County Senior Hurling Final

Gaelic Grounds

Sunday 7th October 2012

Time: 3.30 pm

Kilmallock           1-15            Adare 0-15

 

The curtain came down on the 2012 Limerick County Senior Hurling Championship season, last Sunday, in the Gaelic Grounds, as Kilmallock were crowned senior hurling champions for the tenth time in its illustrious history.

Kilmallock were dealt a major blow just prior to the  match when our full back, Philip O’ Loughlin, failed a late fitness test. Philip was replaced by his brother at full back with Liam Hurley coming in at right corner back. This didn’t weaken our side, as was feared, as the fullback line boys went on to distinguish themselves right throughout the game with sterling defensive performances.

We were installed as clear favourites to win the title but Adare were having none of it as they took the game to Kilmallock from the off.

Kilmallock opted to play against the wind in the first half. The Adare lads had the better of the exchanges during this period as they took the game to Kilmallock and led at the break by 0-8 to 0-6. Five of the Adare points coming from frees.

The Kilmallock forwards were finding it difficult to get scores as the Adare defenders put the shackles on them.  Two of our six points, in the first half, came from midfielders Robbie Egan, who had a mighty game all through  and Paudie O’Brien with the other scores coming from Eoin Ryan (0-1 f), Paudie O’Dwyer (0-2) and Shane O’Donnell (0-1)

During the first ten minutes of the second half Adare went into a three point lead, 0-11 to 0-8. The lads now had a game on their hands. The management team decided to take some action by moving Graeme Mulcahy out the field as a third mid-fielder and Eoin Ryan to the Edge of the square. This worked a treat as we scored three point without reply – these scores coming from Eoin Ryan, Kevin O’Donnell and Paudie O’Dwyer. Jake Mulcahy then put Kilmallock into the lead with a superb effort from a sideline cut.

Time was now moving on and the goal that Kilmallock craved came in the forty seventh minute. A long delivery landed in the Adare square. Eoin Ryan worked his butt off to get possession. In the ensuing melee the sliotar spun across the square where Jake Mulcahy was on hand to blast it to the net. This score put us four points clear and things were looking good.

Adare to its credit fought back and brought Kilmallock’s lead back to two points – a very dangerous lead indeed. It was now all shoulders to the wheel for Kilmallock. Our backs dug deep and with Barry Hennessy in superb form in goal the lads repelled all that Adare threw at them. Barry made two top notch saves during this period.

The final “nail in the coffin” came for Adare with the introduction of Kieran Kenneally for Kevin O’ Donnell in the sixtieth minute. Kieran was no sooner on the field when he grabbed a high ball and struck it over the bar for a super point. Kilmallock were now three points ahead when the referee blew the final whistle.

This was a great victory for the lads but they had to “dig deep” which made this win all the more deserving.

Adare too deserve a lot of credit for their performance in pushing Kilmallock to the limit and their efforts were rewarded when centre forward, Declan Hannon deservedly won  the “Man-of-the Match” award.

Kilmallock had excellent performers throughout the field with our goalkeeper and backs rock solid throughout. Our centre field men scored five points-Paudie O’Brien 0-3 and Robbie Egan 0-2. Robbie must surely have been Kilmallock’s “Man-of-the Match”. Eoin Ryan, Jake Mulcahy and Paudie O’Dwyer were the pick of the forwards

The illustrious Kilmallock team lined out as follows:

B Hennessy; L Hurley, M O’Loughlin, K O’Mahony; L Walsh, G O’Mahony, B O’Sullivan; R Egan 0-2, P O’Brien (0-3c); J Mulcahy 1-1, P O’Dwyer 0-3, E Ryan 0-3; G Mulcahy, K O’Donnell 0-1, S O’Donnell 0-1.

Subs: K Kenneally 0-1 for O’Donnell (60), Owen Webb O’Rourke, John Meade, Aaron Costello, Derek O’Mahony, John Kelly, Donal Barry, Conor Crowley, David Barry, Eamonn Maguire, Andrew O’Shaughnessy.

Manager: Tony Considine

Selectors: James Connery and Gavin O’Sullivan

Trainers: Diarmuid Mullins, Aidan O’Brien

Physio: Andrew Goodman

Team Doctor: Dr. Kevin Twomey

First Aid: Brendan Leahy

Backroom Team: Stephen Connery, Paul O’Mahony and Finbar Walsh.

Liasion Officer: Jim Flynn

So heartiest congratulations to everybody in the club who played a part in bringing the Daly Cup back to the Balbec for the tenth time.