Kildorrery take County Under-16 hurling honours
Kildorrery 2-10 Doneraile 1-7
KILDORRERY are this year’s Rebel Og County U-16 B 2 (13-a-side) HC winners after they defeated Doneraile in an all Avondhu decider at Killavullen on Sunday. When these two sides clashed in the Northern final in September, Kildorrery emerged comfortable victors.
However on Sunday the issue was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests. Doneraile gave a great account of themselves all through but the old saying goals win matches was certainly the case for Kildorrery when two goals in the last seven minutes helped them emerge victory.
The opening half saw Doneraile play with the aid of the breeze and they opened their scoring in the 5th minute when Stephen Ryan soloed through and scored a fine point. Scores were at a premium during the entire first quarter. Kildorrery missed a number of chances and instead it was Doneraile that moved two clear in the 14th minute when a Kildorrery clearance was picked up by Darren Linehan who pointed from distance.
As the half went Kildorrery quickly found their range in front of the posts. In the 20th minute Sean Cunningham with a free got them up and running with the same player getting them back on parity a minute later with another free.
Exchanges were very close in the run up to the break. The lead changed hands when Darren Linehan and Sean Cunningham traded two frees as the game headed into injury time that left it at 0-4 each before Cunningham with another free for Kildorrery deep in stoppage time helped his side hold a slender advantage at the shortwhistle.
On the changeover Kildorrery with the aid of the breeze did very well early on with Mattie WalshO’Grady, Timmy O’Sullivan, Sean Cunningham, David Hunter, Pierce Pigott and Kieran Hurley doing well. They had their first score from play in the 33rd minute when a good clearance by Declan Mullins resulted in Sean Watson scoring a fine point. Over the next ten minutes they followed with three frees by Sean Cunningham, David Hunter and Mattie Walsh-O’Grady to race into a 0-9 to 0-5 lead.
Doneraile who were reduced to 12 players when they had a player sent to the line for a second bookable offence staged a great revival with Nathan Relihan, Kevin Smith, Cian Donlon, Jamie Carroll, Tony O’Flynn and Stephen Ryan featuring strongly. In the 43rd minute a delivery by Kevin Smith deceived everyone when the sliothar made its way to the Kildorrery net. It was all Doneraile at this stage and they got back on level terms when Nathan Relihan pointed a long range free at the three quarter stage 0-9 to 1-6.
In a thrilling finish both teams battled hard for supremacy. Kildorrery were narrowly wide from a free while at the otherend Doneraile hit the front in the 52nd minute when Nathan Relihan pointed another long range free. Kildorrery refused to panic, they worked the extra man to great effect at a crucial stage of the game. In the 53rd minute a delivery by Mattie O’Grady was broken down on the edge of the square where David Hunter connecting on the rebound that was deflected to the Doneraile net 1-9 to 1-7. Doneraile were now forced to throw caution to the wind but it was Kildorrery that found scores much easier to come by from here. Sean Cunningham scored a great point under pressure from the Doneraile defence in the 55th minute to move three clear. In the 59th minute they sealed the issue when substitute Padraigh O’Flynn set up Pierce Pigott for a well taken goal. This was soon greeted by the final whistle with Kildorrery emerging victorious by a six point margin. After the game Eoghan O’Connor Rebel Og Board presented the cup to the winning captain Mattie Walsh-O’Grady.
KILDORRERY: F O’Grady. D Mullins, C Kent, R Hurley, M Walsh-O’Grady 0-1f. C Noonan, T O’Sullivan, D Hunter 1-1, S Cunningham 0-7 (6f), P Pigott 1-0, K Hurley, S Watson 0-1, D O’Flynn. Subs: O Fenton for D O’Flynn, P O’Flynn for S Watson, P Harrington for S Cunningham (inj)
DONERAILE: B Sheedy, W Hunter-Hickey, N Relihan 0-2f, J Carroll, C Donlon, K Smith 1-0, T O’Flynn 0-1, S Ryan 0-1, M Roche, D Linehan 0-3 (2f), M Kelly, J O’Shea, C O’Shea. Sub: F O’Brien for C O’Shea,
REFEREE: George Murphy (Whitechurch)