Goals key for Clare as they hold off Kilkenny to land hurling league title

Clare 3-16

Kilkenny 1-20

AFTER A COUPLE of seasons characterised by near misses, Clare got hurling silverware on the board tonight in Thurles by landing the county’s first league title win since 2016 .

Brian Lohan saw his team hold off a furious late Kilkenny charge and was grateful for Aidan McCarthy’s tally of 2-10, and another green flag raised by David Fitzgerald, as they claimed a two-point success.

Eoin Cody produced a terrific finish to the net in the 65th minute for Kilkenny after being cleverly set up by John Donnelly, with the same partnership almost generating another goal minutes later.

Donnelly was fouled by Mark Rodgers as he broke clear towards, referee Johnny Murphy showing a black card to the Clare attacker and awarding a penalty as a goalscoring opportunity had been denied.

But Cody’s shot lacked conviction with Eibhear Quilligan able to block and the Clare defence scrambled clear, before holding firm during the five minutes of injury-time to provide a timely pre-championship boost.

diarmuid-ryan-celebrates-after-the-game-with-cathal-malone Clare's Diarmuid Ryan and Cathal Malone celebrate after the game. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Kilkenny had plenty regrets from their first-half play in front of goal as they struck eight shots wide and dropped another two short. After bagging three first-half goals in the semi-final against Limerick, they hunted green flags early here as well. Cody and Adrian Mullen separately unleashed piledrivers that Adam Hogan and Conor Leen respectively blocked. On both occasions Mullen recycled possession to point, but it remained a first-half clean sheet for Quilligan.

It was Clare who raised the solitary green flag of the opening half. McCarthy blasted a fierce strike to the net 32 minutes in, the score the product of quick feet and thinking from Rodgers as he gathered, surged through and offload to the Inagh-Kilnamona man.

McCarthy’s goal was sandwiched by pointed frees from the same player. That left it 1-8 to 0-9 in Clare’s favour at the interval, an impressive turnaround after Kilkenny had popped over four on the spin to go 0-9 to 0-6 clear.

aidan-mccarthy-collides-with-eoin-murphy-after-scoring-his-sides-third-goal Clare's Aidan McCarthy collides with Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy after scoring his side’s third goal. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

The third quarter was shaped by Clare’s opportunism in finding the net. Shane O’Donnell was wheeled off the bench at the break and he combined with David Reidy to release David Fitzgerald for a clinical finish within two minutes of the restart.

Then Fitzgerald turned provider on the three-quarter mark, barrelling forward after gathering a long delivery and laying it off for McCarthy to bat cleverly past Kilkenny netminder Eoin Murphy.

Clare were 3-12 to 0-14 clear at that stage and it proved a sufficient cushion for all that Kilkenny threw at them thereafter. Substitute Martin Keoghan rifled over four points, while the Cody goal cut the deficit to three with five left in normal time.

Adam Hogan was outstanding in the Banner rearguard with Conor Cleary and Diarmuid Ryan also prominent. That all helped in getting them over the line to secure Clare’s fifth ever hurling league title.

Next up? Limerick in a fortnight in the Munster opener in Ennis.

Scorers for Clare: Aidan McCarthy 2-10 (0-9f), David Fitzgerald 1-0, Mark Rodgers 0-2, Diarmuid Ryan 0-1, Darragh Lohan 0-1, Cathal Malone 0-1, Ian Galvin 0-1.

Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Cody 1-4 (0-3f), Martin Keoghan 0-4, Adrian Mullen 0-3, Cian Kenny 0-2, Shane Murphy 0-1, David Blanchfield 0-1, Richie Reid 0-1, Jordan Molloy 0-1, John Donnelly 0-1, Billy Ryan 0-1, Billy Drennan 0-1 (0-1f).

Clare

1. Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)

2. Adam Hogan (Feakle), 3. Conor Cleary (Kilmaley), 4. Conor Leen (Corofin)

5. Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), 6. John Conlon (Clonlara), 7. Cian Galvin (Clarecastle)

9. Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones), 10. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)

8. David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona), 15. David Reidy (Eire Óg Ennis), 12. Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin)

11. Mark Rodgers (Scariff), 14. Ian Galvin (Clonlara), 13. Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona)

Subs

22. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg Ennis) for Ian Galvin (half-time)
23. Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) for Reidy (53)
20. David McInerney (Tulla) for Cian Galvin (57)
17. Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones) for Leen (59)
19. Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge) for Lohan (69)

Kilkenny

1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)

3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels), 2. Shane Murphy (Glenmore), 4. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)

5. David Blanchfield (Bennetsbridge), 6. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels), 7. Richie Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale)

8. Cian Kenny (James Stephens), 9. Jordan Molloy (O’Loughlin Gaels)

10. Adrian Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 11. John Donnelly (Thomastown), 12. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan)

13. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels), 23. Billy Drennan (Galmoy), 15. Eoin Cody (Shamrocks Ballyhale)