Delaney stars as Toome trump champs

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Group 2

Toomevara 3-16

Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-15

Report: Shane Brophy in Nenagh

The feelgood factor of being defending county senior hurling champions was well and truly burst for Kilruane MacDonaghs after they were soundly beaten by an impressive Toomevara side in the opening round of the 2023 championship on Friday evening.

This was the perfect game for Toomevara to get their campaign off to the perfect start, against their near neighbours and title holders who dumped them out at the quarter final stage on route to the title last year.

They might not have star power at the moment but what they do have is skilful players and are well-organised under new manager Ken Dunne, despite missing key players from last years campaign in Jason & Alan Ryan, while they were also without the suspended Mark McCarthy following his dismissal late on in last years encounter which carried over to this year.

Toome’s greater scoring threat carried the evening, led by Jack Delaney who contributed 2-5, including one sublime side-line cut. His relocation closer to the goals is where he is at his best and a name long touted for a county senior panel chance, he should get one if he continues to produce performances like these.

The Toomevara attack certainly carries more threat with the addition of 2022 All-Ireland minor winner Darragh McCarthy who didn’t look phased playing at this level and his deft flick for his sides third goal showed his class and confidence.

Colm Canning, Mark McCarthy, and Shane Nolan also impressed in an overall team performance where their work-rate was too much for Kilruane with Jake Ryan managing to negate Jerome Cahill while Robbie Quirke and Liam Ryan impressed in defence.

This was a tough start for Kilruane’s title defence with the scale of this defeat and one wonders the cost this game will have had on their chances of even qualifying from the group having lost Devlin Courtney, Niall O’Meara, and Willie Cleary to injury during the game.

Already starting without Craig Morgan who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury sustained for Tipperary, the Kilruane management were forced to send him in out of desperation at half time and was clearly impeded. The loss of Niall O’Meara was massive as he was one of the few players carrying a threat to Toomevara in the opening half before sustaining a shoulder injury right on half time which could threaten his ability to play in the rest of the championship and is another cruel blow for a player who has suffered an injury hit year.

Kilruane’s run to the county title last year came about by largely having a settled team, albeit without Craig Morgan, and with Kian O’Kelly still to come back from the US, they do not have the depth on the bench to cover the losses of key players.

Still, they began the game well and were level at 0-3 apiece on ten minutes when Toome struck for their first goal on fourteen minutes, Jack Delaney finishing impressively after Darragh McCarthy showed good strength to win the ball on the end-line.

They opened up a six point lead on seventeen minutes before Kilruane started to find their groove and reeled off six points in a row, four from the stick of free-taker Willie Cleary as they struggled to create openings from play with their greatest threat being Jerome Cahill when he went to full forward.

Toome responded with three points in a row but struck for the key second goal right on half time as Jack Delaney first-timed a loose ball in the square to the net, 2-9 to 0-9.

With Niall O’Meara not returning to the fray at the start of the second half, the task became much greater for Kilruane and was virtually ended on 39 minutes when a raking clearance from Josh McCarthy into the square was deftly diverted to the net by Darragh McCarthy, 3-11 to 0-12.

Kilruane never threatened a recovery after that with Cian Darcy and Jerome Cahill unable to influence the game but were a threat running at the Toome defence with James Cleary one of their leading performers in a losing effort.

For Toomevara, the ideal start to the championship and with the firepower they have, and their tradition, will feel if Kilruane can go on a title last year, there is no reason why they can’t in 2023.

Player of the Match: Jack Delaney (Toomevara)

Toomevara: Rory Brislane (7); Liam Ryan (7), Andrew Ryan (7), Seamus O’Farrell (7); Jack Ryan (7), Josh McCarthy (7), Darren Delaney (7); Robbie Quirke (7), Jake Ryan (7); Kevin McCarthy (0-2, 7), Shane Nolan (0-4, 3f, 7, David Nolan (0-1, 7); Darragh McCarthy (1-2, 0-1f, 8, Colm Canning (0-2, 7), Jack Delaney (2-5, 0-1 s-cut) 9).

Subs: Adam Hall (6) for D Nolan (46); Sean Flaherty (6) for Canning (55); Joey McLoughney (NR) for Jack Ryan (58); 20 for J McCarthy (60).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Conor Doheny (6); Cormac Doheny (5), Jack Peters (7), James Cleary (8); Eoin Hogan (7), Kieran Cahill (0-1, 6), Mark O’Neill (0-1, 6); Aaron Morgan (0-1, 6), Jerome Cahill (0-1, 7); Willie Cleary (0-10, 7f, 2 65s) 7), Niall O’Meara (8), Seamus Hennessy (6), Devlin Courtney (6), Conor Cleary (6), Cian Darcy (6).

Subs: Conor Austin (6) for Courtney (18 inj); Craig Morgan (7) for O’Meara (HT inj); Thomas Cleary (0-1, 6) for Cormac Doheny (HT); Paudie Williams (6) for W Cleary (43 inj).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)