Depleted ‘Dangan fall to Sars

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling - Seamus O Riain Cup Group 1

Thurles Sarsfields 2-18

Kiladangan 0-12

Report: Liam Hogan in Templederry

A fancied Thurles Sarsfields found it difficult to shake off a depleted Kiladangan in a well contested second round Seamus O Riain Cup tie on Saturday evening.

In a clash between two first round winners, Sarsfields led from start to finish and began with a flourish as they raced into a 1-8 to 0-2 lead on reaching the fifteenth minute.

However, they didn’t bargain for a Kiladangan side, short the services of Ruairi Gleeson Matthew Cleary and Johnny Horan, to force their way back with the Mid side only feeling happy when Conor Lanigan fired home their second goal three minutes from time.

Thurles raced into a five-point lead as Tommy Doyle started the ball rolling with two splendid points before Conor Lanigan added two more, the second from a penalty after Jack Lanigan was fouled on route to goal before Jack Lanigan added a fifth.

Conor Byrne had Kiladangan’s opening point in the eighth minute with Conor Lanigan replying with a free before D J McGrath doubled Kiladangan’s account in the 12th minute before Conor Lanigan and James Armstrong stretched their lead to six.

As Thurles continued to test the Kiladangan defence they didn’t foresee their lead increase to nine when Mossie McCormack’s low shot from the wing completely deceived Darragh Egan in the Kiladangan goal. By then the game had approached the 15th minute but Kiladangan hung on as Ronan Ducie replied with a point just in time for the water break.

After the break Shane Gleeson had the margin back to seven before Thurles lost Tommy Doyle to a shoulder injury. He would be a major loss and in his absence Shane Gleeson’s next free left six between the teams. Doyle’s replacement Kevin Dunne made most of his first possession by scoring a great point and in the run up to half time Michael Gleeson scored another to leave the half time score 1-10 to 0-5.

Shane Gleeson started the second half with a pointed free for Kiladangan but with the Thurles halfback line of Aidan Ryan, Michael Gleeson and Cian Stakelum continuing to be the source of many attacks, Thurles continued to benefit with both McCormack and Conor Lanigan from a free increasing lead to nine after forty minutes.

A Paul Seymour point reduced the deficit, but Thurles kept daylight between the teams thanks to points from Michael Russell and McCormack before Ciaran Kelly’s long-range point in the 46th minute left the score at 1-14 to 0-8.

After resumption both Conor Lanigan and Shane Gleeson swapped two well-taken scores before Gleeson added a free. With play approaching the 55th minute Thurles brought the best from Darragh Egan when he denied Mossie McCormack but two minutes later Conor Lanigan showed some magic with a great goal after gliding past a number of Kiladangan defenders.

With twelve points separating the teams the game had lost some of its spark. Still Kiladangan fought back with Gleeson pointing his sixth, quickly followed by a Ciaran Kelly long range score.

However, Thurles wanted to finish the game with style as wing back Cian Stakelum found room to pick off two long range points, happy in the knowledge that a place in the quarter finals had been secured while Kiladangan hope to overcome Carrick Swans to reach the last eight but have secured their O Riain Cup status for another year.

Player of the Match: Conor Lanigan (Thurles Sarsfields)

Thurles Sarsfields: Kevin Bracken (7); Harry Fitzgibbon (7), Rory Dwan (7), James Armstrong (0-1, 7); Cian Stakelum (0-3, 7), Michael Gleeson (0-1, 7), Aidan Ryan (7); Tommy Doyle (0-2, 7), John Maher (7); David Maher (6), Michael Russell (6), Bill Darcy (6); Jack Lanigan (0-1, 7), Conor Lanigan (1-7, 0-3f, 0-1 pen) 8), Mossie McCormack (1-2, 7).

Subs: Kevin Dunne (0-1, 7) for T Doyle (23 inj); Liam McCormack (6) for Darcy (39); Bill Darcy (NR) for McCormack (58 inj).

Kiladangan: Darragh Egan (7); John O’Meara (7), Shane Seymour (6), Darragh Ryan (7); Conor Culhane (8), Martin Minehan (7), D J McGrath (0-1, 7); Darragh Butler (6), Ronan Ducie (0-1, 6); Eoghan Sharkey (6), Eoin Kelly (6), Paul Seymour (0-1, 6); Shane Gleeson (0-6, 5f) 6), Ciaran Kelly (0-2, 7), Conor Byrne (0-1, 6).

Subs: Eoin Meagher for Byrne (47); Stephen James Gleeson for E Kelly (47); Paddy Gallagher for Culhane (57).

Referee: Noel Cosgrave (Marlfield).