Kiladangan show champions mettle in rescuing draw

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 4 Round 1

Clonoulty/Rossmore 4-20

Kiladangan 4-20

Report: Noel Dundon in Borrisoleigh

The mark of champions is that they are never beaten till they are beaten, and so it proved on Saturday in the first round of the County Senior Hurling Championship when Kiladangan came from eight points down in injury time to snatch a dramatic draw against a flummoxed Clonoulty/Rossmore who were sure they had enough done to claim the victory.

This was a marvellous contest and Clonoulty/Rossmore, who did not have any West championship from which they might have drawn adequate preparation, seemed to throw aside any such disadvantage as they more than matched the champions who only occasionally seemed to get to the required pitch of the play– the finale which saw them claim Billy Seymour and Darren Moran goals within three minutes of each other had as much to do with their opponents loss of team shape than anything else.

While Kiladangan’s ninth minute goal from Brian McLoughney put a 1-4 to 0-4 gap between them as he added to Billy Seymour (2), Andy Loughnane and Shane Gleeson points, Clonoulty/Rossmore responded and added to Stephen Ferncombe’s and Danny Slattery’s two each, with scores from Ferncombe, Robert Doyle, Cathal Bourke, and Slattery again to tie up the game by the end of the first quarter.

A second Kiladangan goal from Paul Flynn in the 21st minute was cancelled by a Ferncombe brace and Jack Ryan scores so that it ended at half time with Kiladangan in front by a slim 2-8 to 0-13 lead – thirteen scores to ten perhaps better reflecting the play.

If Clonoulty/Rossmore felt in any way hard done by, they didn’t show it upon resumption as they raced into the game, bagging 1-3 without reply inside five minutes – Danny Slattery, Cathal Bourke and Stephen Ferncombe added to Bourke’s 32nd minute goal which proved a real fillip to the men from the west.

Kiladangan were now five in arrears, and they didn’t like it. So, they hit six points in six minutes to reclaim the initiative – Paul Flynn, Andy Loughnane, Shane Gleeson, Willie Connors, and Billy Seymour (2) obliging.

Then, it was Clonoulty/Rossmore’s turn to find the posts and Cathal Bourke’s leveller was followed by a Stephen Ferncombe point, and then a 45th minute goal which was fashioned by Michael Ryan and Jack Ryan.

Advantage Clonoulty/Rossmore again and that advantage was further trumped by a Robert Doyle goal five minutes later, and a Danny Slattery goal two minutes after that. So, it was three goals in seven minutes for Clonoulty and the champions were on the brink of losing their first outing in the county championship. Kiladangan had been chipping away with points from Billy Seymour, Paul Flynn, and Seymour again to keep them in touch, but now they were 4-20 to 2-18 down as the 60th minute expired. Surely, there was no way back?

Well, there was, and they did it the hard way. Billy Seymour’s goal from a close-range free in the 61st minute followed a pointed free and then a David Sweeney point – a goal in it then as the clock ticked deep into the additional time and Clonoulty/Rossmore were at panic stations. They had lost their shape totally and more-or-less abandoning attacking duties, they invited Kiladangan onto themselves – a fatal move as it turned out with sub Darren Moran firing a last gasp effort to the roof of the Jason O’Dwyer’s net much to the disbelief of both sets of players.

The champions had snatched a point from the jaws of defeat and were delirious with glee – Clonoulty/Rossmore despaired at having had the points in the bag but failing to tie it off.

Player of the Match: Billy Seymour (Kiladangan)

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Jason O’Dwyer (6); Tommy Ryan (6), Ronan Heffernan (7), Donnacha Quirke (6); John O’Keeffe (8), Enda Heffernan (7), Sean O’Connor (7); Nathan Slattery (0-1, 8), Michael Ryan (0-1, 8); Danny Slattery (1-3, 8), Stephen Ferncombe (1-10, 0-7f, 8), Jack Ryan (0-1, 6); Cathal Burke (1-3, 7), Thomas Butler (6), Robert Doyle (1-1, 6).

Sub: Stephen Quinn (6) for Butler (45).

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan (7); Fergal Hayes (6), James Quigley (6), David Sweeney (0-1, 7); Willie Connors (0-1, 8), Alan Flynn (7), Joe Gallagher (6); Declan McGrath (6), Tadhg Gallagher (6); Shane Gleeson (0-2, 7), Billy Seymour (1-10, 1-6f, 8), Paul Flynn (1-2, 7); Bryan McLoughney (1-1, 6), Andy Loughnane (0-2, 7), Conor Byrne (0-1, 6).

Subs: Darren Moran (1-0, 7) for McLoughney (52); John O’Meara (7) for Gleeson (56).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle).