Arravale always in control of county hurling league division four final in Tipperary

Arravale Rovers 2-22  Clonoulty Rossmore 1-13

Arravale Rovers are the FBD Insurance Division 4 County Hurling League champions following their twelve-point victory over Clonoulty Rossmore at a damp and cold Annacarty.

Helped by a fortuitous goal after five minutes from Niall Sharpe, the town side, without the services of senior county panellist Johnny Ryan, were always in control of this encounter.

They took the game to their opponents and with Orrin Jones in fine form from both placed balls and open play, there was only going to be one winner from a long way out. They laid down a marker during the opening quarter and had stretched their advantage to six points by the 20th minute, when they led by 1-5 to 0-2.

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While Clonoulty Rossmore came more into the game and hit three points on the bounce from Philip Kelleher, two from placed balls and a beauty from a side line cut, the town side finished out the half well and went in at the break leading by 1-8 to 0-6.

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Clonoulty Rossmore just didn’t have the firepower in attack to trouble the Arravale defence and were over-reliant on Philip Kelleher to keep the scoreboard ticking over. The fact that they also failed to put away two clear goal chances after the restart certainly didn’t help their cause.

During the course of the hour their defence was under severe pressure from the fleet-footed Arravale forwards and were it not for a fine David Egan full-length save early in the second half, their plight could have been worse. They also lost the services of full back Padraig Carew to injury 18 minutes into the game.

After four minutes Orrin Jones opened Arravale’s account when he found the target from out on the sideline. One minute later they got their first break when a speculative shot from Niall Sharpe caught the Clonoulty defence off guard, resulting in the opening goal of the game.

While Jimmy Maher replied with a minor immediately from the puck out, this goal was the main difference between the sides for the remainder of the opening half. Orrin Jones, from a placed ball, and Paddy Kennedy from open play traded minors coming up to the tenth minute before midfielder Eoin Doocey got on the scoresheet.

Orrin Jones hit his third point of the evening coming up to the quarter mark from a placed ball.

Clonoulty Rossmore’s cause wasn’t helped by an injury to full back Padraig Carew, who was forced to leave the field. This necessitated a defensive reshuffle, with Thomas Butler coming into their attack. A long range effort from Shane Quigley stretched the lead to six by the 20th minute before Philip Kelleher staged a mini-revival by Clonoulty in a five-minute spell. He converted two placed balls and then split the posts from a sideline cut.

Arravale hit back and scored three of the next four points before the break.

Sean O’Mahoney got his first of the evening, before Niall Sharpe finished an interchange with Orrin Jones to add to his earlier major. Philip Kelleher, from open play, and Jones from a placed closed out the half to leave the half-time score Arravale Rovers 1-8, Clonoulty Rossmore 0-6.

Clonoulty were quickly into the action following the restart. Kelleher pointed from a placed ball, before David Egan pulled off the save of the game. Sean O’Mahoney put over his second point and from the puckout Kelleher gained possession to reply at the other end.

Clonoulty were beginning to open up the Arravale defence, but the lack of a finish in front of goal was their undoing.
They failed to convert two clear goal chances and this seemed to affect their challenge for the remainder of the contest.

Adam Ryan raced upfield and split the posts before Alex Carroll replied for Clonoulty. Arravale then pushed on and hit eight of the next nine scores, with a Cormac Maher goal and a Sean O’Mahony sideline cut being the pick of them.

Inside the final ten minutes Philip Kelleher crashed home a goal, giving Paddy O’Donnell no chance, and Jamie Davern came upfield to score from out on the side line.

However, Arravale finished in style, with Eoghan Lonergan and Dan Ryan adding to Orrin Jones’ tally of eleven minors in a man of the match performance.

After the game, Andrew Fryday, on behalf of the County Board, presented the James Holohan Cup to Arravale Rovers captain Matthew Moroney.

Scorers: Arravale Rovers: Orrin Jones (0-11, 7f), Cormac Maher (1-2), Niall Sharpe (1-1), Sean O’Mahoney (0-3, 1sl), Eoin Doocey (0-1), Shane Quigley (0-1), Adam Ryan (0-1), Eoghan Lonergan (0-1), Dan Ryan (0-1).

Clonoulty Rossmore: Philip Kelleher (1-9, 5f,1sl), Jimmy Maher (0-1), Paddy Kennedy (0-1), Alex Carroll (0-1), Jamie Davern (0-1).

Arravale Rovers: Paddy O’Donnell, Tommy Lowry, Matthew Moroney (captain), Peter Ryan, David Ryan, Shane Leahy, Adam Ryan, Sean O’Mahoney, Eoin Doocey, Donough Leahy, Eoghan Lonergan, Niall Sharpe, Shane Quigley, Orrin Jones, Cormac Maher.

Subs: Darren Lowry for Shane Leahy (temporary 36-40), Shane Maher for Eoin Doocey (40), Dan Ryan for Shane Quigley (inj 48), Raymond Kelly for Tommy Lowry (55), Darren Lowry for Shane Leahy (55), Tadhg O’Connor for Peter Ryan (59).

Clonoulty Rossmore: David Egan, Keelan Ryan, Padraig Carew, Seamus Kennedy, Niall Shanahan, Sean O’Connor, Jamie Davern, Jimmy Maher, Paddy Kennedy, Oisín Fryday, Aaron Ryan (Rody, captain), Sean Ryan (Raymond), Philip Kelleher, Kieran Carroll, Alex Carroll.

Subs: Thomas Butler for Padraig Carew (inj 18), Nicky Kearns for Kieran Carroll (45), Danny O’Keeffe for Niall Shanahan (50).

Referee: Anthony Owens (Solohead).