Ross on receiving end
Strengthened rivals gain some hurling revenge
DUISKE/CP OSRAI NEW ROSS C.B.S.
TWO YEARS after New Ross C.B.S. beat Duiske College to claim the Junior title, the Kilkenny school exacted revenge when lifting the Top Oil Leinster Schools Senior hurling ‘C1’ crown in Thomastown on Thursday.
However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as they had a little help. This time Duiske joined forces with Coláiste Pobail Osraí to increase their numbers, and that added injection of quality played a big part in this championship success.
In total, five of the starting 15 were new for the Kilkenny double act, from the team that lost by 7-8 to 5-5 in Dunmore two years and one day earlier. On the other hand, New Ross had 13 of the same starters with another, Donal Wickham, first man off the bench that day.
It was enough to flip the result. In many ways it was a similar contest to that Junior final, as there were shed-loads of goal chances, and it was an end-to-end encounter, but both goalkeepers were magnificent in this game, each preventing multiple majors.
There was almost nothing between the sides at the interval (2-3 to 1-2), but critically Duiske and Pobail Osraí had gone from level pegging in the 30th minute to hold an advantage at the break and psychologically that made a huge difference.
The Kilkenny boys went ahead when Ted Dunne drilled home after 60 seconds, but they didn’t score again for the next 20 minutes.
Niall Connolly had notched a couple of points in that spell while both sides missed chances to increase their tally further.
After Dunne broke that drought for his side, Eamonn Wickham played a devilish ball into the goalmouth. Kian Murphy seemed to get control of the situation but Conor Morrissey nipped in to snatch the ball away and tap into the empty net.
A Pierce Blanchfield penalty at the end of the half hurt New Ross C.B.S., but they were right back in the game two minutes after the interval when Morrissey whipped on a loose ball and it proved too hot for Murphy to handle.
Down by 2-4 to 2-2, Darragh McDonald and Morrissey went close to further goals.
However, at the other end Duiske/Pobail Osraí started to tack on the points and a string of dead-ball scores moved them 2-10 to 2-2 ahead.
The game looked over when Dunne netted in the 43rd minute, but C.B.S. were the better side in the final quarter.
Morrissey drilled home another major on the run and added a point along with Adam Fenlon, but it wasn’t enough to deny Duiske/Pobail Osraí a deserved title success.
New Ross C.B.S.: Ryan Gardiner (Geraldine O’Hanrahans); Donal Wickham (Rathnure), Conor Ryan (Tullogher-Rosbercon), Ciarán Doyle-Maher (Rathnure); Dean Roberts (Horeswood), Ryan Morris (Bannow-Ballymitty, capt.), Danny Nolan (Horeswood); Adam Fenlon (Geraldine O’Hanrahans, 0-1), Dylan Mooney (Cloughbawn); Darragh McDonald (Tullogher-Rosbercon), Conor Morrissey (Glenmore, 3-1), Matt Rossiter (Tullogher-Rosbercon); Eamonn Wickham (Rathnure), Niall Connolly (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, 0-2, 1 free), Denis Kilbride (The Rower-Inistioge). Subs. - Sam Dunne (Adamstown) for Kilbride (31), Shane Cullen (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) for Mooney (47), Lee Kent (Horeswood) for Fenlon (60), also Adam Walsh (Geraldine O’Hanrahans), Liam Walsh (Geraldine O’Hanrahans), Aaron McManus (Cloughbawn), Ryan Bolger (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown), Cillian Murphy (Geraldine O’Hanrahans).
Duiske/Pobail Osraí: Kian Murphy; Ewan McLochlann, Frankie Keoghan, Seán O’Neill; Sam O’Brien, Donal O’Leary (joint capt.), Stephen Foley; Pierce Blanchfield (joint capt., 1-5, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Shane Cleary; Noah Snyder, Jack Dunne (0-1), Dylan Cahill; Paul Kielthy, Ted Dunne (2-4, 0-1 free), Zak Kennedy (0-2). Subs. - Seán Hamilton for Snyder (25), Greg Hoban for T. Dunne, inj. (60).
Referee: Aidan Foley (Shelmaliers).