It's anyone's guess who will win replay of Tipperary county senior hurling final

Tipperary is developing something of a reputation for dramatic senior hurling finals. Two years ago we had that extraordinary late, late swoop by Bryan McLoughney to frustrate Loughmore. That came at the end of Covid-causing extra time. Last year there was more stalemate before John McGrath orchestrated the late winner against Sarsfields in a replay. Now here we go again with more melodramatics.
It was just as well that this final ended in a flurry of spectacle because what went before was quite pedestrian. The first half especially was laboured, with a lot of nervous tension on show and no great flow to the play. There were some good scores but the overall quality was patchy.
Tellingly, though, Kilruane were showing the keener instincts from early on. Their workrate was superior to Kiladangan, they were getting more bodies around the ball and winning those rucks and breaks. Afterwards on TG4 Darragh Egan described Kiladangan’s first half as “uafásach”. Yep, it was awful alright, though part of the awfulness, no doubt, sprung from Kilruane’s greater insistence.
It reminds us yet again that at its core hurling is a physical battle where the greater desire mostly wins out. A chess match it is not.
Kiladangan were lucky to be only three behind at half-time. In part if was down to their superior economy. Kilruane were wasteful, with nine wides against Kiladangan’s four. Other stats confirm one’s first half impressions also: Kiladangan scored nine out of fifteen chances; Kilruane only converted ten out of twenty.
Speaking of stats - the fashionable tool nowadays for all managements - I was reminded recently of a quote by a famous American baseball commentator, Vin Scully, who is credited with the line, “Statistics are best used much as a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination”. How true. I’ve long felt that stats merely give mathematical back-up for what you already know.
Anyway, this game’s first major break fell to the keener side. Half way through the first half Niall O’Meara broke forward and instead of popping a routine point he spotted Jerome Cahill a few paces off his marker near goal. The pass was straight to hand and Cahill’s swivel and strike off his left was unstoppable from that range.
Kiladangan’s only sniff of goal at the other end fell to Tadhg Gallagher, whose effort was feeble enough and easily controlled by Paidi Williams. Incidentally, credit Aaron Morgan on that incident. His pressure on Gallagher did much to prevent a clean strike.
Kilruane’s decision to start Seamus Hennessy was a strange one – he’d shown best impact coming off the bench in previous matches.

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He was replaced by Conor Cleary after twenty minutes but then re-introduced in the second half. It was, perhaps, Kilruane’s Peter Canavan moment, though I remain unconvinced of its merit.
There was initially an element of stalemate in the third quarter. Willie Cleary’s precision from frees was being matched by Bryan McLoughney. However, Kiladangan were getting slightly more traction now and eventually they inched their way level.
It was from here that the match took fire and gave us a rousing finish, redeeming much of what went before. Just as Kiladangan were getting a foothold, Kilruane hit back with a telling retort. A free from defence was judiciously placed down into the right corner by Niall O’Meara to where Jerome Cahill was showing in front.
There seemed to be no immediate danger when Cahill took possession but he had space and he exploited it to the full, going by one defender and then shooting low under Barry Hogan. It was the strike that really woke this game up. The rest was end-to-end excitement.
Kiladangan were like the man who climbed the hill but slipped back down and now had to re-climb once again. But re-climb they did. Their goal was a huge item in their second coming, giving them the lead for the first time in the match with less than ten minutes to play.
Aaron Morgan, who I thought had a fine game overall, slipped while trying to emerge and the ball was spilled loose for Paul Flynn’s lightning reaction to send it whizzing past Paidi Williams.
One-up for Kiladangan became two-up with a great Paul Flynn point from the left sideline. Momentum had now definitely swung and one wondered if this was where Kilruane’s bid would fade. Another Willie Cleary pointed free cut the leeway to the minimum before Paul Flynn again doubled the margin, and then Clearly once more had it back to a single flag.
It was now that sort of tit-for-tat affair. Who would have the steadiest nerve to see it out? Who would blink? Kilruane now needed a big play and it came from Niall O’Meara emerging from under the Old Stand and sending one between the sticks for parity once more.
A Bryan McLoughney free followed when some felt it might have been a penalty, as Willie Connors had his hurley held while in on goal. The replay afterwards showed that in a marginal call the referee was correct. The routine point from the free put Kiladangan one-up once again.
Once more Kilruane found the response and once more it was another huge play from Niall O’Meara to level before Cian Darcy danced away from his marker for another precious lead point. Into injury time then and Decky McGrath surged upfield for yet another leveller, and then the foul on Sean Hayes for the lead point once more for McLoughney.
Over four minutes into additional time, Seamus Hennessy won the equalising free for Willie Cleary to hold his nerve and send the game to a replay. A satisfying outcome, given the swinging nature of the final quarter.
All the best spectacle here was boxed into that final spell, where the teams exchanged 1-7 apiece. TG4 gave Bryan McLoughney the individual gong. Paul Flynn, with his 1-4 input, had a solid case for the award too. On the Kilruane side Willie Cleary’s 0-10 deserved acknowledgment; Jerome Cahill’s brace of goals would put him in the frame also and Niall O’Meara was outstanding at centre back.
Hostilities resume at 3pm on Sunday, when it’s anyone’s game. Kiladangan will remain favourites but they’ll know that something much better will be needed next time against a Cloughjordan formation that will have taken encouragement from the draw.

