North titles don’t come too often to Moneygall - Greene

By Liam Hogan

Willie Greene said winning North finals don’t happen too often in a club like Moneygall so completing back-to-back intermediate hurling titles is something to be celebrated according to the winning manager.

Moneygall were impressive when winning this final win over Portroe. They look better prepared this year. They had a lot of injuries and players away last year but now seem to a have greater strength in depth.

With Ciaran Quinlan, Brendan Toohey and Conor Ryan as the elder statesmen, there the young players coming through like Cian Ryan, Gearoid Larkin and Andy Hoolan involved.

Moneygall also have the luxury of two county players in Joe Fogarty and Sean Kenneally but there are others like Bob Kenny, Tadgh Whyte, Adam Hogan and Aodhan Ryan are doing very well.

“It’s not all about Seanie and Joe,” Greene said.

“They are in with the seniors. There are others. Andy (Hoolan) was in with the under 20s. The other boys are working very well. They are bringing scores and the backs are pushing up the field. It’s all about workrate and bringing that energy and scores are coming that bit easier.”

He added: “When we met earlier in the year, we said to the boys we need a panel of 23 or 24 players.

You know some of the players are going to get injured and lads are going to get chances. Like tonight we brought in Gearoid Larkin for Roddy Teehan. Niall Maher came on and got a great score. Dylan Maher did well also. Those boys have been training hard.”

The Moneygall manager added they will enjoy the win, but they have bigger fish to fry when county championship comes around in two weeks’ time when they face Carrick Davins in the first round.

“Coming from Moneygall North titles are few and far in-between,” he added.

“But it’s early in the season. It’s July.

“In two weeks’, time we will be out against Carrick Davins. They pushed Ballingarry very close in the South semi-final a few weeks ago. Ballingarry won the South final against Kilsheelan so we are under no illusions. Ballingarry caught us in the County League final.

We could not get into the game. They will have a big say in the championship, but we are in a tough group, but we will take it one day at a time.”

Player of the Match

Joe Fogarty scored 1-11 for Moneygall and was named man of the match but lauded the work of the team for this latest success.

“It’s always a great honour to win a North title but at the same time winning the county is our goal,” he revealed.

“We have massive depth in our squad this year. There are three or four boys there who could start and there is serious competition in training.

“We have Carrick Davins on our mind and that will be our focus the next two weeks. Our lads have been training hard since January. They have put in the hard shift.”

Sean Kenneally

Sean Kenneally contributed five points from play and was very happy with his team’s performance and was full of praise for the management especially new coach Dan Hackett.

“Dan has set very high standards,” he revealed.

“At the start of the year, he laid it on the line. The goal is to get out of the intermediate and into the premier.

“He has amazing standards, and you can with Kiladangan as to what has gone on there. They were a small club like us and won the All-Ireland in 2005 and twenty years later they are winning county titles. Hopefully that’s our goal as well.”