St.Kieran's College blast their way past Tulla and into All-Ireland final

Three second half goals proved decisive as St. Kieran’s Kilkenny overcame Harty Cup champions St. Joseph’s Tulla in the Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup Semi-Final in Nenagh on Saturday.

There was little between the two teams during the opening twenty-five minutes. The Clare school brought a large following to Nenagh, understandable given that they recently won their first Harty Cup Final. Sean Withycombe’s free taking has been key to the Clare school’s success this year and two early pointed frees from the centre half forward gave St. Joseph’s the perfect start.

St. Kieran’s started Padraig Lennon at wing back and he made an impressive return after a long spell out injured. Lennon grabbed the first St. Kieran’s score on ten minutes and this settled the side. Lennon and his two half-back colleagues, Joe Fitzpatrick and team captain Conor Cody formed a dominant defensive unit as St. Joseph’s struggled for scores.

It was not much different at the other end of the pitch as the central St. Joseph’s axis of Adam Hogan and Tony Leyden defended stoutly against the winners attack. St. Kieran’s almost grabbed a goal on eleven minutes when Player of the Match, James Carroll, ran on to a pass from Luke Connellan. His rasping shot went over the crossbar for a point ,but it just as easily could have been a goal. 

St. Joseph’s had their best spell of the game midway through the first half when they scored three points without reply through Darragh Keogh, Oisín O’Connor and lively corner-forward Colm Cleary to tie the game at 0-5 each. Cleary’s shot might have been a goal, but the ball was always rising as it headed towards the goal.

The closing seven minutes of the first half was a key period in the game as St. Kieran’s scored four points without reply. The impressive Joe Fitzpatrick moved up from defence to take a pass from Killian Doyle to land a point from midfield and when Harry Shine added three more points, two sixty-fives and a free, before the interval, St. Kieran’s led 0-9 to 0-5 at the break. It should have been closer, though, as usually reliable free-taker, Sean Withycombe missed a couple of easy frees close to goal.

Despite facing the breeze in the second half, St. Kieran’s started well with points from Ben Whitty and Donagh Murphy to leave six points between the sides. St. Joseph’s were struggling to get into the game, but the move of Adam Hogan out the field from full-back brought an improvement in their play. Centre half back Tony Leyden came more into the game and his tenacious play helped to repulse numerous St. Kieran’s attacks.

Sean Withycombe kept St. Joseph’s in touch with three pointed frees in the opening ten minutes of the second half, but they rarely threatened Liam Dunphy in the St. Kieran’s goal.

A goal twelve minutes into the second half from Luke Connellan following a deft pass from the outstanding James Carroll edged the Kilkenny school ahead by seven points and they dominated the game thereafter. Carroll and Killian Doyle gave St. Kieran’s a strong edge at midfield and the work rate from that duo was very impressive throughout the sixty minutes. 

St. Joseph’s responded well to Connellan’s goal scoring three pointed frees through Tony Leyden and two from Sean Withycombe to bring the margin back to four points. That, though, was as good as it got for the recently crowned Harty Cup champions. Three unanswered points for St. Kieran’s from Harry Shine (free), Ben Whitty and Donagh Murphy put the Kilkenny city school firmly in control twenty minutes into the second half.

A brace of goals for St. Kieran’s from Donagh Murphy and Harry Shine in a two minute spell ten minutes from the end of normal time ended the game as a contest. Sean Withycombe scored a goal from a close-in free for the Clare school on twenty-five minutes, but another pointed free from the impressive Harry Shine ensured that St. Kieran’s would contest this year’s Croke Park Final in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day where they will play Árd Scoil Rís from Limerick, conquerors of Good Counsel College on last Saturday afternoon also.

While St. Joseph’s brough admirable battling qualities to the game, St. Kieran’s had the better hurlers all over the field. This was the Kilkenny school’s best display of the year with the side’s overall work rate and skill especially evident in the second half.

The return of Padraig Lennon was a big boost to the St. Kieran’s defence, while late in the game another long-time absentee Paddy Langton also made a welcome return. Holding the Harty Cup champions to three points from play was impressive and while those three second half goals ultimately decided the game, the St. Kieran’s defence can take a lot of satisfaction from the result.

With James Carroll and Killian Doyle running the show at midfield, the winners attack saw plenty of the ball especially in the second half. All the forwards contributed well to this victory with Donagh Murphy, Harry Shine and Luke Connellan the stand-out trio.

It was a disappointing end to a great campaign for St. Joseph’s but a Harty Cup success still makes for a great year for the East Clare school. Their best players were Adam Hogan, Tony Leyden, Darragh Keogh, Sean Withycombe, Oisín O’Connor and Colm Cleary.

Teams and Scorers

St. Kieran’s- Harry Shine (1-7, 0-5 Frees & 0-2 65’s), Donagh Murphy (1-3), Luke Connellan (1-0), Ben Whitty (0-2), Joe Fitzpatrick, Padraig Lennon, Ted Dunne &  James Carroll, (0-1, each).

St. Joseph’s Tulla-  Sean Withycombe (1-7, Frees), Tony Leyden (0-1, Free), Darragh Keogh,  Oisín O’Connor & Colm Cleary (0-1, each).

St. Kieran’s – Alan Dunphy, Jack Butler, Adam O’Connor, Sean Moore, Padraig Lennon, Joe Fitzpatrick, Conor Cody (Capt.), James Carroll, Killian Doyle, Ted Dunne, Harry Shine, Ben Whitty, Donagh Murphy, Luke Connellan, Anthony Ireland-Wall.

Subs – Paddy Langton (for Moore), Ruaidhri Holden (for Connellan), Nick Doheny (for Murphy) & Tom Phelan (for Dunne).

St. Joseph’s Tulla – Aaron Shanahan, Dara Ryan, Adam Hogan, Fionn Ryan, Mikey McMahon, Tony Leyden, Oisín Clune, Ronan O’Connor (Capt.), Darragh Keogh, Oisín O’Connor, Sean Withycombe, Fionn Hickey, Colm Cleary, Conor O’Donnell, Evan Maxted.

Subs – Dannan Fox (for Ryan), Gearoid Vaughan (for O’Donnell) & Cormac O’Brien (for Hickey).

Referee – Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).