James Stephens 4-21; Fenians 2-12.
John Power at UPMC Nowlan Park.
James Stephens completed a league and championship double in the Junior B grade with a comfortable fifteen-point victory over Fenians Johnstown in the last of this weekend’s four finals at UPMC Nowlan Park.
A combination of the experience of 17 All Ireland Senior Hurling medals between Jackie Tyrell (9) and Eoin Larkin (8), along with numerically more talented hurlers available proved too tough a task for the Fenians Johnstown men on this occasion. James Stephens led by eleven points at the interval and were never likely to lose such a lead, on a beautiful sunny afternoon at Kilkenny GAA headquarters.
Fenians opened the scoring with a Tomas Sharkey point, but this we the only time they led all afternoon. James Stephens replied with scores from Ross Whelan, David Walton, and a point from distance by Bill Whelan.
Fenians were competitive in the opening stages and points from Sharkey (free) and John Henderson had them back on terms. David Walton (JS) and Sharkey exchanged points to leave it 0-4 each after ten minutes.
By the 14th minute the Village men had opened a five-point lead with a David Walton point, then a goal by corner forward Allen Larkin when he caught an incoming pass and swivelled before striking home, followed by a seventy-metre point from Walton (1-6 to 0-4).
Kevin Reid reduced the margin for Fenians with a 100-metre free but in the next ten minutes James Stephens had added a further 1-4 without reply. Fionn Cody, Zac Scanlon, Ross Whelan, Matty McWey and then their sides second goal, again scored by Allen Larkin.
By the interval, both sides had added two further points, Eoghan Sumner and a Tomas Sharkey free for Fenians, Ross Whelan and a distance strike by Fionn Cody for the City men. Half time James Stephens 2-12; Fenians 0-7.
The second half started with a Kevin Reid free from midfield for Fenians, replied to by two Village points scored by Bill Whelan and a David Walton free. Kevin Reid replied with a Fenians free, but one minute later, in the 36th minute, Ross Whelan finished a third goal for James Stephens, after they created an overlap, 3-14 to 0-9.
While Fenians replied with a goal of their own a minute later through Darragh Tobin, this, after a long inbound delivery, and Darragh Tobin followed with a point soon afterwards. It was, now 1-10 to 3-14: but there was never a real chance of a comeback.
In the 46th minute Walton added a Village pointed free, and two minutes later came a fourth James Stephens goal, this one a blast from the past. A long Jackie Tyrell delivery broke close to goal, and Eoin Larkin finished to the net, it was now 4-15 to 1-10. In the last ten minutes both sides used substitutes as Village coasted to a well merited fifteen-point victory.
The city side averaged ten-point winning margins in their earlier round victories versus Danesfort, Conahy Shamrocks and Tullogher Rosbercon and following this win, like City neighbours O’Loughlin Gaels and Dicksboro, will feature in the Junior A grade next season. All three sides already have second teams in the Junior Championship proper also.
SCORERS: JAMES STEPHENS David Walton (0-6, 0-4 frees), Ross Whelan (1-3), Allen Larkin (2-0), Eoin Larkin (1-2), Fionn Cody (0-4), Bill Whelan (0-2), Zac Scanlon (0-2), Matty McWey, Jack McGrath (0-1 each). FENIANS Tomas Sharkey (0-5, 0-4 frees), Darragh Tobin (1-1), Kevin Reid (0-3 frees), Aaron Dermody (1-0), John Henderson, Eoghan Sumner, Bobby Tynan (0-1 each).
TEAMS
JAMES STEPHENS Padraig Joyce, James Tyrrell, Luke Hickey, Billy Wall, Jack McGrath, Jackie Tyrrell, Adam Butler, Ross Whelan, Fionn Cody, Matty McWey (captain) Bill Whelan, David Walton, Zac Scanlon, Eoin Larkin, Allen Larkin. Substitutes Used: Daniel Power for Ross Whelan, Liam Rafter for Allen Larkin, Stephen Power-Kellet.
FENIANS Billy Garrett, Shane Curran, Sean Brennan Paddy Cullen, Alex Lawlor, Kevin Reid, Luke Walsh, Cormac Ryan (joint captain), Eoghan Sumner, Niall Carroll, John Henderson, JJ Delaney, Tomás Sharkey, Darragh Tobin, Podge Sweeney. Substitutes Used: Aaron Dermody, Bobby Tynan, Paddy McCormack (joint captain), Niall Mackey, Darragh O’Grady.
Referee: Eoin Hayes.
