Kilruane do the needful to progress at the expense of Roscrea and Borris-Ileigh

FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship - Group 4 - Round 3

Kilruane MacDonaghs 1-23  

Roscrea 0-20

By James Hayden 

Kilruane MacDonaghs proved too strong in edging out a battling Roscrea side in what proved an absorbing Senior Hurling Championship final round clash at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh, on Sunday afternoon.

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Kilruane went into this 'do or die' clash minus the services of the hugely influential Jerome Cahill and drafted in U-19 star Michael Cleary into their robust-looking attack. Roscrea on the other hand fielded a strong side boosted by the return of Kenny Lee and Aidan Booth but were left to rue a number of raft of first and second half wides and must now face into a looming relegation battle together with Lorrha/Dorrha, Mullinahone and Clonoulty.

With little or no breeze to contend with both sides started brightly with Dan Ryan opening Roscrea’s account just seconds into the game. Willie Cleary (free) responded for Kilruane before Alan Tynan was yellow-carded following a heavy tackle on Kilruane centre-back Craig Morgan.

Kilruane continued with their bright start with Kian O'Kelly and Cian Darcy arrowing over two fine points. Dan Ryan responded for Roscrea as the helter-skelter nature of the game continued apace.

Michael Cleary and Kenny Lee exchanged points in the seventh minute as the sides went toe to toe in the opening quarter. Efforts from Shane Fletcher (free) and Darragh Tynan edged Roscrea into a slender one-point lead in the eleventh minute but successive Willie Cleary frees fired Kilruane back in front mid-way through the half, 0-6 to 0-5.

Darragh Tynan restored parity with a sublime strike from the stand sideline before a brace of Kilruane points from Shane Cleary and Thomas Cleary. The exceptional Darragh Tynan once again stepped up to respond for Ros’ but Kilruane were starting to motor and a further brace from Cian Darcy and Thomas Cleary fired Thomas Williams' charges three clear with 19 minutes elapsed.

The points were coming thick and fast at this stage with Conor Dooley and Cian Darcy both on target for their respective sides before Darragh Tynan knifed over his fourth from play on the 21-minute mark.

Kilruane’s shooting in front of goal was seriously on point with not a single wide to record in the opening half. Couple this with the fact that all six forwards registered points from play in what was a near perfect half of hurling for Kilruane.

Three points on the bounce from Kilruane edged them back into a 0-14 to 0-9 lead with just two minutes to the break before three more without reply from Shane Fletcher (two frees) and Evan Fitzpatrick brought Ros’ back to within two, 0-14 to 0-12.

Willie Cleary and Shane Fletcher exchanged pointed frees before Wilie Cleary capped off a hugely absorbing half of hurling with a fine point from an extremely acute angle to ensure Kilruane took a deserved three-point lead to the dressing room, 0-16 to 0-13.

Roscrea emerged determined to peg back the deficit but it was Kilruane who drew first blood again with Cian Darcy arrowing over from close-range. Kilruane were unlucky not to rattle the net seconds earlier but Shane Davis put his body on the line to deny Kian O’Kelly from close-range.

Willie Cleary extended Kilruane’s lead to five with a 33rd minute free before Niall O’Meara fired over his second of the game on 36 minutes. Kilruane were then dealt a defensive blow with Craig Morgan forced off with a leg injury and Darragh Peters drafted into the play.

The loss of Morgan served to unsettle Kilruane somewhat and two unanswered points from Darragh Tynan and Evan Fitzpatrick narrowed the gap to four. Kilruane enforced a double substitution on 41 minutes in a bid to bolster their defence but Roscrea kept plugging away and eventually pegged back Kilruane to three points by the 53rd minute thanks mainly to points from Shane Fletcher (free) Darragh Tynan (his sixth from play) and Alan Tynan.

Just as Paudie Bourke’c charges appeared to be building a head of steam Kilruane hit them with a sucker punch after Cian Darcy batted a high looping delivery past the advancing Enda Moloney in the Roscrea goal, a 53rd minute major that served to severely dent Roscrea’s aspirations and consign them to the relegation trapdoor battle. With the game petering out as a contest the final nail was driven in Roscrea’s coffin by a booming long range point from the stick of goalkeeper Páidi Williams in time added on.

Impressive for Roscrea were Darragh Tynan, Alan Tynan, Conor Sheedy, Shane Fletcher and Shane Davis while Páidi Williams Kian O’Kelly, Kieran Kelly, Niall O’Meara, Shane Cleary and Cian Darcy impressed for a Kilruane side who will be hoping to avoid a preliminary quarter-final clash next weekend with either JK Brackens, Clonoulty or Kiladangan.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Páidi Williams (0-1); Eoin Hogan, James Cleary, Conor Austin; Niall O’Meara (0-2), Craig Morgan, Aaron Morgan; Michael Cleary (0-1), Mark O’Neill, Shane Cleary (0-1), Kieran Cahill, Willie Cleary (0-11, 0-10f); Thomas Cleary (0-2), Kian O’Kelly (0-1), Cian Darcy (1-4).

Subs used: Darragh Peters for C Morgan (36); Eoin Hogan for Doheny (41); Mark O’Neill for Austin (41); Cian Moyles for M. Cleary (58); Brian O’Meara (Buggy) for T. Cleary (59).

Roscrea: Enda Moloney; Aidan Booth, Shane Davis, Luke Seacy; Conor Sheedy, Darragh Tynan (0-6), Dan Ryan (0-2); Conor Phelan, Alan Tynan (0-1); Conor Dooley (0-1), Shane Fletcher (0-7f), Evan Fitzpatrick (0-2); Kenny Lee (0-1), Jason Gilmartin, Leigh Loughnane.

Subs used: Conor Booth for Gilmartin (48); Sam Dooley for Lee (51); Owen Tynan for Loughnane (56); Jack Lee for Phelan (56).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)

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