In some ways the Premier Intermediate final was a more attractive game overall. The hurling was slicker and a match that seemed to be veering heavily in Roscrea’s direction in the first half eventually hung on a few decisive incidents near the end.
Remember, Roscrea had only dropped from the top tier last year, beaten in the relegation final by Holycross. By contrast, Gortnahoe were only in their second year at Premier level, having won promotion with their intermediate win over Moyne in 2020.
That gap in experience was particularly evident early on when Roscrea looked the more accomplished side. Their movement was better, their touch more assured. A gap began to open between the sides, Roscrea with a spread of scorers against Gortnahoe’s reliance on Keane Hayes frees. Conor Dooley’s goal was a major item in the six-point difference at the interval.

However, I’d give great credit to Gortnahoe for the manner in which they grew into this game. They might have bowed to what seemed inevitable but they didn’t. They came to the final on the back of solid form and that impression held firm as they took this game to the edge.
Ultimately, the decisive moment, I guess, occurred inside the final five minutes when the mid side was coming strongly and the Roscrea defence was under strain. Darragh Maher broke inside the cover and his shot was well struck, low and to the goalie’s left. However, Daryl Ryan got down to make the save of the day to turn the shot away. Gortnahoe’s ill-luck was compounded when the 65 was sent wide.
A goal there would have levelled the match and with momentum on Gortnahoe’s side anything was possible in the final moments. Ultimately, an Alan Tynan point gave cover to Roscrea’s lead, as the game drifted into injury time.
Even then, two minutes over time, Gortnahoe came close once again when a fine move set up Keane Hayes near goal but the advancing goalie quickly smothered the chance. Roscrea can be grateful to Daryl Ryan.
On balance, and while acknowledging the near misses at the end, Roscrea had slightly more in the locker. Their spread of scorers alone underlined that edge. Full forward Shane Fletcher hit four from play while Alan Tynan and Evan Fitzpatrick managed three apiece. Conor Sheedy, Liam’s nephew, hit two.
It’s a major boost for Roscrea, though one suspects they’ll again find the top tier a challenge next year. For Gortnahoe this was major progress in two years; there’s no reason the upward trajectory can’t continue.
One item needs highlighting. Midway through the second half, and with Gortnahoe coming strongly, Keane Hayes headed goalwards on a very promising attack. Just inside the 20 metre line he was taken down by a neck-high tackle. It was cynical, it was dangerous and probably should have earned the defender more than a yellow.
But here’s the point I wish to highlight – and not for the first time. The double standard employed by the GAA in having a cynical foul rule for inter-county hurling and a different structure for club games is ludicrous.
Is there any other field game that has different playing rules depending on the level at which you play?