Leaders to the fore as Kilruane hold off Toomevara

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-17

Toomevara 2-15

Report: Shane Brophy at FBD Semple Stadium

The value of experience and class proved to the difference for Kilruane MacDonaghs as they got the better of Toomevara in an exciting finish to their County Senior Hurling Championship quarter final on Saturday evening.

The best days of Seamus Hennessy and Brian O’Meara are behind them but their impact off the bench in the second half proved decisive as they helped provide the direction and leadership for their side to come from behind to fend off a Toomevara side who produced their best performance of the campaign, but it won’t soften the blow of this defeat.

A mild surprise looked on the cards when Toomevara led 1-7 to 0-8 at the end of a lacklustre first half, devoid of tempo and quality apart from the saves from Toome’s Rory Brislane fron Cian Darcy and Mark O’Neill.

The difference at the break proved to be a David Young goal in the 27th minute, after Kilruane stand-in goalkeeper Conor Doheny was dispossessed coming out with the ball, and Toome quickly punished the turnover.

However, the game improved markedly after half time, with Kian O’Kelly’s 35th minute goal kick-starting the Kilruane surge. It came as they injected more pace to their play, moving the ball quicker with Willie Cleary creating the opening for O’Kelly to finish well.

Conor Doheny followed it with a cracking point but shortly after he was called ashore, harshly at the time to allow Seamus Hennessy to come into the half back line, but it proved to be a shrewd move by the Kilruane management. Within two minutes of his arrival, he had fired over two trademark long range points and narrowly missed another for a 1-13 to 1-10 lead.He was helping provide more quick ball into the attack also but that part of their game didn’t pay off as much as the Toomevara defence more than held their own.

Toome fed off the higher tempo with Jack Delaney coming more into the game at centre forward and when sub Adam Hall pointed in the 49th minute, the gap was down to one.

In front of the watchful eye of Tipperary manager Liam Cahill, Kian O’Kelly produced his best performance of the campaign for Kilruane and also bagged a second goal as his 52nd minute shot flew inches over the bar.

However, they couldn’t shake Toomevara off and Kevin McCarthy brought them within one. By this stage, Brian ‘Buggy’ O’Meara had entered the fray for his first appearance of the season. He was initially a coach this season but returned to training in recent weeks but it was still a gamble to send a player in so short of fitness and match-time but it proved to be an inspired one as his hurling ability remains as evidenced in his flicked overhead finish to a Jerome Cahill pass in the 57th minute for a 2-15 to 1-14 lead.

After Cian Darcy followed with his third from play, that looked that for Toomevara but a cracking Jack Delaney goal in the 59th minute put the game back in the melting pot again.

A Kevin McCarthy free brought them back within one early in the five minutes of added time but they couldn’t get back on parity as Kian O’Kelly bookended his strong performance on the evening by winning a free which Willie Cleary converted to send Kilruane back into the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.

Overall, it was a win they merited but were to make harder for by shooting sixteen wides to just nine for a Toomevara side that remain a side looking for a fulcrum of a leading player or player(s) to pull them up when they need it, just like what Seamus Hennessy and Brian O’Meara did for Kilruane.

Player of the Match: Kian O’Kelly (Kilruane MacDonaghs)

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Paidi Williams (6); Eoin Hogan (7), Jack Peters (7), Kieran Cahill (6); Conor Austin (0-1, 6), Niall O’Meara (0-1f, 8), James Cleary (6); Sean McAdams (0-1, 6), Mark O’Neill (0-1, 7); Willie Cleary (0-5f, 6), Jerome Cahill (0-1, 8), Kian O’Kelly (1-2, 8); Cian Darcy (0-3, 7), Thomas Cleary (6), Aaron Morgan (7).

Subs: Conor Doheny for Williams (25-29 concussion); Seamus Hennessy (0-2, 8) for Austin (40); Brian O’Meara (1-0, 7) for T Cleary (50).

Toomevara: Rory Brislane (6); Jake Ryan (7), Andrew Ryan (7), Liam Ryan (6); Jason Ryan (7), Joey McLoughney (6), Josh McCarthy (7); Jack Ryan (6), Kevin McCarthy (0-3, 2f) 7); Jack Delaney (1-2, 7), Robbie Quirke (0-2, 7), Kenneth Ryan (0-1, 6); David Young (1-0, 6), Mark McCarthy (0-5f, 6), Alan Ryan (0-1, 6).

Subs: Adam Hall (0-1, 7) for Young (38); Conor O’Meara (6) for Jack Ryan (44); David Nolan (6) for M McCarthy (56 inj); Colm Canning (NR) for A Ryan (59).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)