KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHY ASKED the tough questions, Shamrocks Ballyhale delivered the answers, and one disgruntled supporter captured the headlines at the end of a hotly-contested Leinster championship quarter-final in Nowlan Park this afternoon.
Fractious scenes at the end when a Kilcormac-Killoughey supporter crossed the barriers to go on the field and throw punches at some Shamrocks players led to players and mentors from both sides coming together, at the end of a contest which demonstrated in no uncertain terms that Ireland’s most successful hurling club are once again among the front runners for Leinster and All-Ireland honours.
Afterwards, Shamrocks manager Henry Shefflin told TG4, “Unfortunately, there were unsavoury scenes and I am disappointed it is my own club involved in it and I would say Kilcormac feel the same. That’s very disappointing.”
He added after further questioning, “I just don’t like it and we didn’t need it. There was an incident over here as well. For us, someone gets suspended and they miss two week’s time.
“It’s rather silly. I know your emotions are a bit different but you could see the game was won at that stage. I’m just disappointed, it’s something we don’t stand for whatsoever in Ballyhale. Just a little bit disappointed that was the end of the game.”
Henry Shefflin. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
On the field, the action was physical but never crossed the line into acrimony, with Kilcormac-Killoughey throwing down the gauntlet to their much-vaunted opponents in a thrilling first half.
Shamrocks Ballyhale, Ireland’s most successful hurling club, is back on the hunt for honours in the AIB club championships after they got up and running with a hard-fought win over Kilcormac-Killoughey this afternoon.
Henry Shefflin’s troops were tested to the full by the visiting Offaly club, who brought a ferocious tempo to the game for the first half and shackled most of the Shamrocks forwards, with only Eoin Cody making a strong impression at that end of the field.
The intensity and physicality of the game was reflected in the fact that both clubs had seven first half wides and a handful of efforts dropped short into the bargain, with Charlie Mitchell firing over some excellent points in front the covered stand for Kilcormac-Killoughey.
In the main however, the stars at both ends were defenders, most notably Joey Holden and Jordan Quinn on the edge of the two squares. Quinn held his own against TJ Reid while Holden stood tall in the face of Kilcormac-Killoughey’s bid to try and exploit the aerial ability of Conor Mahon and James Gorman close to goal, also making a superb block to deny Gorman when the full forward was set up by a pinpoint lateral pass from Colin Spain.
Kilcormac-Killoughey did make their breakthrough shortly before the interval when Mahon’s hurl was held by Brian Butler and Adam Screeney despatched the penalty inside Dean Mason’s right-hand post.
Shamrocks hit back with the next two points from Cody and a Reid free, but Gorman’s point with the last puck of the half left it 1-10 to 0-10 at the interval, with no wind advantage to speak of.
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Jordan Quinn tries to get by Eoin Cody. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
The third quarter was a Shamrocks masterclass, where they maintained their strong performance at their own end of the field, took control of matters in the middle and now added much more scoring threat up front.
Now playing with an extra yard of space and more judicious shot selection, the inaccuracy that plagued them in the first half faded away. At one stage ten consecutive attempts on goal sailed between the uprights, Adrian and Paddy Mullen now finding their way into the contest with four second half points between them.
Kilcormac-Killoughey struggled to get the type of chances that they fed on for the opening 30 minutes and went 12 minutes into the second half before Daniel Hand won a free that Adam Screeney converted.
By the midway point of the second half Shamrocks had outscored Kilcormac-Killoughey by 0-8 to 0-1 to take a commanding lead and while the remainder of the game was a point-for-point battle, Henry Shefflin’s troops always had that little bit to spare, Conor Slevin keeping Kilcormac-Killoughey hanging on with an outstanding display of freetaking from distance.
Thomas Geraghty and Leigh Kavanagh both came off the bench to strike late points for the midlanders but even then, Ballyhale continued to have the better of things in the middle third, earning the frees that saw TJ Reid bring his tally up to a dozen points by the end.
Scorers for Kilcormac-Killoughey: Adam Screeney 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), Conor Slevin 0-4f, Charlie Mitchell 0-3, Daniel Hand 0-1, Jack Screeney 0-1, James Gorman 0-1, Conor Mahon 0-1, Leigh Kavanagh 0-1, Thomas Geraghty 0-1.
Shamrocks Ballyhale
1. Dean Mason
2. Killian Corcoran 3. Joey Holden 4. Brian Butler
Ugly scenes mars Ballyhale win over Kilcormac-Killoughey in Leinster thriller
Shamrocks Ballyhale 0-25
Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-18
Kevin Egan reports from Nowlan Park
KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHY ASKED the tough questions, Shamrocks Ballyhale delivered the answers, and one disgruntled supporter captured the headlines at the end of a hotly-contested Leinster championship quarter-final in Nowlan Park this afternoon.
Fractious scenes at the end when a Kilcormac-Killoughey supporter crossed the barriers to go on the field and throw punches at some Shamrocks players led to players and mentors from both sides coming together, at the end of a contest which demonstrated in no uncertain terms that Ireland’s most successful hurling club are once again among the front runners for Leinster and All-Ireland honours.
