Peter’s crash out to Kieran’s
Double dreams fade away
THE NATURE of the outcome and the manner in which it came about was nearly as disappointing as the actual result itself at an icecold Netwatch Carlow Training Centre in Fenagh on Saturday when St. Peter’s (Wexford) made an extremely tame exit to old foes and reigning All-Ireland titleholders St. Kieran’s (Kilkenny) in the Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior hurling ‘A’ championship semi-final.
A lot more was expected from the double-seekers who appeared to have enough quality in the ranks to offer far stiffer resistance.
However, spectators weren’t the only ones longing to get some warmth back into their bones, as Peter’s froze completely on the big stage and looked a beaten docket long before the final whistle.
In my view, teams with less quality and potential than this one have donned the green and white in the past and made life a lot more difficult for the championship specialists from Noreside, who now await the outcome of the Good Counsel versus Kilkenny C.B.S. re-fixture in the final.
Alas, it was a complete off-day from the Peter’s crew who were in serious bother at half-time when they were only on level terms (1-6 to 0-9) after playing with the benefit of the strong wind.
And although the smart money was on Kieran’s to take over at that stage, few if any would have predicted that Peter’s would score just once in the second period, when Rory O’Connor sent over a free in the 48th minute to make it 0-16 to 1-7.
Perhaps the losers had it too easy seven days earlier against a poor St. Brendan’s (Birr) side. Kieran’s had struggled to shake off Borris Vocational School, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that they found it even tougher to dismiss the Carlow lads last year and ended up going all the way to All-Ireland honours.
They paraded several sons of former stalwarts, and it was particularly interesting to see Tommy Ronan and Michael Carey giving such staunch defensive displays when their fathers, Adrian and D.J., excelled at the other end of the field.
The real ace in their pack though was the supremely accurate Adrian Mullen, another very promising red-head from Ballyhale which isn’t a great omen for the rest of the counties if he goes on to be as effective as Henry Shefflin.
His lovely unforced, graceful striking style yielded the grand total of 14 points, made up of seven frees, four from play, and three ’65s into the teeth of the wind in the opening half. He was the stand-out performer on an afternoon when Peter’s would have expected a lot more from their big guns.
Kieran’s were on their game from the off after the toss dictated that they would be facing the elements, with their defence very strong as a unit when dealing with James Henebery’s long puck-outs.
Mullen stroked over the first of those ’65s in the second minute, but Peter’s replied well as midfielders Jack Brazzill and Quinn Saunders both split the posts from distance after the latter initially hit the first of their nine wides (Kieran’s had eleven).
Another Mullen ’65 levelled matters before a couple of goal chances which might have altered the course of the game came and went for Peter’s.
First of all Rory O’Connor latched on to the break from a Henebery puck-out on the left and soloed clear, only to see his rocket shot whizz over the bar. One minute later his first cousin, Barry, nearly availed of a rare defensive lapse from the eventual victors when a handpass went astray, but his pull was saved by Dean Mason.
Evan Shefflin and Eoin O’Shea edged Kieran’s 0-4 to 0-3 clear before Kyle Firman equalised in the 13th minute, with Adrian Mullen and Rory O’Connor (free) swapping points before the Peter’s goal arrived.
Firman flicked the ball into the path of Rory O’Connor whose powerful drive was superbly saved, but Barry O’Connor - now at full-forward - anticipated the break and directed the sliothar to the net from close range (1-5 to 0-5).
That goal came in the 20th minute but Peter’s couldn’t build on it, only managing two points for the remainder of the game including another Rory O’Connor free leading up to the interval.
In contrast, Kieran’s ended the half in the driving seat and the outstanding finishing of Adrian Mullen, who hit four points from play, one ’65 and two frees, brought them level (0-9 to 1-6).
Mullen continued where he left off on the re-start, arrowing over two more placed balls before wing-back Killian Egan pointed from distance.
The game was slipping away fast from Peter’s, and they were definitely heading for the exit gates by the three-quarters stage after Mullen (three) and Daithí Barron had increased the gap to 0-16 to 1-6.
That pointed free from Rory O’Connor was the last throw of the dice from the Summerhill side, with their decision-making doing them no favours in a disjointed finish to the game.
Adrian Mullen brought his tally to 14 points before substitute Ciarán Brennan applied the icing to the cake in added time, rattling the net from a Mullen handpass.
Incidentally, a large portion of this game was played with just one neutral umpire at either end. A second man eventually provided assistance at the ‘scoring’ goal, and the lack of personnel didn’t lead to any controversy. Still, it was hardly good enough for a game of this importance which attracted a decent crowd.
St. Peter’s: James Henebery (Faythe Harriers); Seán Banville (Faythe Harriers), Ben Maddock (St. Martin’s), Finn O’Driscoll (St. Anne’s); Eoin O’Leary (St. Martin’s), Conor Firman (St. Martin’s), Seán Keane-Carroll (Shelmaliers); Quinn Saunders (Our Lady’s Island, 0-1), Jack Brazzill (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1); Barry O’Connor (St. Martin’s, 1-0), Michael Codd (St. Martin’s), Kyle Firman (St. Martin’s, 0-1); Jack Devereux (St. Martin’s), Rory O’Connor (St. Martin’s, capt., 0-4, 3 frees), Fiach O Crualaioch (Faythe Harriers). Subs. - Ross Banville (Shelmaliers) for O Crualaoich (41), Cian Meyler ( Our Lady’s Island) for Devereux (45).
St. Kieran’s: Dean Mason; Tommy Ronan, Michael Carey, Luke Murphy; Ben Lawlor, Matthew Keoghan, Killian Egan (0-1); Diarmuid Phelan, Daithí Barron (0-1); Adrian Mullen (0-14, 7 frees, 3 ’65s), Ted Drea, Eoin O’Shea (0-1); Seán Ryan, Eoghan Moylan, Evan Shefflin (0-1). Subs. - Shane Donohoe for Egan (temp., 50-52), Ciarán Brennan (1-0) for Ryan (54), Pádraic Mullen for Shefflin (58), Donohoe for Lawlor (60+2), Andrew Parsons for Mullen (60+4).
Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow).