Stephen Barry
Reports from Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg
Inagh-Kilnamona (Clare) 0-22
Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 0-23
(After extra-time)
AFTER YEARS OF extra-time heartache, Thurles Sarsfields came out on top of a titanic battle away to Clare champions Inagh-Kilnamona to make their first Munster final since 2012.
Sars had Pa Bourke among those lined up to come on for a penalty shoot-out with time all but up, but Denis Maher took the free before they could be introduced, and Robbie Stapleton won the break to slot the winner.
Aidan McCormack led the way for Sars with 0-10 (seven from play), while substitute Stapleton scored 0-3 in extra-time. Aidan McCarthy, who dragged this game to extra-time, ended on 0-11 (four from play) in front of 3,983 spectators in Ennis.
This was Thurles’s third successive Munster appearance that went to extra-time, but unlike their 2016 loss to Ballygunner and 2017 defeat to Ballyea, this time they came out victorious.
The Gunners await in the Munster final.
Tipperary captain Ronan Maher remained on the Sars bench after featuring as a late replacement in the county final, following a broken ankle.
Conor Stakelum was fit to start despite injury concerns, while cruciate-victim Henry Fogarty was replaced by Stephen Maher at corner-back.
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Stakelum hobbled out of an early collision, but ploughed on, mopping up plenty of loose ball from centre-back.
Where Glen Rovers erred against Inagh-Kilnamona, Sars stuck to their defensive shape and Tipp U20 Keith Loughnane did a fine job shackling the prolific McCarthy at left wing-forward. Until the last five minutes of normal time at least.
That platform helped the visitors take an early lead, with corner-forward Kieran Rossiter sticking back-to-back points. Paddy Creedon eked out the only goal chance of the first half, but his one-handed swing found the side-netting.
But Inagh-Kilnamona have more threats than McCarthy, who was still ticking over from frees. They struck four in a row from the 17th to 23rd minutes, with Seán Rynne and Conner Hegarty doubling up their tallies. After a pair of wides David Fitzgerald made sure with his next effort.
Aidan McCormack had a couple of missed frees, but he struck two from play, while Euan Murray levelled again.
McCarthy’s third free and a Daniel Rossiter score saw them head in level at 0-8 apiece.
Inagh-Kilnamona had the cold wind at their backs now, but with both sides crowding the middle, scores remained hard-earned.
Loughnane sold a textbook dummy to edge Sars ahead as Ronan Maher was sprung from the bench and into centre-forward with 22 minutes to play.
With their supporters rising in volume, they forged three clear with back-to-back McCormack points, one each from a free and play.
Inagh-Kilnamona bit back with Conner Hegarty’s third point followed by an Éamonn Foudy slotted a free from close to his own 45.
McCormack was prevented from getting a run on goal by a meaty James Hegarty shoulder, but the top-scorer took his point.
Rynne got Inagh-Kilnamona back within one, but they wouldn’t score again for 12 minutes. It took Sars a while to add to the scoreboard, too, but helped by a stirring Ronan Maher block on Rynne, they got three in quick succession via McCormack, Kieran Rossiter, and substitute Tommy Maher for a four-point lead.
But McCarthy was finally unshackled for the final stretch as Inagh-Kilnamona came up with a champions’ response before a jubilant home crowd.
Their talisman nailed four points in four minutes, two each from frees and play. His older brother, Jason, just onto the field, teed him up for one. A vital Shane Woods block led to another. He then pounced upon a misguided Stakelum clearance for the leveller.
McCormack’s eighth point (and third from a free) restored Sars’ lead deep in stoppage time, but McCarthy’s ninth (and third from play) levelled from the puck-out. The Inagh-Kilnamona star then had a last-gasp chance from a near-impossible angle drift wide.
Brought on for extra-time, Stapleton pushed Sars ahead with his first touch. McCarthy levelled, but McCormack carried on his electric form, with two more points bringing his tally into double digits, including seven from play.
David Fitzgerald narrowed the half-time deficit to one; 0-21 to 0-20.
Josh Guyler levelled before Stapleton edged Sars back ahead. The Tipp side had six wides in extra-time and looked like being punished when goalkeeper Foudy nailed his second long-range free, but Stapleton came good again.
