Clinical Nenagh too strong for Kilkenny CBS

All-Ireland PPS Croke Cup Quarter-Final- Nenagh CBS 3-19 Kilkenny CBS 2-11

Kilkenny CBS were much improved from their Leinster final loss to St Kieran’s but defeat was still their lot as they crashed out in Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final.

Nenagh were CBS’s opponents this time around and while the Kilkenny side were in the game up to the midpoint of the second half, they were well beaten in the end by the first-time Harty Cup winners.

Eanna O’Casaide and Shane Culleton got the goals for Kilkenny and if there’s a moment that they will look back on with a bit of regret, it was Greg Kelly firing a 46th minute penalty over the bar when a goal would have had them firmly in contention going down the straight.

Still, Nenagh were much the stronger outfit over the course of the hour with Darragh McCarthy, Eoghan Doughan and Mason Cawley impressing as well as Darragh Treacy and Joe O’Dwyer netting goals off the bench.

Considering the conditions, which were terrible throughout, it turned out to be a fine game of hurling and the opening 15 minutes gave an indication of a game that would go to the wire.

Early points from play by Ryan Corcoran and Anthony Clifford got CBS up and running as they kept tabs with a Nenagh team that had Darragh McCarthy scoring three points from play in the opening quarter.

Mason Cawley and Austin Duff then added to the scorecard for the Tipperary side as they led 0-5 to 0-3.

Both McCarthy and Corcoran then squandered a number of frees as the wet and windy weather took it’s toll before CBS then took the lead for the first time when grabbing the game’s opening goal in the 19th minute.

Dicksboro’s Brian Moore found room on the endline before using his pace to get away and offload to Eanna O’Casaisde who looked to be fouled but he still managed to flick the sliotar past Simon Grace in the Nenagh goal while on his knees.

Mikey Stynes followed up with a converted free from distance and all of a sudden, the beaten Leinster finalists opened up a two point lead.

It was an advantage that Kilkenny CBS were unable to hold onto for long as Nenagh ended the half with 1-4 on the spin.

Points from Ciaran Foley and Eoghan Doughan levelled up the game before the sucker-blow of a goal in first half stoppage time really dented the CBS charge.

The goal was set up by Austin Duff who ran forward before offloading to Danny Quinn who finished to the net in style.

Further efforts from McCarthy and Doughan soon followed for Nenagh and while Ryan Corcoran responded with his third point of the half, four points still separated the teams at the half-time interval (1-9 to 1-5)

It was tit for tat in the early minutes of the second half with Corcoran and Brian Moore on target for Kilkenny CBS while a goal chance then went astray when Anthony Clifford had a shot well saved.

Anytime CBS scored, there was almost always a response down the other end however and with Eoghan Doughan continuing to knock over the frees and Ciaran Foley, Darragh McCarthy and Joe O’Dwyer all registering from play, Nenagh were still well on top.

Kilkenny CBS’s big chance then arrived when Patrick Lacey was pulled down inside the square for a penalty which Greg Kelly could only knock over the bar.

Mikey Stynes and Ryan Corcoran did knock over successive frees to keep the CBS in the game but that hope had firmly evaporated when Joe O’Dwyer scored Nenagh’s second goal with only seven minutes remaining on the clock.

Kilkenny CBS kept at it with Shane Culleton scoring another goal late on but it was Nenagh who had the final say in the goal stakes with a last puck of the game effort from Darragh Treacy booking their passage to a Croke Cup semi-final meeting with Galway champions Loughrea.

Teams and Scorers

Nenagh CBS - Darragh McCarthy (0-6, two frees), Eoghan Doughan (0-6, four frees), Joe O’Dwyer (1-1), Danny Quinn, Darragh Treacy (1-0 each), Mason Cawley (0-3), Ciaran Foley (0-2), Austin Duff (0-1)

Kilkenny CBS - Ryan Corcoran (0-5, three frees), Eanna, O’Casaide, Shane Culleton (1-0 each), Michael Stynes (0-2, one free), Greg Kelly, Anthony Clifford, Brian Moore, Patrick Lacey (0-1 each)

Nenagh CBS - Simon Grace; Conor Grace, Cian Connolly, Gavin McGrath; Jack Doran, Jake Hackett, Andy Hoolan; Ciaran Foley, Darragh McCarthy Jack Mulcahy, Mason Cawley, Zac Keller; Aodhan O’Connor, Danny Quinn, Eoghan Doughan.

Subs: Austin Duff for Mulcahy 20 mins, Joe O’Dwyer for O’Connor 41 mins, Darragh Treacy for Quinn 49 mins, Brian O’Meara for Keller 53 mins, Conor Cooney for McCarthy 57 mins.

Kilkenny CBS- Daniel Power (James Stephens); Josh Dowling (Erins Own), Bobbie Brennan (Young Irelands), Donnacha Hennessey (Dicksboro); Billy O’Neill (Graigue Ballycallan), Michael Stynes (Dicksboro), Matthew Bolger (St Martins); Alex Cass (Thomastown), Anthony Clifford (Dicksboro); Shane Culleton (St Patricks); Ryan Corcoran (Graigue Ballycallan), Eanna O’Casaide (Danesfort); Greg Kelly (O’Loughlin Gaels), Brian Moore (Dicksboro), Patrick Lacey (Dicksboro).

Subs- Niall Drennan (Galmoy) for O’Casaide 42 mins, Patrick Purcell (Barrow Rangers) for Dowling 42 mins, James Bergin (James Stephens) for Cass 45 mins.

Referee - Padraig Dunne (Laois)