Efficient Kiladangan claim football success

GAA: North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Football Final

Kiladangan 0-9

Roscrea-Inane 0-5

Report: Michael Brophy in Toomevara

MATCH DIGEST

Man of the Match: Stephen Mulvihill (Kiladangan)

SCORERS – Kiladangan: Stephen Mulvihill 0-5 (4 frees, 1 45); Dan O’Meara, Sean O’Meara 0-2 each.

Roscrea-Inane: Alan Tynan 0-2; Kenny Lee, Michael Ryan, Evan Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.

A stubborn second-half display from Kiladangan’s defence helped them to secure the North Junior ‘A’ Football title last Wednesday.

Both sides were inaccurate with their shooting in the first half, and it was Kiladangan’s resolution of that problem in the second that proved the winning of the game. Roscrea-Inane side struck eleven wides compared to Kiladangan’s three, none of which came in the second half as the victors slowly pulled clear.

With Stephen Mulvihill kicking multiple long-range frees in the second-half, Kiladangan also had their goalkeeper Mike Ryan to thank for two excellent saves which halted any prospect of Roscrea momentum.

Kiladangan will be hoping to emulate the success of Ballina, who ended up in the Munster Junior Football Final after winning the county title at this grade last year.

It was the Roscrea side that started the brighter, and Kenny Lee got the scoring underway in the fourth minute. Kiladangan were struggling to hold onto possession in attack but did eventually equalise through Dan O’Meara who converted after a strong run.

Alan Tynan and Stephen Mulvihill were struggling from placed balls for their respective teams, but Tynan was faring much better from play for Inane. The former Munster rugby player, who has also represented Tipperary in hurling and football, kicked two excellent long-range scores off his left foot.

Kiladangan responded to each of those scores through a first point for Sean Hayes, a second point for Dan O’Meara and a free from Mulvihill, leaving Inane trailing 0-4 to 0-3 at the break.

Inane pushed forward from the start of the second half, while Kiladangan were happy to sit back and absorb the pressure. The Roscrea side were struggling to find the space to get shots on goal and were regularly getting dispossessed through the tough tackling in Kiladangan’s half-back line.

Two frees from Stephen Mulvihill, including an excellent long range placed ball from 45 metres, gave Kiladangan a valuable three-point lead early in the second half.

Inane could have drawn level as substitute Evan Fitzpatrick broke through on goal, only for his powerful strike to be excellently saved by Mike Ryan. That proved to be a crucial point in the match as Inane struggled to create scoring opportunities for the rest of the half. Another long-range free from Mulvihill gave Kiladangan a four-point lead, and he nearly extended the gap further when his low shot was saved well by Roscrea netminder Keith McMahon.

As Inane chased the game, Kiladangan’s build-up play became more patient and Sean Hayes kicked his second point which capped off an extended period of possession.

Tipperary senior hurling panellists Barry Hogan and James Quigley brought excellent intensity and direct running to the Kiladangan effort, but Quigley’s evening was curtailed in the second half when he exited after picking up a knock.

As the game entered the last ten minutes, the energetic Evan Fitzpatrick closed the gap to four points after his long-range shot bounced off the crossbar and over.

But Kiladangan were creating the better chances, and Roscrea keeper McMahon was again forced into a good save from James O’Meara. The resultant ’45’ from Stephen Mulvihill was converted to give Kiladangan a five-point lead, which was eroded slightly when Inane substitute Michael Ryan converted nicely in injury time.

Kiladangan could have been forced to endure a nervy final couple of minutes only for another excellent save from Mike Ryan, who stopped a goalbound shot from Michael Campion. The Roscrea side’s late attacks were in vain however as Kiladangan’s defence held Inane to two second-half points.

The victorious starting half-back line of Hughie Flannery, John O’Meara and Ronan Ducie were a tough barrier for Inane to break down, particularly in the second-half. Allied with the selfless running from the rest of the Kiladangan team, that meant the Roscrea team were struggling to find space to get shots away.

After a tough opening half for the free takers, Stephen Mulvihill’s unerring accuracy in the second-half proved to be the difference between the teams as Kiladangan’s attention will now turn to the beginning of the hurling championship.

TEAMS - Kiladangan: Mike Ryan (8); Daragh Butler (7), James Quigley (8), Paddy Gallagher (7); Hughie Flannery (7), John O’Meara (8), Ronan Ducie (7); Tom O’Meara (7), Barry Hogan (7); Sean Hayes (7), Dan O’Meara (8), Bill Cleary (6); Stephen Mulvihill (8), Ciaran Kelly (6), Aidan Ryan (6).

Subs: Conor Byrne (6) for Cleary (HT); James O’Meara (6) for Ryan (43); Sean Ryan (6) for Quigley (43); Tadhg Gallagher (6) for Flannery (47); Joe Gallagher (6) for Kelly (49).

Roscrea-Inane: Keith McMahon (7); Brian McCabe (6), Joe Carroll (6), Conor Shanahan (7); Eoin Tynan (6), Michael Campion (7), Luke Seacy (6); Darragh Tynan (7), Simon Meagher (6); Aidan Booth (6), Alan Tynan (7), Shane Fletcher (7); Kenny Lee (7), Jason Fitzpatrick (6), Conor Sheedy (6).

Subs: Jason Gilmartin (6) for Lee (37); Evan Fitzpatrick (7) for Booth (37); Conor Dooley (6) for Sheedy (37); Dylan Hogan (6) for Meagher (45); Michael Ryan (7) for J Fitzpatrick (54).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).