SCHOOLS ROUND-UP Late CBS goal kills Counsel
GAA Hurlers in semi-final exit
FOR LONG stretches of this Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior hurling ‘A’ championship semi-final re-fixture in Thomastown on Wednesday, it looked like Good Counsel (New Ross) were going to make the most of their unexpected second chance.
Their clash with Kilkenny C.B.S. at the same venue four days earlier had been abandoned early in the second-half due to an unfortunate injury to wing-forward Jim Ryan who is happily making a speedy recovery.
At the time Counsel trailed by 2-5 to 0-3 and had failed to score from play, so it’s fair to say that they improved beyond all measure in this contest which saw the sides deadlocked on no fewer than eight occasions.
Unfortunately, they were caught with the finishing post in sight, as Kilkenny C.B.S. pounced for their decisive second goal in the 56th minute when they were clinging to a one-point lead.
A Counsel defender was blocked by Des Dunne as he attempted to clear in the left halfback position. And while the C.B.S. man’s strike did, in turn, come off his opponent’s hurl, it only served to cushion it into the palm of full-forward Seán Boyd who has the dubious claim to fame of scoring the sole Kilkenny point in their Minor football demolition at the hands of Wexford last year.
Boyd handpassed across to Connor Drennan who gave Jack Byrne-Doyle no chance with a powerful shot, with the goalscorer adding a couple of late points from frees to leave a rather flattering gap at the finish.
Ultimately, that lack of punch in attack came back to bite Counsel as, while they were very competitive, just two of their ten points arrived from play.
For the most part they were relying on the free-taking accuracy of Luke Sinnott who certainly had his eye in, but they were short of penetration near the C.B.S. goal as Sam Wall spent most of his time in a withdrawn role around the middle third of the field.
Counsel opened brightly, and it took Sinnott just six minutes to match their tally from the first game, converting frees earned by Seán Nolan and Jimmy Sutton before grabbing an Emmett Coakley delivery and winning the third one himself.
Kilkenny C.B.S. captain Niall Brassil had opened their account between the first and second Counsel points, but the underdogs continued to impress as another neat ball in by Coakley was turned into a score by Sinnott following a neat turn (0-4 to 0-1).
C.B.S. goalkeeper Ben Maher almost dropped a Seán Nolan point attempt into his own net in the twelfth minute, but the subsequent ’65 from Sinnott produced the first of Counsel’s three wides (their rivals had seven).
C.B.S. had been struggling, but they got the lift they needed in the 14th minute when a long free by netminder Maher wasn’t cleared and bobbled around the square until corner-forward Seán Bolger directed it to the net.
Sinnott restored the Counsel lead after a foul on Diarmuid Kehoe, but Bolger then registered from two placed balls at the other end before a lovely solo point by Seán Nolan - who flicked the sliothar over the head of Cillian Timmons on the right wing - left the teams level at the break (0-6 to 1-3).
It was impossible to divide the sides from that stage until the second C.B.S. goal, as every time one took the lead, their rivals replied to equalise.
It was notable though that all four Counsel points came from Luke Sinnott frees, whereas C.B.S. had by far the better range of scoring options.
An early Des Dunne point from play was followed by a brace from Sinnott, before C.B.S. changed their free-taker after a couple of wasted efforts from Seán Bolger.
Connor Drennan took over and proved most adept at taking his chances, finishing with four points along with that killer goal.
His first was cancelled by Luke Sinnott after good pressure by Diarmuid Kehoe forced netminder Ben Maher into an overcarrying offence (0-9 to 1-5).
The puck-out was superbly controlled by C.B.S. captain Niall Brassil and directed over the bar, and he added another fine score from the right in the 49th minute after latching on to a hurried Counsel clearance.
Luke Sinnott levelled again after a throw by Treveine Wallace as the game entered its critical last ten minutes, but C.B.S. produced by far the stronger finish.
Connor Drennan was the man of the moment as he accounted for their entire tally of 1-3 which put them on course for a local derby showdown with arch-rivals St. Kieran’s (Kilkenny) in Sunday’s Leinster final.
It was a case of so near and yet so far for Counsel at Senior level this season, with both teams reaching their respective semi-finals but unfortunately going no further.
Good Counsel: Jack Byrne-Doyle (Mullinavat); Darragh Hartley (Glenmore), Cathal O’Connor (Rathnure), Gavin Sheehan (Gusserane); Darragh Lyons (St. James’), Jamie Myler (St. James’), Eoin Porter (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, joint capt.); Richard Hennessy (Glenmore, joint capt.), Emmett Coakley (Graiguenamanagh); Seán Nolan (Horeswood, 0-1), Diarmuid Kehoe (Geraldine O’Hanrahans), Jimmy Sutton (Fethard); Sam Wall (Gusserane), Luke Sinnott (Taghmon-Camross, 0-9, 8 frees), Kevin O’Donoghue (Gusserane). Sub. - Dylan Morrissey (Tullogher-Rosbercon) for O’Donoghue (50).
Kilkenny C.B.S.: Ben Maher; Liam Stynes, Johnny Manogue, Mickey Butler; Conor Flynn, Jordan Molloy, Cillian Timmons; Niall Brassil (capt., 0-3), Ronan Buckley; Des Dunne (0-1), Treveine Wallace, Conor Heary; Seán Bolger (1-2, 0-2 frees), Seán Boyd, Connor Drennan (1-4, 0-4 frees). Subs. - Joe Sheehan for Buckley, temp. (14-16), Sheehan for Timmons (35), Mick Doyle for Wallace (51), Shane Staunton for Heary (60).
Referee: Brochan O’Reilly (Laois).