Kiladangan 1-21
Thurles Sarsfields 1-20
Stephen Barry reports from FBD Semple Stadium
KILADANGAN’S GOLDEN GENERATION have their second Tipperary SHC title as they banished their replay demons with a one-point victory over Thurles Sarsfields.
The third final replay in-a-row saw Sars come out on the wrong side for a second time in three years despite 13 points from Aidan McCormack and 1-3 from Paddy Creedon. They only had four scorers in all.
Kiladangan’s 17 wides looked set to sink their ambitions for much of the hour but they found the target when it mattered most, with Seán Hayes’s 56th-minute goal the winning score.
The only change from the drawn game saw Kiladangan hero Willie Connors fit enough to start in place of John O’Meara and he put in a man-of-the-match performance with three points from defence.
Alan Flynn lifted the Dan Breen Cup and his side will now embark on a first Munster Championship campaign with a home semi-final against Clare champions Clonlara.
Many of the questions raised in the drawn game were addressed in the opening minutes.
Sars’ lack of goal threat? Paddy Creedon’s place in the starting team? Both were dismissed within three minutes when Creedon placed the sliotar perfectly inside the far post from an acute angle.
Sars opened with way more intensity. Paul Maher hooked Andy Loughnane when in on goal and Paul Flynn twice had shots blocked down by Ronan Maher and Conor Stakelum.
Three McCormack points on the spin and another from Creedon stretched their lead to six, 1-4 to 0-1.
Kiladangan had their own questions to answer too. Tadhg Gallagher was held scoreless the last day but reeled off three points in the space of 10 minutes. His side had five in a row and could’ve added a goal but Hayes missed the target when through.
Patrick McCormack saved brilliantly from Hayes’s next goal chance, reading the bounce shot back across goal.
In all, Kiladangan had twice as many shots as Thurles (22 to 11) but still went in behind. They had as many points as wides (10 of each) as a pair of frees from Ronan Maher and Aidan McCormack made it 1-8 to 0-10.
A four-point burst gave Kiladangan their first lead since the first score, with Connors launching two long-range missiles between the posts.
But a pair of Aidan McCormack points from play settled Sars and they pushed on with five on the trot, including three more from McCormack (two frees). 1-16 to 0-15 now.
Kiladangan needed a response and they dug deep to find it. They replied with five of their own, with two from Billy Seymour, Connors firing another long-range leveller, and Paul Flynn’s first giving them the lead.
Aidan McCormack had them on level terms for a sixth time but then the crucial score.
Declan McGrath’s brilliant pass found Hayes and third time lucky, he slid the perfect finish into the far corner.
They exchanged scores with a no-look Darragh Stakelum point followed by Seymour’s juggled response.
Two Aidan McCormack frees in stoppage time brought it back to one but Ronan Maher’s long-range equaliser attempt was pulled wide.
Scorers for Kiladangan: Billy Seymour 0-9 (6f), Seán Hayes 1-1, Tadhg Gallagher 0-3, Willie Connors 0-3, Declan McGrath 0-2, Joe Gallagher 0-1, Dan O’Meara 0-1, Paul Flynn 0-1.
Scorers for Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan McCormack 0-13 (9f), Paddy Creedon 1-3, Ronan Maher 0-2 (2f), Darragh Stakelum 0-2.
Kiladangan
1. Barry Hogan
4. Fergal Hayes, 3. James Quigley, 5. David Sweeney
6. Joe Gallagher, 9. Alan Flynn (captain), 15. Willie Connors
8. Tadhg Gallagher, 7. Declan McGrath
14. Seán Hayes, 11. Billy Seymour, 12. Paul Flynn
13. Bryan McLoughney, 10. Dan O’Meara, 25. Andy Loughnane
Subs
- 22. Eoghan Sharkey for McLoughney (44)
- 19. Conor Byrne for O’Meara (50)
- 17. Darren Moran for Loughnane (60+2)
Thurles Sarsfields
1. Patrick McCormack
2. Paul Maher, 3. Denis Maher, 4. Stephen Maher
5. James Armstrong, 6. Ronan Maher (joint-captain), 7. Michael Purcell
11. Conor Stakelum, 9. Cathal Moloney
12. Billy McCarthy, 8. Stephen Cahill, 14. Aidan McCormack (joint-captain)
13. Darragh Stakelum, 23. Paddy Creedon, 15. Eoin Purcell
Subs
- 17. David Corbett for Cahill (38)
- 10. Seánie Butler for McCarthy (38)
- 19. Cian Stakelum for Moloney (58)
- 22. Conor Lanigan for E Purcell (58)
Referee: John McCormack (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams)