Toomevara and Kilruane progress after scrappy battle

In the end, both Toomevara and Kilruane MacDonaghs walked off the MacDonagh Park pitch on Saturday happy in the knowledge they progressed to the County Senior Hurling Championship quarter finals.

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 3

Toomevara 2-20

Kilruane MacDonaghs 1-19

Report: Shane Brophy at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh

Toomevara do so with the momentum as group winners, fully erasing the first round loss to Borris-Ileigh with another strong performance, particularly in the second half when they withheld Kilruane MacDonaghs against the significant breeze.

In what was a low-key encounter, not what many expected beforehand with so much on the line, there wasn’t much between the sides, and in the end, it came down to one player, Darragh McCarthy.

From the first minute when he won his first free off James Cleary, the nineteen-year-old was a constant thorn in the Kilruane side. While just two points of his haul of 1-12 came from play, his presence in the full-forward line caused absolute panic for Kilruane all through. He ended up having three different markers with Cleary and Aaron Morgan ending up on yellow cards, with Craig Morgan also stationed on him by the end.

There were other notable contributors for Toomevara, including Darren Delaney, the long serving half-back now redeployed to half-forward where his ability to win possession and use it wisely was evident in this performance.

Kilruane MacDonaghs still progress to a quarter final, but they know they’ll have to find more if they are to repeat their 2022 title success. Jerome Cahill was well-shackled in the main and no matter where he was tried, they couldn’t get him into the game.

Kian O’Kelly was impressive as a ball-winner, but Kilruane were denied the space to turn it into scores from play, 1-8 in all, 1-2 coming from Cian Darcy who had a good battle with Toomevara skipper Liam Ryan.

Toomevara had the aid of the breeze which was impactful in a lot of games at the weekend and raced into a 0-5 to 0-2 ten nine minutes, all from placed balls, four frees from Darragh McCarthy and a sublime sideline cut from Mark McCarthy. Kilruane’s sole response was from two Willie Cleary frees as free-flowing hurling was at a premium with the first point from play coming in the eleventh minute from Thomas Cleary.

The early stages lacked any of the edge you would associate with these great rivals, but it sparked into life on thirteen minutes with Conor Austin and Mark McCarthy got to grips with each other with the latter picking up a yellow card.

It ignited the play as the scores from play followed, Cian Darcy and Willie Cleary for Kilruane and Darragh McCarthy (assisted by Darren Delaney) for Toomevara before Kilruane struck for a goal on 21 minutes, a simple move with a raking clearance from goalkeeper Paidi Williams caught by Kian O’Kelly who laid off to Cian Darcy coming on the loop and he buried to the corner of the net, 1-5 to 0-6.

McCarthy and Cleary traded frees before Josh & Kevin McCarthy pointed from play with Darragh McCarthy edging Toome back in front. The sides shared the final four points of the half, the pick from Toome’s Conor O’Farrell as his side led 0-12 to 1-8 at the break.

Kilruane relocated Niall O’Meara to full forward at the start of the second half with the aid of the breeze and he pointed before Cian Darcy nudged them in front.

Toome needed to halt the momentum before it became too great and got it in the form of a 34th minute penalty when Darragh McCarthy made a superb catch in the square and was hauled down by James Cleary for a penalty which he converted.

Kilruane responded quickly with a Kian O’Kelly point but Toome were playing the ball around well with Kevin McCarthy pointing twice from play before his brother Darragh was hauled down again close to goal which yielded a booking for Aaron Morgan and another pointed free.

Kilruane were only two points down at the three quarter mark, but the Toomevara half-back line were getting on top and with the extra space for their forwards, Darragh McCarthy added two more to his tally, the second inches away from being a goal.

Kilruane were by now almost reliant on Willie Cleary placed balls to stay in touch, but Eoin Hogan did get forward for an inspirational 51st minute point, 1-15 to 1-17.

Darren Delaney got the score his performance deserved before Toome as good as sealed the game on 54 minutes when a long ball broke off Darragh McCarthy into the path of Adam Hall who finished well to the net under pressure.

Kilruane pushed hard late on but lost Kian O’Kelly to a second yellow card in added time, but the margin of defeat proved to be enough to progress on score difference.

Player of the Match: Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara)

Toomevara: Rory Brislane (6); Liam Ryan (7), Andrew Ryan (6), Seamus O’Farrell (7); Josh McCarthy (0-1, 7), Barry O’Connell (7), Jack Ryan (7); Robbie Quirke (6), Conor O’Farrell (0-1, 7); Jack Delaney (6), Darren Delaney (0-1, 8), Mark McCarthy (0-1 s-cut, 6); Darragh McCarthy (1-12, 1-0 pen, 0-9f, 0-1 ’65) 9), Kevin McCarthy (0-3, 8), Adam Hall (1-0, 6).

Subs: Jake Hackett (6) for M McCarthy (45); Conor O’Meara (0-1, 7) for D Delaney (54); David Nolan (NR) for J Delaney (58); Colm Canning (NR) for J McCarthy (60+1).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Paidi Williams (6); Eoin Hogan (0-1, 7), Kieran Cahill (7), James Cleary (5); Conor Austin (6), Craig Morgan (6), Aaron Morgan (7); Jerome Cahill (6), Paddy Ryan (6); Willie Cleary (0-12, 9f, 2 ‘65s) 7), Niall O’Meara (0-2, 7), Kian O’Kelly (0-1, 8); Brian O’Meara (6), Thomas Cleary (0-1, 7), Cian Darcy (1-2, 7).

Subs: Darragh Peters (6) for Ryan (HT); Mark O’Neill (6) for B O’Meara (45); Seamus Hennessy (NR) for Peters (58 inj).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines).