Kilruane progress pass off-colour Borris-Ileigh

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-18

Borris-Ileigh 1-14

Report: Liam Hogan in Nenagh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

SCORERS – Kilruane MacDonaghs: Cian Darcy 1-4; Niall O’Meara 0-4; Willie Cleary 0-3 (2 frees); Seamus Hennessy 1-0; Jerome Cahill, Sean MacAdams, Paidi Williams, Kieran Cahill, Aaron Morgan, Thomas Cleary, Kian O’Kelly 0-1 each.

Borris-Ileigh: Eddie Ryan 1-8 (0-8 frees); Brendan Maher 0-2 (1 free); Kevin Maher (free), Niall Kenny, Jody Harkin, Conor Kenny 0-1 each.

Kilruane MacDonaghs caused an upset in this North Tipperary Senior Hurling semi-final when they defeated a disappointing Borris-Ileigh side on Sunday evening.

Bar the opening eight minutes when they trailed 1-3 to 0-1, Kilruane were by far the better team and they could have won by more but for wayward shooting as they amassed a total of fifteen wides, including several efforts from placed balls.

All in all, it was their defence that came up trumps with Niall O’Meara producing a man of the match performance at centre back as he kept a close eye on Jerry Kelly while also adding four points from play.

Every team needs at least four or five standout players and in addition to O’Meara they had Craig Morgan, Jerome Cahill and Sean McAdams and Cian Darcy to call on with Darcy scoring 1-4 from play, his goal in the 54th minute putting Kilruane out of danger.

While accounting for the number of players who were absent (which was five) Borris-Ileigh were disappointing overall. Missing players of the calibre of Kieran Maher, Ray McCormack, Tommy Ryan, Shane Kenny and James Devaney would hurt any team but apart from Brendan Maher, Ciaran Cowan, Colm Boyle, Conor Kenny, Eddie Ryan and Niall Kenny there was never any real spark from the side on this day.

But let’s not take anything from Kilruane’s win. They had eleven players on the scoresheet, and it took ten seconds for the fit again Jerome Cahill to open the scoring with a point. A free by Eddie Ryan had the sides level before in the third minute he had the ball in the Kilruane net after he was played through by Jerry Kelly with a rare mistake from Jerome Cahill after his misplaced handpass went astray.

After James McCormack denied Craig Morgan at the other end, both Jody Harkin and Niall Kenny stretched the Borris lead to five. However, Sean McAdams doubled Kilruane’s tally in the eighth minute. Borris replied with an Eddie Ryan free after Niall Kenny was fouled before a quick Niall O’Meara score left four between the teams leaving Eddie Ryan to stretch Borris-Ileigh’s lead once more.

In the eleventh minute, Paudi Williams hit one back for Kilruane after Sean McAdams provided the assist. Two minutes later the game began to change colour when the Borris-Ileigh defence was caught napping with wily full forward Seamus Hennessy sweeping a ground shot to the net. After Eddie Ryan responded in the 14th minute Paudi Williams sent Niall O’Meara through for a point and one point separated the teams at the water-break.

Waterbreaks tend to change a game and the break appeared to have suited Kilruane as their play improved. Cian Darcy levelled with a brilliant score from the wing shortly before Kieran Cahill and Aaron Morgan added a point each as Jerome Cahill and Niall O’Meara pulled the strings further out the field.

With Brendan Maher and Ciaran Cowan making the odd interception, Borris-Ileigh stayed the pace and at time the Kilruane goal came under treat from a few of Niall Kenny’s solo runs which drew a number of fouls and Eddie Ryan did the rest and he added two pointed frees to level by the 26th minute.

Both Cian Darcy, from a difficult angle and Eddie Ryan (free) swapped scores as the Kilruane defence continued to hold firm, but for all of their deficiencies Kilruane’s play in the middle third was attractive and in the run in to half time they managed points from Niall O’Meara, Willie Cleary, and Cian Darcy, each scoring from halfway as Kilruane led 1-12 to 1-9 at half time.

Within a minute of the restart both Darcy and Conor Kenny had tradedd scores before frees by Eddie Ryan and Brendan Maher (his own 65) had Borris-Ileigh one short of the leaders.

However, Kilruane went two in front when substitute Thomas Cleary and they might have increased their advantage but wayward shooting by Darcy from frees and Jerome Cahill from play denied them before Kian O’Kelly scored a vital point in the 47th minute.

After the final break Kilruane went four in front thanks to points from Niall O’Meara from play and Willie Cleary from a free. Similarly, Borris-Ileigh changed their freetaker as Kevin Maher took over from Eddie Ryan who was replaced. Maher’s first free was successful but any hopes of Borris-Ileigh comeback ended in the 54th minute as Cian Darcy took a neat pass from Thomas Cleary and went for broke by sending a low shot past James McCormack.

The remaining minutes plus seven additional saw the buzz go out of the game with Brendan Maher and Willie Cleary on target but by then Kilruane supporters were thinking of the North final next Sunday.

TEAMS - Kilruane MacDonaghs: Conor Doheny (7); James Cleary (7), Jack Peters (7), Aaron Morgan (7); Kieran Cahill (7), Niall O’Meara (8), Craig Morgan (7); Jerome Cahill (8), Mark O’Neill (7); Kian O’Kelly, Sean MacAdams (8), Willie Cleary (7); Paidi Williams (6), Seamus Hennessy (6), Cian Darcy (7).

Subs: Thomas Cleary (6) for P Williams (HT); Eanna Hogan (6) for J Cleary (52 inj); Rob Austin (NR) for Darcy (58); Thomas Hogan (NR) for A Morgan (60 inj).

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack (7); Seamus Bourke (7), Liam Ryan (7), Sean McCormack (7); Ciaran Cowan (7), Brendan Maher (7), Colm Boyle (7); Dan McCormack (6), Aaron Rabbitte (6); Conor Kenny (7), Jerry Kelly (6), Jody Harkin (6); Kevin Maher (6), Niall Kenny (7), Eddie Ryan (7).

Subs: Kieran Maher (6) for Rabbitte (HT); Tommy Ryan (6) for Harkin (35); Shane Kenny (6) for E Ryan (52).

Referee: Philip Kelly (Ballinahinch)