the lead out to eight with ten minutes remaining, 3-12 to 2-7.   

For the final ten minutes, the Cashel defence stood tall, particularly goalkeeper Fionn Moloney, who made two point-blank saves at vital times to stave off a late comeback. Two points from Grayson and a second from Ben Fitzgerald extended the Cashel lead as the clock headed towards sixty minutes. 

 Dunne hit his third major in added time, but by that stage, the town side had done enough to advance to the final, with seven points to spare. 

Both sides are to be complimented for their excellent discipline throughout the game which was played in a good sporting fashion with absolutely no rancour or nastiness of any kind, and this also extends to the mentors on the sidelines.

Cashel King Cormacs: Fionn Moloney; Michael Conor O’Brien, Adam O’Halloran, Aidan O’Dwyer; Adam Hayde, Robert Dunne (0-1 65), Harry O’Connor; Colin Maher, Ben Fitzgerald (0-2); Jamie Grayson (1-2), Ultan O’Donoghue (0-1), Nicholas Walsh (0-2); Evan Ryan (1-1), MJ Anglim, Scott Ryan (1-7, 0-5f). 

Subs used: Cathal Bonner (0-1) for MJ Anglim (57); MJ Kennedy for Ultan O’Donoghue (58).

Gortnahoe Glengoole: Conor O’Gorman; Jack Sajjadi, Ronan Gleeson, Conor Stanley; Aiden Bourke, Billy Gleeson, Martin Gleeson; Adam Norton (0-2), Patrick Brophy; Adam Healy, Christopher Dunne (3-8, 2-6f), Callum Gleeson; Harry Cooke, Shane Gleeson, Conor Gleeson. 

Subs used: MJ Brophy for Callum Gleeson (44, inj).

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels)