Mossy the main man as Banner beaten
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
Clare 0-21 Kilkenny 0-23
Round 1, Cusack Park, Ennis
Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)
Kilkenny ended their losing streak against The Banner with a battling 2-point win in Cusack Park, Ennis, last weekend. With the home side fielding five starters from last season’s All-Ireland win, Derek Lyng’s charges dug deep after a sleepy start to register a confidence-boosting victory and in Eoin Cody and Mossy Keoghan, they had a pair of hurlers with the necessary nous to help drive their side over the line in this Allianz Hurling League round 1 encounter. After a shaky start on placed ball duty, Billy Drennan finished the game with 0-7 to his name and contributed handsomely to the Noresiders victory.
As usual, winter conditions were not the best for hurling, but credit to both sides for giving those in attendance a decent spectacle. Kilkenny, as per tradition gave the hosts a guard of honour as they ran out in Cusack Park and it was Brian Lohan’s outfit that came out of the blocks quickly, notching the first four scores of the game, in the same number of minutes, thanks to three from the lively David Reidy, including two frees and another effort from another David, this time, Conroy. The Cats were a little wasteful in the opening quarter, converting only two of their first six efforts, Mossy Keoghan and Mikey Carey the men showing accuracy. In between these two scores, came two more for the Liam MacCarthy holders, Sean Rynne and Conroy the men on target. Eire Og’s David Reidy tagged on another brace of placed balls while Shane Meehan fired over a tidy score as The Banner held a 7-point lead after the first quarter. Kilkenny will have been glad to see the end of that quarter, as they had turned the ball over numerous times, and the home side really benefited from this.
It had taken a while for the visitors to find any rhythm, but they hit a little bit of a purple patch from the 19th to the 25th minute, hitting four points without reply, a pair of Billy Drennan frees book-ending scores from Mossy and Mikey Carey, as the Noresiders reduced the deficit to three points, much to their supporter’s delight. Clare’s top scorer, David Reidy struck over two more placed balls to extend the hosts lead, but Young Ireland’s Carey rifled over his 3rd of the day while Billy Drennan added a free and late inclusion, Cian Kenny split the Clare posts, and suddenly it was a two-point game. There was time for two more scores in the opening period, Wolfe Tones Aron Shanagher for the home side and Galmoy’s Billy Drennan adding to his tally via a ‘65 to leave The Cats two behind at the break.
Brian Lohan will have been a little concerned at how his side allowed the visitors back into the game, while Derek Lyng saw two different sides to his team, missed chances and turnovers being replaced by hunger, intensity and a better scoring return as the half wore on.
When the second half got underway, it was Thomastown’s Peter McDonald that got the scoreboard with a lovely score, something that the recently appointed vice captain will no doubt remember for years to come, especially as he was leading the Cats in Ennis in the absence of John Donnelly. Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan rifled over the next score to level matters before Shane Murphy joined Mikey Carey in being shown a yellow card from Galway whistler Shane Hynes. David Reidy dispatched his first successful effort of the second period to nudge the home side ahead in the 42nd minute, and this also saw the first change from Derek Lyng as he sent on Gearoid Dunne for Jordan Molloy. Peter McDonald then added a second point as captain, a lovely effort from distance, out on the right side.
Shane Meehan and David Conroy restored Clare’s two-point lead but a Billy Drennan free and a fine Gearoid Dunne effort deadlocked matters once more before Galmoy’s Drennan converted a free to give the black and amber the lead on 56 minutes. Broadford’s Paddy Donnellan tied things up again a minute later as neither side could pull clear. Thomastown’s Luke Connellan then entered the fray, replacing Billy Ryan as the Kilkenny management sought to inject some fresh legs and pace to their attack, given the testing conditions in Cusack Park. Former captain Eoin Cody then registered his first point of the day in the 61st minute before Luke Connellan got his first point in the senior ranks as the Cats re took the lead with just under ten minutes of normal time remaining.
The Banner then found a little surge and reeled off three scores on the bounce courtesy of Keith Smyth, Cian Galvin and Sean Rynne as the hosts created a two-point lead. Another Thomastown debutant was then sprung from the bench as Zac Bay Hammond replaced Kerry man Fionán Mackessy, who had shown well in his first outing in the Kilkenny stripes. Mossy Keoghan then hit a brace of points, the second of which was superb. It looked to all that The Sash man had been bottled up by a pair of Clare players, but somehow Mossy, ducked, dived and wriggled clear before going on a run showing pace and skill before rifling his effort between Eibhear Quilligan’s posts. The sides, level again with 66 gone in Ennis.
Billy Drennan struck over his 7th score of the day, only to see Paddy Donnellan hit the equalising score as the game entered additional time. A ball played down the line towards Gearoid Dunne saw Clare players move in to try and smother the Tullaroan man’s attempts to collect the sliotar, but the determined Dunne did brilliantly to take possession and pass the ball out of the crowd to the supporting Eoin Cody. The Shamrocks man flicked the ball up took a few steps before striking an exquisite effort to give Kilkenny the lead with just over two minutes left. O’Loughlin Gaels Luke Hogan fired over to push the lead to two points and that would be the winning margin when Shane Hynes sounded the long whistler shortly after. Final score in Cusack Park Ennis, Clare 0-21, Kilkenny 0-23.
Scorers Kilkenny: B Drennan (0-7, 6fs, ’65), M Keoghan (0-5), M Carey (0-3), E Cody and P McDonald (0-2) each), L Connellan, L Hogan, C Kenny, G Dunne (0-1 each).
Scorers Clare: D Reidy (0-8, 7fs), D Conroy (0-3), S Rynne, P Donnellan, S Meehan, K Smyth (0-2 each), A Shanagher and Cian Galvin (0-1 each).
KILKENNY: A Tallis; M Butler, H Lawlor, S Murphy; M Carey, D Blanchfield, F Mackessy; P McDonald, J Molloy; M Keoghan, C Kenny, P Deegan; B Drennan, E Cody, B Ryan.
Subs: G Dunne for Molloy (43), L Hogan for Kenny (51min), L Connellan for Ryan (59), Z B Hammond for Mackessy (65).
CLARE: E Quilligan; I McNamara, C Leen, D Lohan; J O’Neill, D McInerney, C Galvin; R Taylor, C Malone; P Crotty, D Conroy, S Rynne; S Meehan, A Shanagher, D Reidy.
Subs: R Hayes for McInerney (37min), P Donnellan for Taylor (43), K Smyth for Shanagher (51), Rory Hayes for Crotty (55), J Conneally for Leen (61).
Referee: S Hynes (Galway)
SHERRY SAYS………………….
What a great way to say goodbye to January – a battling 2-point win over Clare in Ennis. Yes, there was no Tony Kelly, David Fitzgerald, Adam Hogan or Shane O’Donnell, but psychologically, to get back to winning ways against The Banner was important for the Cats. A very sluggish start by Derek Lyng’s men, wayward shooting, misplaced passes, turnovers, it didn’t look good when we were 7 points down after fifteen minutes!
Mossy Keoghan, Mikey Carey and Billy Drennan contributed 15 of Kilkenny’s 0-23 total. As mentioned, Mossy’s fifth point summed the Tullaroan man up, determination, speed, skill and accuracy. Young Ireland’s Carey should take great heart from his 3-point haul and his discipline, especially after being booked early in the game.
Eoin Cody buzzed about and his class told down the stretch, his second point was a stunner. The Shamrocks man definitely helped the younger, less experienced lads when they entered the fray in Ennis. It was also a steady debut for Fionán Mackessy, who looks right at home in the stripes! Thomastown will have been massively proud of their players contributions in the victory over Clare, with Peter McDonald captaining the side and notching two fantastic points, and telling cameos from Luke Connellan and Zack Bay Hammond.
Next up for Derek Lyng & co is a visit from the Tribesmen at UPMC Nowlan Park this weekend. Micheál Donoghue’s return as manager has started badly, a 12-point hammering by Tipp in Salthill last week. Galway will have a heavy week’s training ahead of the road trip to Noreside and it will be interesting to see if the former Dublin boss brings more experienced players into his starting team.
Let’s hope the Cats can build more momentum and secure a second Allianz League victory at the expense of the maroon clad men from the west.