Scorers for Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan McCormack 0-10 (3f), Kieran Rossiter 0-4, Robbie Stapleton 0-3, Aidan Stakelum 0-2, Keith Loughnane 0-1, Daniel Rossiter 0-1, Euan Murray 0-1, Tommy Maher 0-1.
Inagh-Kilnamona
1. Éamonn Foudy
3. Shane Woods, 2. Keith White, 4. Conor Rynne
5. Kevin Hehir, 6. James Hegarty, 7. Darren Cullinan
8. Mark Callinan, 9. Seán Rynne
10. David Fitzgerald, 11. Kealan Guyler, 14. Aidan McCarthy (captain)
15. Conner Hegarty, 13. David Mescall, 12. Fred Hegarty
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Substitutes: 20. Gearóid Barry for Mescall (36); 21. Niall Mullins for Guyler (46); 17. Jason McCarthy for F Hegarty (56); 19. Josh Guyler for C Hegarty (58); 18. Jack Mescall for Callinan (60); 15. C Hegarty for Barry (66); 24. Cathal Ryan for White (h-t e-t); 12. F Hegarty for J Mescall (h-t e-t); 22. Brian Foudy for Cullinan (78).
Thurles Sarsfields
1. Patrick McCormack
2. Paul Maher, 3. Denis Maher, 4. Stephen Maher
5. Keith Loughnane, 6. Conor Stakelum (captain), 7. Cian Stakelum
8. Daniel Rossiter, 12. Euan Murray
9. Aidan Stakelum, 13. Darragh Stakelum, 11. Aidan McCormack
10. Eoin Purcell, 14. Paddy Creedon, 15. Kieran Rossiter
Substitutes: 20. Ronan Maher for Purcell (38); 19. Tommy Maher for Creedon (52); 17. Seosamh Ryan for S Maher (60, inj); 18. James Armstrong for Cian Stakelum (e-t); 21. Robbie Stapleton for K Rossiter (e-t); 10. Purcell for D Stakelum (75)
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Thurles Sars edge extra-time thriller to book long-awaited Munster final return
Inagh-Kilnamona (Clare) 0-22
Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 0-23
(After extra-time)
AFTER YEARS OF extra-time heartache, Thurles Sarsfields came out on top of a titanic battle away to Clare champions Inagh-Kilnamona to make their first Munster final since 2012.
Sars had Pa Bourke among those lined up to come on for a penalty shoot-out with time all but up, but Denis Maher took the free before they could be introduced, and Robbie Stapleton won the break to slot the winner.
Aidan McCormack led the way for Sars with 0-10 (seven from play), while substitute Stapleton scored 0-3 in extra-time. Aidan McCarthy, who dragged this game to extra-time, ended on 0-11 (four from play) in front of 3,983 spectators in Ennis.
This was Thurles’s third successive Munster appearance that went to extra-time, but unlike their 2016 loss to Ballygunner and 2017 defeat to Ballyea, this time they came out victorious.
The Gunners await in the Munster final.
Tipperary captain Ronan Maher remained on the Sars bench after featuring as a late replacement in the county final, following a broken ankle.
Conor Stakelum was fit to start despite injury concerns, while cruciate-victim Henry Fogarty was replaced by Stephen Maher at corner-back.
Stakelum hobbled out of an early collision, but ploughed on, mopping up plenty of loose ball from centre-back.
Where Glen Rovers erred against Inagh-Kilnamona, Sars stuck to their defensive shape and Tipp U20 Keith Loughnane did a fine job shackling the prolific McCarthy at left wing-forward. Until the last five minutes of normal time at least.
That platform helped the visitors take an early lead, with corner-forward Kieran Rossiter sticking back-to-back points. Paddy Creedon eked out the only goal chance of the first half, but his one-handed swing found the side-netting.
But Inagh-Kilnamona have more threats than McCarthy, who was still ticking over from frees. They struck four in a row from the 17th to 23rd minutes, with Seán Rynne and Conner Hegarty doubling up their tallies. After a pair of wides David Fitzgerald made sure with his next effort.
Aidan McCormack had a couple of missed frees, but he struck two from play, while Euan Murray levelled again.
McCarthy’s third free and a Daniel Rossiter score saw them head in level at 0-8 apiece.
Inagh-Kilnamona had the cold wind at their backs now, but with both sides crowding the middle, scores remained hard-earned.
