Under 21 Hurling Championship – Tuesday 2nd February 2016 – Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale
Kilmallock 0-7 Ahane 2-9
Played in horrendous conditions, with driving sleet showers, Kilmallock yielded to a strong Ahane side in a game where goals were always going to be crucial. The first half was evenly contested and Kilmallock did well to limit Ahane to just one goal and six points but unfortunately could not convert scores at the other end to reward their efforts. The sides went in at the break with Ahane leading 1-6 to 0-4.
Torrential rain delayed the start of the second half and when things finally got under way Kilmallock set about pegging back the deficit. Ciarán O’Connor and Dan Joy cut out many attacks and tried to launch the Kilmallock forward line that were starved of possession for much of the game. Robbie Hanley was now in top at the heart of the attack but Ahane adopted every measure to prevent his progress. With fifteen minutes remaining, ad with the result still in the balance, another piercing run through the middle by Hanley was stemmed by another cynical Ahane foul. Tempers boiled over and play had to be stopped before the referee could get things under control. One player from each side was shown the red card and instead of a twenty metre free the referee threw the ball in – on the half-way line. The final minutes were played out, again in torrential rain, but the bust-up broke the Kilmallock rhythm and Ahane finished the game stronger to win by eight points.
Kilmallock : Adam Costello, Fergal Chawke, Dan Joy, Josh Cahill, Tomás English (0-1), Ciarán O’Connor, Noel Foley (0-1), Oisín O’Reilly, Cal McCarthy (0-1), Michéal Houlihan (0-1), Robbie Hanley, Conor Staunton (0-3), David Woulfe, Anthony Barrett, Phelim O’Reilly.
Subs : Gearóid Barry for Phelim O’Reilly 45 mins, Andrew Finn for Joy 45 mins.
