Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Sunday 27th September
Kilmallock 2-13 Na Piarsaigh 0-20
The first thirty minutes was a tense affair as both sides seemed nervous of making
mistakes. The half was stop-start with both sides guilty of fouls that both Jake
Mulcahy and Shane Dowling punished from placed balls. Na Piarsaigh finished
stronger to go in at half-time leading 0-12 to 0-7. Six points from Jake Mulcahy frees
and a single point from play from centre-forward Paddy O’Loughlin was all
Kilmallock had to show at the break.
Again, the Kilmallock mentors knew that swift action was required and Ger
O’Loughlin, Mick Heelan and Adrian O’Brien headed for the dressing-room deep in
conversation. Robbie Hanley was introduced at half-time for the injured Bryan
O’Sullivan but it was clear that further changes were imminent.
Kilmallock started the second half with more purpose and set about pegging back the
five point gap. Robbie Egan pointed from wide on the right but this was cancelled out
on the double by Dowling and Casey to leave six between the sides. Then came the
goal that we hoped would ignite a revival. Robbie Hanley was at the end of a clever
series of passes and from twenty metres he struck to give the goalkeeper Kennedy no
chance. Still Kilmallock struggled to come to terms with the Na Piarsaigh counter-
attack and could not get the scores that would draw them level. The lively Oisín
O’Reilly who came in for Kieran Kenneally capped an impressive twenty minutes
with two points that kept Kilmallock within touching distance and Kevin O’Donnell
from long-range and Jake Mulcahy from placed balls left four between the teams with
only minutes on the clock. The game was slipping away and we needed a goal.
Graeme Mulcahy, bursting towards goal was dragged to the ground only ten metres
out as he was about to strike but to everyone’s amazement referee Murphy missed it
and Na Piarsaigh cleared their lines. A long probing ball from Gavin O’Mahony
dropped in around the opposing square and through a ruck of players Robbie Hanley
pounced again to rattle the net for a second time. With the final whistle looming
Kilmallock knew that they had to win the next puck out if they had any chance of
rescuing a result. Paudie O’Brien collected the breaking ball and returned it goalward.
The Na Piarsaigh defenders were glad to concede a 65 out wide on the stand-side.
From out on the touchline Jake Mulcahy’s attempt just tailed off to the right as
Johnny Murphy called for the sliotar and ended proceedings.
Just a single point separated the two sides at the end of last Sunday’s County Senior
Hurling Semi-Final but Kilmallock bowed out and put an end to a two year campaign
that has yielded many more high points than low ones.
Kilmallock : Barry Hennessy, Liam Hurley, Mark O’Loughlin, Aaron Costello, Liam
Walsh, Gavin O’Mahony, Kevin O’Donnell, Bryan O’Sullivan, Paudie O’Brien, Jake
Mulcahy, Paddy O’Loughlin, Robbie Egan, Graeme Mulcahy, Kieran Kenneally,
Benni Burke.
Scorers : Jake Mulcahy 0-7 (7 frees), Robbie Hanley 2-0, Oisín O’Reilly 0-2, Paddy
O’Loughin 0-1, Gavin O’Mahony 0-1, Kevin O’Donnell 0-1 free, Robbie Egan 0-1.
Substitutes : Robbie Hanley for O’Sullivan (half-time), Oisín O’Reilly for Kenneally
(40 mins), Paul Doona for Burke 45 mins,
As we end this years campaign we must thank this team of players and mentors for
what has been a fantastic experience for all Kilmallock GAA supporters. As
supporters of Kilmallock GAA we have many great memories and we will never
forget the journey and the epic performances that yielded the County title and the
Munster Club title of 2014.
Thanks for the memories.