Kiladangan can validate Senior rise with second title

By Shane Brophy

KILADANGAN V THURLES SARSFIELDS

FBD Semple Stadium

Sunday, 15th October

Throw-in @ 4.00pm

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle)

Tipperary have been blessed with some epic senior hurling finals in recent years and next Sunday has the potential to be another as Kiladangan and Thurles Sarsfields come face to face in the showpiece game of the club game in the Premier County.

The last three finals haven’t been decided in regulation time with the last two requiring replays while the third, in 2020, would have had a second day but for Covid schedule restraints which led to Kiladangan’s greatest day with their extra time win over Loughmore/Castleiney.

When these sides met in the first round of the championship, which feels like an eternity ago on the last Sunday in July at a murky FBD Semple Stadium, Kiladangan were nine-point victors, but a similar one-sided encounter isn’t expected as this Thurles Sarsfields side has developed hugely since under first year manager Padraic Maher and come into this eagerly-anticipated final with massive momentum.

Kiladangan

This Kiladangan group of players have come a long way since they first reached a county final in 2016. They were a novice team then, with a core of players not long out of under 21 grade when they came up against a Thurles Sarsfields side at their peak, completing the third leg of a four-in-a-row.

However, if you crunch the numbers, both sides have a similar level of turnover of players from that game with Kiladangan set to have eight survivors from that team involved on Sunday while Thurles Sarsfields have seven, even though it feels like the Mid champions have more of a new team feel about them.

As mentioned already, Kiladangan did reach the promised land in 2020 by winning a first county title but this group have tasted final defeats on three occasions, 2016, 19 & 22, so a second Dan Breen Cup would be a more reflective return of success for all the hurling they have done over the last decade since becoming one of the strongest teams in the county.

It’s a Kiladangan team with very little change from the side that were defeated by Kilruane MacDonaghs after a replay twelve months ago. Even in reaching that final, Kiladangan only showed fleeting moments of them at their best. This campaign has been way more of that, despite throwing in the lulls in games that continue to be an issue, such as the first half of the group game against Borris-Ileigh in Nenagh when they conceded 1-18 in the first half to trail by ten points.

However, this is the mark of the Kiladangan team, that when they are at their best, they are the best team in the county. In the group game against Thurles Sarsfields, and the second half of the Borris-Ileigh game, they blitzed their opponents with their speed of movement of the ball and while they ended up losing narrowly to Borris, they showed in that first twenty-five minutes of the second half, them at their very best.

Their team has evolved through the campaign, although with Tipperary netminder Barry Hogan an ever present in goals. Fergal Hayes, James Quigley, and John O’Meara have developed into the first choice full-back line, although David Sweeney tends to drop back there in a man-marking role. They came under pressure from Darragh McCarthy of Toomevara in the semi-final and Thurles Sarsfields will have seen how vulnerable they are and have in Darragh Stakelum an inside forward of similar stature that can hurt them.

At the start of the campaign, the most notable shift in the Kiladangan lineout was bringing Joe Gallagher from the half forward line back to the centre back where he played much of his underage hurling. The plan was to push Alan Flynn further forward into a midfield role to add more power and energy. It did to a certain degree but the Kiladangan skippers experience and diligence in the centre-back position was missed and in recent games he has returned to the key position on the pitch with Gallagher moving to the left wing and Declan McGrath shoved into the midfield to bring his skill and athleticism, and in the semi-final showing his ability on the ball with the glorious pass to Paul Flynn for his sides first goal. McGrath and Tadhg Gallagher have developed an excellent understanding with the latter again having another strong campaign.

The only decision the Kiladangan management might have to make for Sunday is whether to start Willie Connors, or to hold him in reserve. The former Tipperary player has been blighted by an ankle problem over the last year and missed the group game with Thurles through injury but has looked sprightlier coming off the bench in recent games. At full fitness, he starts in this team, albeit at corner forward but he is at his best in a central area where his vision to bring others into the play is among the best in the county.

If he does start, it likely means sacrificing one of the forwards that have impressed in recent games, but Connors does bring bench impact so he may be kept in reserve.

Kiladangan’s greater consistency this year has come largely due to improved play in attack, particularly from Billy Seymour who has provided greater leadership from centre-forward. The penny looks to have dropped for the 2019 All-Ireland U20 final hero and has the bith between his teeth in this campaign. His likely battle with Ronan Maher is likely to go a long way to determining the outcome.

On the flanks, Sean Hayes has also come on a lot this year. He always had the ability but his workrate to get on the ball has come on a tonne. Paul Flynn has played much of this campaign at wing forward, but it was interesting that in the semi-final that it was the industrious Andy Loughnane on the wing and Flynn pushed much closer to goal where he is more effective and a goal threat, along with Bryan McLoughney and Dan O’Meara, the latter whose form has dipped since 2020 but is showing signs of coming back to his best and the forward line certainly clicks better when he performs well.

Thurles Sarsfields

Going six years without a county title is the fourth longest title drought for Thurles Sarsfields as they chase a 37th title on Sunday. When they completed a four-in-a-row in 2017, going at least six years without a title didn’t look fanciful, particularly with a Tipp that was far from old. However, a staleness developed, one that lingered ever since, despite reaching the final in 2021 when losing to Loughmore/Castleiney, after a replay.

That game proved to be Padraic Maher’s final action on a playing field, having been forced to retire through injury not long after, but the Thurles legend is now the man tasked with bringing the good times back to the Sarsfields.

Taking on a team of players whom he hurled with so recently is always a risk, but Maher has such an aura about him, there was never much chance the players wouldn’t take direction from him. In taking on the job, he surrounded himself with the best people in the club, none more so than his uncle Paddy McCormack who has been central to Thurles’ eight titles won since 2005 which ended a 31-year drought.

Sarsfields never lost that hurling quality over the last six years, but when it came to the crunch in key games, they were found wanting a little in terms of physicality, particularly in attack. The aspect of Padraic Maher’s game, be it for Thurles Sarsfields or Tipperary, was his will to win and to do that you have to do the work and that has been evident ever since they lost to Kiladangan in the group stage. In the five games won since then, they had to come through battles against Clonoulty/Rossmore and Nenagh Eire Og, while the easier than expected manner of the wins over Borris-Ileigh, Drom & Inch and Loughmore/Castleiney wasn’t down to just their hurling, they made it easier by outworking them too.

Padraic Maher has shown his willingness to make the tough calls, such as dropping Tipperary senior panellist Paddy Creedon for a breach of discipline prior to the Nenagh game, and he hasn’t been able to get back into the team. Not many managers would leave a player of that ability out, but it has been made easier by the impact of other players who have taken their chance, such as Seanie Butler who has really kicked on this year after being a fringe player for so long.

Billy McCarthy already has two county senior medals to his name, but no one would deserve another more than the Thurles forward who has undergone torture with injury since the summer of 2018 when he suffered the first of his knee injuries which has blighted his career. When you see the way inter-county hurling has developed over the last five years and the increased physicality and workrate, it was made for a player like McCarthy, and while still curtailed somewhat, he is still hugely effective for Thurles and provides the focal point and leadership in attack, similar to what joint captain Ronan Maher provides at centre back.

As mentioned earlier, key to the outcome will be Ronan Maher and what impact he will have on the game. He missed the group stage contest with Kiladangan through illness and Thurles certainly missed is presence and Kiladangan will know the Sars defence will be more robust now that he is back.

Too many teams in this championship have allowed Ronan Maher a free-role at centre back where he is too good at reading a sweeping up ball that comes through the middle. Kiladangan cannot do that and indeed it isn’t their style to play a sweeper so you would expect Maher to have to mark Billy Seymour.

Thurles Sarsfields don’t play many teams that have a good a set of forwards as Kiladangan where all six can score, and they saw first hand in the group game the damage they can do.

These are two teams that will back their hurling ability every time and go man for man, so an open expansive game is expected between two teams craving more success, Sarsfields to end a six year wait, and Kiladangan to validate their time at the business end of the senior championship with a second title.

Everything points to this being a cracker and don’t be surprised if a replay is required for the third year in a row. While Thurles Sarsfields have the greater pedigree, Kiladangan’s want is greater and they know how to beat this Sarsfields team and if they bring their best, they will be celebrating a second county title come Sunday night.

Verdict: Kiladangan