SAINTS SUPREME
Ramsgrange too strong for Kilmore
ST. JAMES’ deserve huge credit for the display they served up, helping them to eventually emerge with a nine-point victory over Kilmore in this New Ross Standard Under-14 hurling Division 5 championship final in Horerswood on Sunday.
Despite the weather the pitch was in excellent condition, but understandably the wind did not help the players.
Both sides still managed to serve passages of quality hurling, with the two goals, one in each half, proving decisive.
However, as credit to Kilmore they kept battling right through the game, having trailed by three points at the break.
Despite incessant early second-half pressure they were unable to secure the goal they so badly needed, having two balls cleared off the line following scrambles, and this proved their undoing in the end.
The game got off to a lightning start with St. James’ centre-back Mark Whitty bringing a fine save out of Kilmore ’keeper, Daniel Foley, after just two minutes.
After four minutes Kilmore took the lead through a Josh Berry point, and after this both sides went on to play some fine open hurling.
They exchanged points through Shane Dunne from a 50-metre free, and a Ryan Miller-Sinnott placed ball, while in between a Dunne 40-metre free found its way to the corner of the net, giving his side the lead for the first time (1-1 to 0-2).
The respective defences were well on top, with the forwards finding it difficult to create any real openings, but St. James’ finished the half with two Shane Dunne pointed frees to lead by 1-3 to 0-3 at the interval.
After Dunne had extended his side’s lead with two early second-half pointed frees, Kilmore took the initiative for a period.
With Ryan Miller-Sinnott, Ryan Carroll and Dylan Crowley becoming more prominent, substitute Shay Doyle saw what appeared a goalbound effort scrambled off the line to safety, while minutes later a Crowley goal attempt was knocked around the post for a ’65.
Following these let-offs St. James’ took back the initiative mainly through the fine hurling of Mark Whitty, Josh White and centre-forward Colum Fitzgerald.
Leading by 1-5 to 0-4 approaching the end of the third quarter, they got the decisive breakthrough when Fitzgerald pounced on a breaking ball to the right of goal to fire a low ground shot to the net, a score that left his side with a 2-5 to 0-4 lead.
Scoring was limited for the remainder of the half but the superior power of St. James’ down the centre saw them go on to an impressive victory over a Kilmore side which battled right to the end.
St. James’: Jack Nolan; Tomás Kehoe, James Nolan, Owen Murphy; Jamie Foley, Mark Whitty, Joe McPhillips; Josh White-Keating (0-2), Aidan Shannon; Shane Dunne (1-5, 1-4 frees), Colum Fitzgerald (1-1), Peadar O’Connor; Bobby Nolan, Alfie Eite, Jayden Cheevers. Subs. - Paul Walsh for Nolan, Joseph O’Brien for Cheevers, also Ciarán McPhillips.
Kilmore: Daniel Foley; Jack Moore, Cian Murphy-Reddy, Stephen McDonald; Jude Bates, Ryan Miller-Sinnott (0-4, 3 frees), Philip Tierney; Pierce McDonnell, Rian Carroll; Josh Berry (0-1), Dylan Crowley, Niall O’Flaherty; James Cousins, Patrick Healy, Max Power. Subs. - Shay Doyle for Power, Danny Roche for O’Flaherty, Andrew Crosbie for Cousins, Conor Rossiter for Berry, James Cooney for McDonald, also Eoin Cheevers, Patrick Healy, Seán Willett, Dillon Crowley, Conor Wall.
Referee: James Mullally (Gusserane).