Tipperary SHC final: Thurles Sarsfields 0-22 Kiladangan 1-19
In what has become a modern tradition, the Tipperary hurling final has gone to a replay for the third year running. An energetic and claustrophobic encounter between Thurles and Kiladangan, which edged its way through the hour with the teams level on 14 occasions, was tied up for the last time when Willie Connors fired over the equaliser a minute into injury-time from inside his own 65 at Semple Stadium on Sunday.
On an afternoon when defences were largely on top, it was the inputs of the respective free takers, Billy Seymour and Aidan McCormack that did most to keep the scoreboard moving – with just one misplaced dead ball between the 16 they took.
Thurles looked the more constructive team, pushing hard in attack and looking to hit their forwards with quick ball but despite opening up what daylight was permitted to exist between the teams – three points on one occasion in each half – they never managed to put Kiladangan away and their opponents responded doggedly and repeatedly.
Kiladangan manager John O’Meara summarised it from his perspective when it was put to him that they had been largely chasing the match.
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“It felt like that sort of a game now, to be fair. I’d say the scoreboard for a good share of it reflected it. I suppose we were equalising as opposed to Thurles equalising.
“I think the team that learns the most from the drawn game usually comes out on top in the replay and I think there’ll certainly be a good few learnings for us in it.”
Former county mainstay Pádraic Maher faces the prospect of his entire panel being back at the drawing board after Thurles also drew the premier intermediate final on Saturday. Both sides will now prepare for replays.
“We’re all training together anyway. One squad plays one day, one squad plays another day. That’s the way it is. Lads are enjoying it. We still have a crack at the two of them.
“At the end of it we were happy to be still in with a chance of winning it the next day. I thought we were going to pull away but then they came back and went a point up with whatever it was, 10 [minutes] to go. Look, we had a couple of opportunities to take a score when we were a point up but we’re delighted to get another crack at it and we’ll regroup again.”
At half-time there was just a point in it, Thurles ahead minimally 0-11 to 0-10.
Throughout the match there were very few goal opportunities created, as both teams took the points on offer and although Kiladnagan had looked the more accurate side in the semi-finals, there wasn’t much to choose between them in the execution of shots this time. Thurles had a tenuous sight of goal in the 19th minute but Eoin Purcell’s hand pass across goal to Paddy Creedon was overcooked and dribbled wide.
Purcell was also at the centre of a controversial point chance in the 35th minute – his shot eventually deemed wide after an umpire had reached for the flag.
Both defences showed good form. Ronan Maher was imperious in the Thurles rearguard, taking up the spare position and lording it under a speculative ball. He had good support with Cathal Moloney falling back to give him space for the free role and Paul Maher and Denis Maher competing well for what reached the full-back zone.
Kiladangan also had noticeable performers in defence. Joe Gallagher proved a robust presence in the half-backs and shot a fine point in the first half but there was also excellent close quarters defending from James Quigley and David Sweeney, who in the 49th minute, perceptively cut out a dangerous ball which would have opened the route to goal.
The way the scores were trending, it was probably always going to be Kiladangan who would need the goal to stay in the game and so it proved. They too had a suggestion of a chance when the lively Declan McGrath dropped in a shot that goalkeeper Patrick McCormack pushed out but Dan O’Meara was caught slightly unawares and couldn’t get to it.
No sooner had Conor Stakelum pushed Thurles three ahead just after that scare, McGrath struck again, taking the opportunity to run at the Thurles defence. His pass to Seán Hayes opened up the approach to goal and the latter’s pass into Paul Flynn set up a well-taken score, which equalised things at 1-13 to 0-16.
Flynn had a productive afternoon, fnishing with 1-3 as his goal dictated a largely tit-for-tat final quarter.
Connors’ equaliser crowned a good display by the former county player, who has been battling injury this season, as his manager explained.
“Willie was carrying a very serious injury earlier in the year. We’ve been managing his workload, getting him back as the games have gone on, getting more game time into him each day that we’ve played. Today is massive because it’s probably 45 minutes under the belt even though it’s disappointing for Johno to have come off early.
“The positive is to get Willie back on the field and to get the amount of game time we got into him. I thought he was exceptional in the second half and obviously popped up with the equaliser.”
The two clubs were each involved in the last two year’s replays, losing both to Loughmore and Kilruane respectively. Pádraic Maher said that the experience would help his team.
“We were only beaten in the replay two years ago by a point. A great opportunity, a few lads playing their first county final. Hopefully that will stand and bring them on a good bit. A few lads in there disappointed in their performances which is good as well but they are getting another opportunity to play in a county final. There are lads who would bite your hand off for an opportunity like it and we’re getting another one at it.”
Thurles Sarsfields: P McCormack; P Maher, S Maher, D Maher; M Purcell, R Maher, J Armstrong; S Cahill (0-3), C Moloney; B McCarthy (0-1), C Stakelum (0-2), A McCormack (0-11, seven frees, two 65s); P Creedon, D Stakelum (0-3), E Purcell (0-1).
Subs: S Butler (0-1) for McCarthy (47 mins), D Corbett for Creedon (54 mins).
Kiladangan: B Hogan; J Quigley, J O’Meara, D Sweeney; F Hayes, D McGrath (0-1), J Gallagher (0-1); T Gallagher, A Flynn (0-1); S Hayes (0-3) , B Seymour (0-7, six frees), A Loughnane (0-1) ; B McLoughney, D O’Meara (0-1), P Flynn (1-3).
Subs: W Connors (0-1) for J O’Meara (21 mins), C Byrne for Loughnane (48 mins), E Sharkey for Hayes (54 mins).
Referee: M Kennedy (Newcastle).
