Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final.
James Stephens 1-18; Tullogher Rosbercon 1-7.
John Power at UPMC Nowlan Park.
James Stephens booked their place in the MLM Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship final with a comfortable victory over Tullogher Rosbercon in Sunday’s second semi-final at UPMC Nowlan Park. The Village produced a controlled and increasingly impressive performance to pull clear after the interval, turning what had been a competitive opening half into a convincing victory.
Tullogher Rosbercon were still very much in contention at half-time, trailing by just three points, 0-8 to 0-5, and they also had the benefit of the breeze for the second half. However, their hopes quickly began to fade as they struggled to make an impact in attack. The Southerners failed to score during the opening 25 minutes after the restart and, by the time they finally found the target, James Stephens had established a commanding advantage. Their task was made even more difficult when half-forward Colman O’Sullivan was sent off following an off-the-ball strike in the 40th minute.
James Stephens had the greater attacking variety throughout, with several players capable of contributing on the scoreboard. In contrast, Tullogher Rosbercon were heavily dependent on the experience and quality of former Kilkenny inter-county star Walter Walsh to drive their attack. The Village made the perfect start when Ed McDermott opened the scoring with a fine point from play inside the opening minute.
Tullogher Rosbercon responded impressively and, for a period, looked the more dangerous side. Marty Murphy opened their account before Danny Glennon and Andrew Murphy also found the target, moving the Southern side 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after eight minutes. It was an encouraging opening for Tullogher Rosbercon, but they were unable to maintain the momentum.
James Stephens gradually began to take control of the midfield exchanges, and their forwards started to find more space. The Village also showed good patience in possession, working openings rather than forcing difficult shots. The result was a remarkable scoring burst.
Tullogher Rosbercon went 18 minutes without a score while James Stephens reeled off seven unanswered points. Tadhg O’Dwyer was central to the Village revival, displaying excellent accuracy from placed balls as he landed three frees during that spell.
Eoin Guilfoyle also began to make his presence felt, contributing two points, while McDermott added another as James Stephens completely overturned the early deficit.
The spell changed the complexion of the game, but Tullogher Rosbercon managed to steady themselves before the interval. Colman O’Sullivan finally ended their long wait for a score before Andrew Murphy added another, leaving just three points between the teams at half-time. The 0-8 to 0-5 scoreline meant Tullogher Rosbercon remained firmly in contention. With the breeze behind them in the second half, there was genuine hope that they could turn the contest around.
Instead, James Stephens produced the stronger performance after the restart. Deely’s point gave Tullogher Rosbercon some early encouragement, but it was to prove their last score for a considerable period. James Stephens responded through Luke Scanlon and two further points from the impressive O’Dwyer. By the 45th minute they had opened up a 0-12 to 0-5 lead and were now firmly in control.
The dismissal of O’Sullivan shortly before this spell had left Tullogher Rosbercon with a numerical disadvantage and the Southerners were finding it increasingly difficult to make any impression on the Village defence. Two minutes later came the decisive score. Guilfoyle collected possession and finished clinically to the Tullogher Rosbercon net, giving James Stephens a 1-12 to 0-5 advantage. The goal effectively settled the outcome, although Tullogher Rosbercon continued to work hard and refused to simply accept defeat.
Conor Heffernan added another James Stephens point before the Southerners finally enjoyed a brief spell of success. Donnacha O’Connor found the net to give Tullogher Rosbercon a glimmer of hope, while Walter Walsh showed his class from placed balls by converting a couple of frees.
With four minutes of normal time remaining, the scoreboard read 1-13 to 1-7. A six-point deficit might ordinarily leave the losing side with some hope, but James Stephens had done enough by this stage to ensure that there would be no dramatic comeback.
The Village finished the game in strong fashion during the five minutes of additional time. Willie Spencer and Luke Scanlon both added points before Guilfoyle put the finishing touches to an excellent personal display. The James Stephens attacker added three further scores (a point from play, a free and a ’65’) to leave his side with a comprehensive 1-18 to 1-7 victory. It was a convincing conclusion to a game which had promised considerably more at half-time.
For Tullogher Rosbercon, the defeat was disappointing after an encouraging opening half. They had matched James Stephens for long periods and, despite conceding seven unanswered points before the break, remained only three points adrift at half-time. However, their failure to score for such a lengthy period after the restart proved costly. The sending off of O’Sullivan further weakened their challenge, while James Stephens were able to make better use of their greater attacking options.
The Village, meanwhile, can be pleased with the manner in which they responded after Tullogher Rosbercon’s early burst. Their ability to absorb the pressure, regain control and then steadily build their advantage was one of the main features of their performance.
They will now turn their attention to the MLM Kilkenny Intermediate final against Rower Inistioge on October 18th.
SCORERS
JAMES STEPHENS
Eoin Guilfoyle (1-5, 0-1 frees, 0-1 “65”), Tadhg O’Dwyer (0-6, 0-5 frees), Ed McDermott (0-2), Luke Scanlon (0-2), Conor Heffernan, Sean Deely, Wille Spencer (0-1 each).
TULLOGHER ROSBERCON
Donnacha O’Connor (1-0) Walter Walsh (0-2 frees), Andrew Murphy (0-2), Marty Murphy, Danny Glennon, Colman O’Sullivan (0-1).
TEAMS
JAMES STEPHENS
Sean Manogue, Luke Murphy, Sam McEvoy, Dara Behan, Niall Mullins, Cian Kenny, Oisin Bateman, Ed Lauhoff, Conor Heffernan, Sam Deely, Tadhg O’Dwyer, Luke Scanlon, Eoin Gilfoyle, Ed McDermott, Stephen Manogue. Substitutes: Eoin Deely for Luke Murphy, Conor McEvoy for Cian Kenny, Niall Brassil for Sean Deely, Willie Spencer for Stephen Minnogue, Shane Donohue for Tadhg O’Dwy
TULLOGHER ROSBERCON
Davy Walsh, Ciarán Cummins, Pat Hartley, Eoin Kennedy, Anthony O’Connor, Lar Murphy, JJ Ryan, Jamie Lyng, Conor Hennessy, Colman O’Sullivan, Danny Glennon, Andrew Murphy, James Cummins, Marty Murphy, Walter Walsh. Substitutes: Michael Sidney for Andrew Murphy, Sam Ryan for JJ Ryan, Donnacha O’Connor for Anthony O’Connor, Sean Hanrahan for Danny Glennon.
Referee: David Hughes.
