Superior Kilcormac-Killoughey knock resistance out of suspension hit Clodiagh Gaels

THEY made life quite difficult for themselves and had Clodiagh Gaels somehow managed to stage a snatch and grab raid, they would have been very much the architects of their own misfortune but there was no disputing Kilcormac-Killoughey's superiority as they captured the Senior “B” Hurling Championship in O'Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior “B” Hurling Championship final

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-12

Clodiagh Gaels 0-8

With a handful of the outstanding Offaly minors and U-20s from the last two years in their ranks, Kilcormac-Killoughey's success in this grade is not a surprise and they fully deserved their win against Clodiagh Gaels.

They had to work hard for it but were the better team in most sectors and should have won more comfortably. Only for a sequence of poor misses, in both halves, Kilcormac-Killoughey would have had this game won by the midway stage of the second half. They left the door open for Clodiagh Gaels going into the last ten minutes and could have paid a dear price for it.

In reality, however, Kilcormac-Killoughey never looked like losing it and equally as importantly, Clodiagh Gaels never performed well enough to win it. It would have taken daylight robbery for Clodiagh Gaels to have won it and the result was a fair one.

The Killeigh-Killurin outfit really lost this one in the semi-final when two of their key players Dylan Hyland and county player Joey Keenaghan were red carded. As expected Keenaghan lost an appeal to the Offaly Hearings Committee on Wednesday evening and the loss of such important players were blows that Clodiagh Gaels just didn't have the depth in strength to cope with.

Their attack had an impoversished hour in their absence with only two players scoring, Conor Langton and Dwayne Dunne and they only managed three points from play. Even in wet, heavy Winter like conditions, you couldn't win a title in those conditions and Clodiagh Gaels knew the game was up when they replaced another county player, Liam Langton as the game went into injury time – they needed a near man of the match performance from Langton to win but he didn't make much headway against James Mahon and didn't manage a score.

K-K's win will lead to speculation about what will happen now and whether it will throw a relegation lifeline to Seir Kieran, who made the drop out of senior hurling – K-K have a senior team but there is a precedent for going ahead with relegation in this scenario and it remains to be seen what the County Board will decide.

Heavy rain all morning, continuing into the early minutes here, contributed to a dogged, quite scrappy match with a lot of rucks and little in the way of free flowing hurling. It is to the credit of both sides, especially Kilcormac-Killoughey, that they managed to produce some good hurling and a competitive, enjoyable game.

For a while in the first half, it looked like the conditions would suit a physically stronger Clodiagh Gaels team a bit better and that a lighter K-K would suffer. It was that way for a few minutes but ultimately hurling and quality told and K-K were able to produce enough of those ingredients to win.

K-K had first use of a swirling wind that blew all over the place but certainly favoured them in the first half. It took them a while to settle but they were on top in a lot of places, leading by 0-4 to 0-2 after seven minutes and then 0-7 to 0-3 at half time – after they had went from the 17th to 32nd minute without a score.

Clodiagh Gaels only point from play in the first half was from Conor Langton and they offered very little in an attacking sense. K-K really should have been much further ahead at the break as they had seven wides and a handful of these should have been scores – James Kilmartin, Daniel Hand, Peter Geraghty and Alex Kavanagh all missed decent chances.

There was a definite chance there for Clodiagh Gaels but they never played well enough in the second half to take it, though they did hang in there. Daniel Hand's free put K-K 0-9 to 0-5 clear after 44 minutes and Clodiagh Gaels did well to battle back into it. Dwayne Dunne's only point from play made it a one point game, 0-9 to 0-8 with 49 minutes gone and K-K were rattling.

They threatened briefly to throw it away – Peter Geraghty sent a free wide from near a position where Daniel Hand had pointed that ninth point and Hand also missed a couple in the closing minutes. In fairness to Hand, he kept persevering on a day when his radar wasn't fully tuned in and his beautiful 52nd minute point gave them a crucial two point lead.

Ter Guinan and the excellent Peter Geraghty got points from play to put them four up with a minute left and Clodiagh Gaels were on life support. Conor Langton missed a very scoreable 61st minute free, meaning that a goal was no good to the losers and K-K closed it out comfortably from here.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

James Kilmartin (Kilcormac-Killoughey): A choice between Alan Spain, James Kilmartin and Peter Geraghty. There is a strong case to be made for Peter Geraghty who got three points from play and worked his socks off. My choice is James Kilmartin who put in a great shift at midfield. He covered a lot of ground, tracked back, raced forward and won a lot of dirty ball. James Mahon and Karl Guinan also impressed in the K-K defence while Clodiagh Gaels' best players were at the back where Ben O'Brien and Sean Beatty were immense and Aaron Flanagan won some great ball. Conor Langton and Dwayne Dunne were their best two forwards but eight points wouldn't win any game in hurling.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Daniel Hand 0-5 (5f), Peter Geraghty 0-4 (one sideline), Ter Guinan, Dan Currams and Alex Kavanagh 0-1 each.

Clodiagh Gaels: Dwayne Dunne 0-6 (2 '65's and 3f), Conor Langton 0-2.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Shane Mulrooney; Shane Melia, James Mahon, Charlie Bracken; Cathal Kilmartin, Karl Guinan, Alan Spain; Ter Guinan, James Kilmartin; Leigh Kavanagh, Dan Currams, Peter Geraghty; Alex Kavanagh, Dan Murray, Daniel Hand. Subs – Conor Quinn for Murray (41m), James Geraghty for Daniel Hand (60m),

CLODIAGH GAELS: Kevin Kinahan; Ben O'Brien, Aaron Flanagan, Peter Walsh; Ruari Dunne, Sean Beatty, Sean Brady; Tom Dunne, Clint Horan; Conor Langton, Diarmuid Walsh, Cathal Brady; Dwayne Dunne, Liam Langton, Davd Buckley. Subs - Jack Kelly for Ruari Dunne (38m), Cathal Curran for Diarmuid Walsh (48m), Sean Rattigan for Liam Langton (60m),

Referee – Joey Deehan (Clara).

REFEREE WATCH

Joey Deehan handled the game very well in the difficult conditions. He allowed play and rucks to develop, didn't award soft frees and was always in control. Clodiagh Gaels will quibble at one second half decision when he awarded a free in for a foul on David Buckley but then gave a free out after consulting with an umpire.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Daniel Hand's 52nd minute point was a big moment. It gave K-K a two point lead at a stage when they must have been having doubts and came just after he had lofted a free wide.

VENUE WATCH

Despite heavy rain all morning, there was no obvious surface water on the O'Connor Park pitch and full credit to the groundsmen for having it looking as well as it did. A good few K-K supporters, unlike Daingean's after the IFC final the previous Sunday, did ignore requests to stay off the pitch after the final whistle and that was a pity as they should have shown regard to the teams playing in the following game.

WHAT'S NEXT

K-K can't play in the Leinster Club IHC as second teams aren't allowed in this grade and Clodiagh Gaels go onto represent Offaly – they are away to the Meath champions on November 11.

STATISTICS

Wides: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 11 (7 in first half); Clodiagh Gaels – 6 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.