Afterwards, Shamrocks manager Henry Shefflin told TG4, “Unfortunately, there were unsavoury scenes and I am disappointed it is my own club involved in it and I would say Kilcormac feel the same. That’s very disappointing.”
He added after further questioning, “I just don’t like it and we didn’t need it. There was an incident over here as well. For us, someone gets suspended and they miss two week’s time.
“It’s rather silly. I know your emotions are a bit different but you could see the game was won at that stage. I’m just disappointed, it’s something we don’t stand for whatsoever in Ballyhale. Just a little bit disappointed that was the end of the game.”
On the field, the action was physical but never crossed the line into acrimony, with Kilcormac-Killoughey throwing down the gauntlet to their much-vaunted opponents in a thrilling first half.
Shamrocks Ballyhale, Ireland’s most successful hurling club, is back on the hunt for honours in the AIB club championships after they got up and running with a hard-fought win over Kilcormac-Killoughey this afternoon.
Henry Shefflin’s troops were tested to the full by the visiting Offaly club, who brought a ferocious tempo to the game for the first half and shackled most of the Shamrocks forwards, with only Eoin Cody making a strong impression at that end of the field.
The intensity and physicality of the game was reflected in the fact that both clubs had seven first half wides and a handful of efforts dropped short into the bargain, with Charlie Mitchell firing over some excellent points in front the covered stand for Kilcormac-Killoughey.
In the main however, the stars at both ends were defenders, most notably Joey Holden and Jordan Quinn on the edge of the two squares. Quinn held his own against TJ Reid while Holden stood tall in the face of Kilcormac-Killoughey’s bid to try and exploit the aerial ability of Conor Mahon and James Gorman close to goal, also making a superb block to deny Gorman when the full forward was set up by a pinpoint lateral pass from Colin Spain.
Kilcormac-Killoughey did make their breakthrough shortly before the interval when Mahon’s hurl was held by Brian Butler and Adam Screeney despatched the penalty inside Dean Mason’s right-hand post.
Shamrocks hit back with the next two points from Cody and a Reid free, but Gorman’s point with the last puck of the half left it 1-10 to 0-10 at the interval, with no wind advantage to speak of.
The third quarter was a Shamrocks masterclass, where they maintained their strong performance at their own end of the field, took control of matters in the middle and now added much more scoring threat up front.
Now playing with an extra yard of space and more judicious shot selection, the inaccuracy that plagued them in the first half faded away. At one stage ten consecutive attempts on goal sailed between the uprights, Adrian and Paddy Mullen now finding their way into the contest with four second half points between them.
Kilcormac-Killoughey struggled to get the type of chances that they fed on for the opening 30 minutes and went 12 minutes into the second half before Daniel Hand won a free that Adam Screeney converted.
By the midway point of the second half Shamrocks had outscored Kilcormac-Killoughey by 0-8 to 0-1 to take a commanding lead and while the remainder of the game was a point-for-point battle, Henry Shefflin’s troops always had that little bit to spare, Conor Slevin keeping Kilcormac-Killoughey hanging on with an outstanding display of freetaking from distance.
Thomas Geraghty and Leigh Kavanagh both came off the bench to strike late points for the midlanders but even then, Ballyhale continued to have the better of things in the middle third, earning the frees that saw TJ Reid bring his tally up to a dozen points by the end.
Scorers for Shamrocks Ballyhale: TJ Reid 0-12 (0-11f), Eoin Cody 0-5, Adrian Mullen 0-3, Paddy Mullen 0-2, Niall Shortall 0-1, Eoin Kenneally 0-1, Ronan Corcoran 0-1.
Scorers for Kilcormac-Killoughey: Adam Screeney 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), Conor Slevin 0-4f, Charlie Mitchell 0-3, Daniel Hand 0-1, Jack Screeney 0-1, James Gorman 0-1, Conor Mahon 0-1, Leigh Kavanagh 0-1, Thomas Geraghty 0-1.
Shamrocks Ballyhale
1. Dean Mason
2. Killian Corcoran 3. Joey Holden 4. Brian Butler
8. Eoin Kenneally 6. Richie Reid 22. Evan Shefflin
13. Liam Barron 9. Ronan Corcoran
14. Brian Cody 11. Eoin Cody 10. Adrian Mullen
15. Niall Shortall 12. TJ Reid 5. Paddy Mullen
Subs:
Dara Mason for Butler (43)
John Fitzpatrick for B Cody (53)
Finnian Shefflin for P Mullen (59)
Conor Walsh for Barron (60+1)
Luke Donnelly for Corcoran (60+3).
Kilcormac-Killoughey
1. Conor Slevin
2. Tom Spain 3. Jordan Quinn 4. James Mahon
7. Enda Grogan 6. Cillian Kiely 5. Brecon Kavanagh
8. Colin Spain 9. Damien Kilmartin
10. Jack Screeney 15. Adam Screeney 12. Daniel Hand
13. Charlie Mitchell 14. James Gorman 11. Conor Mahon
Subs:
Alex Kavanagh for Gorman (39)
Ter Guinan for Kilmartin (49)
Leigh Kavanagh for Hand (55)
Thomas Geraghty for Mahon (59)
Peter Geraghty (0-1) for Spain (60+1).
Referee: Pádraig Dunne (Laois).
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