Loughnane sold a textbook dummy to edge Sars ahead as Ronan Maher was sprung from the bench and into centre-forward with 22 minutes to play.
With their supporters rising in volume, they forged three clear with back-to-back McCormack points, one each from a free and play.
Inagh-Kilnamona bit back with Conner Hegarty’s third point followed by an Éamonn Foudy slotted a free from close to his own 45.
McCormack was prevented from getting a run on goal by a meaty James Hegarty shoulder, but the top-scorer took his point.
Rynne got Inagh-Kilnamona back within one, but they wouldn’t score again for 12 minutes. It took Sars a while to add to the scoreboard, too, but helped by a stirring Ronan Maher block on Rynne, they got three in quick succession via McCormack, Kieran Rossiter, and substitute Tommy Maher for a four-point lead.
But McCarthy was finally unshackled for the final stretch as Inagh-Kilnamona came up with a champions’ response before a jubilant home crowd.
Their talisman nailed four points in four minutes, two each from frees and play. His older brother, Jason, just onto the field, teed him up for one. A vital Shane Woods block led to another. He then pounced upon a misguided Stakelum clearance for the leveller.
McCormack’s eighth point (and third from a free) restored Sars’ lead deep in stoppage time, but McCarthy’s ninth (and third from play) levelled from the puck-out. The Inagh-Kilnamona star then had a last-gasp chance from a near-impossible angle drift wide.
Brought on for extra-time, Stapleton pushed Sars ahead with his first touch. McCarthy levelled, but McCormack carried on his electric form, with two more points bringing his tally into double digits, including seven from play.
David Fitzgerald narrowed the half-time deficit to one; 0-21 to 0-20.
Josh Guyler levelled before Stapleton edged Sars back ahead. The Tipp side had six wides in extra-time and looked like being punished when goalkeeper Foudy nailed his second long-range free, but Stapleton came good again.
Scorers for Inagh-Kilnamona: Aidan McCarthy 0-11 (7f), Seán Rynne 0-3, Conner Hegarty 0-3, Éamonn Foudy 0-2 (2f), David Fitzgerald 0-2, Josh Guyler 0-1.
Scorers for Thurles Sarsfields: Aidan McCormack 0-10 (3f), Kieran Rossiter 0-4, Robbie Stapleton 0-3, Aidan Stakelum 0-2, Keith Loughnane 0-1, Daniel Rossiter 0-1, Euan Murray 0-1, Tommy Maher 0-1.
Inagh-Kilnamona
1. Éamonn Foudy
3. Shane Woods, 2. Keith White, 4. Conor Rynne
5. Kevin Hehir, 6. James Hegarty, 7. Darren Cullinan
8. Mark Callinan, 9. Seán Rynne
10. David Fitzgerald, 11. Kealan Guyler, 14. Aidan McCarthy (captain)
15. Conner Hegarty, 13. David Mescall, 12. Fred Hegarty
Substitutes: 20. Gearóid Barry for Mescall (36); 21. Niall Mullins for Guyler (46); 17. Jason McCarthy for F Hegarty (56); 19. Josh Guyler for C Hegarty (58); 18. Jack Mescall for Callinan (60); 15. C Hegarty for Barry (66); 24. Cathal Ryan for White (h-t e-t); 12. F Hegarty for J Mescall (h-t e-t); 22. Brian Foudy for Cullinan (78).
Thurles Sarsfields
1. Patrick McCormack
2. Paul Maher, 3. Denis Maher, 4. Stephen Maher
5. Keith Loughnane, 6. Conor Stakelum (captain), 7. Cian Stakelum
8. Daniel Rossiter, 12. Euan Murray
9. Aidan Stakelum, 13. Darragh Stakelum, 11. Aidan McCormack
10. Eoin Purcell, 14. Paddy Creedon, 15. Kieran Rossiter
Substitutes: 20. Ronan Maher for Purcell (38); 19. Tommy Maher for Creedon (52); 17. Seosamh Ryan for S Maher (60, inj); 18. James Armstrong for Cian Stakelum (e-t); 21. Robbie Stapleton for K Rossiter (e-t); 10. Purcell for D Stakelum (75)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
****
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Club Hurling GAA Hurling Inagh-Kilnamona GAA Munster Club Hurling Championship Siege of Ennis Thurles Sarsfields GAA