Kilruane goal-touch secures North Under 19 'B' Football title

GAA: North Tipperary Under 19 ‘B’ Football Final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 4-9

Roscrea 1-7

Report: Liam Hogan in Borrisokane

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Cillian Healy (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

SCORERS – Kilruane MacDonaghs: Andrew Hayes 1-2; Jack Mulcahy, Eoin Carroll 1-1 each; Michael Cleary 0-3; Brian O’Meara 1-0; Cillian Healy, Tristan Madden (free) 0-1 each.

Roscrea: Michael Fitzgerald 1-3 (0-2 frees); Lee Dornan 0-2; Robbie Tynan, Jamie Conlon 0-1 each.

Kilruane MacDonaghs were worthy winners of 2023 North Under 19 ‘B’ Football Championship when defeating Roscrea last Wednesday.

Roscrea started brightly and two points through Robbie Tynan and Michael Fitzgerald seem to indicate what lay in store. However, Kilruane were level by the tenth minute through Eoin Carroll and Jack Mulcahy. Kilruane’s best player Cillian Healy forced keeper Lee Loughnane to make a fine save in the twelfth minute before Michael Cleary and Andrew Hayes had Kilruane two ahead.

On twenty minutes, Roscrea blinked when Kilruane began a move in their own half before Jack Mulcahy and Eoin Carroll combined to send Brian O’Meara through for a fine goal. Mulcahy almost had a second goal but Roscrea corner back Darragh Pyne was brave in denying him. Seconds later Kilruane won a close range free which Tristan Madden converted.

Roscrea began to move up a gear and pieced some good moves with Robbie Tynan, John Donovan, and Michael Fitzgerald prominent. Half backs Lee Doran and Liam Reilly were involved too but Reilly’s goal-bound shot was deflected for a 45 in the 25th minute. Roscrea won a close range free and Fitzgerald scored and the Rossies enjoyed the remainder of the half in terms of possession but accuracy let them down as they trailed 1-5 to 0-3.

Roscrea introduced Jamie Conlon at half time and the he almost scored a goal but his effort was inches wide. They continued their promising runs and matched it with three points through Fitzgerald (free) plus a point each by Lee Doran and Conlon.

We looked set for a great second half but Kilruane soon put an end to Roscrea’s comeback when Andrew Hayes scored a brilliant individual goal in the 39th minute after he split the defence with a great solo run.

Two minutes later, the game was settled when Kilruane had goal number three after Jack Mulcahy got highest to fingertip Cillian Healy’s lobbing free to the net from the edge of the square.

The ever present Lee Doran scored his second point for Roscrea but Kilruane were in full flight and two Michael Cleary points plus another by Andrew Hayes had them ten clear before Eoin Carroll had Kilruane’s fourth goal in the 57th minute.

The excellent Cian Healy added a point in added time leaving Roscrea to salvage some pride with their best player Michael Fitzgerald scoring a goal thirty seconds before time.

TEAMS - Kilruane MacDonaghs: John Loughnane; Simon Austin, Danny Cahalan, Sean Hayes; Paul Molloy, Eamon Coonan, Cathal England; Cian Moyles, Cillian Healy; Tristan Madden, Jack Mulcahy, Andrew Hayes; Brian O’Meara, Eoin Carroll (Capt), Michael Cleary.

Subs: Shane Cleary for Molloy (HT); Ray Quinlivan for Madden (58); Michael Harty for Mulcahy (59); Coilin Dorris for Hayes (59); Tom Austin for Cleary (59).

Roscrea: Lee Loughnane; Scott Kelly, Jake Thompson, Darragh Pyne; Liam Reilly, Lee Dornan (J-Capt), Brian O’Rourke; Alex Moloney (J-Capt), Robbie Tynan; John Donovan, Dermot McLoughlin, Sean Synnott; Ryan Thompson, Sam Dooley, Michael Fitzgerald.

Subs: Oisin O’Shea for Donovan (HT); Jamie Conlon for McLoughlin (HT); Josh Loughnane for Thompson (41); Harry Loughnane for Synott (41); Eoin Larkin for O’Reilly (44).

Referee: Mark Houlihan (Lorrha).