Thomastown bow out after QF beating
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Finals
The final four on Noreside became clear after a weekend of action in the St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Finals. The big headline was the dethroning of County champions Thomastown, who were well beaten by a hungry and determined Shamrocks Ballyhale. With Henry Shefflin back at the helm and their experienced generals all firing, they gained revenge for last season’s defeat at the hands of Noel Doherty’s charges, putting in their most complete performance of the campaign to date, running out deserved 9-point winners at UPMC Nowlan Park.
TJ got the scoreboard moving for the Shamrocks inside the opening minute, showing his skill by splitting the posts from a sideline ball out on the left side. The same player was fouled and converted his sides second score on four minutes. During any break in play, both sides were determined to assert their authority, with players pushing and shoving and testing the shoulders! Dean Mason was called into action a minute later and did well, Alex Cass registering a point when a major looked likely. Referee Owen Kenny then spotted Evan Shefflin and John Donnelly in a tangle and made the call that it was the former that was the main perpetrator. Thomastown’s dead ball specialist, Robbie Donnelly stepped forward and struck over what would be the first of his 9-point haul in the last–eight clash.
A long ball into the Shamrocks defence caused a little panic, and intercounty player, Stephen Donnelly capitalised and notched his only point of the game on eight minutes. Peter Connellan appeared to be tasked with shackling TJ, but the young defender was adjudged to have fouled the legendary stickman who duly converted the free to bring the sides level and repeated this shortly after to edge his side into the narrowest of leads. Eoin Cody was roaming and wondering all over the UPMC Nowlan Park pitch and the former 2-time Young Hurler of the Year showed great pace and skill to get away from his man before racing towards goal. His goal bound effort was blocked, which denied the Shamrocks a certain goal.
Evan Shefflin then burst forward, but his run was halted illegally by the opposition, and TJ did the needful. The most forward thinking of the Connellan’s, Luke, then struck a mighty fine score after powering through the middle of the park and applying a nice finish and Thomastown deadlocked matters just as minute later with a beautiful point from tight to the sideline, courtesy of rising star, Colm Treacy. Henry’s team responded with the next score, the roving Eoin Cody splitting the posts from about ’65 out having moved into a pocket of space. The Town’s top scorer on the day, Robbie Donnelly then tagged on two further points, one from play and the second, a placed ball, following Adrian Mullen’s foul on Peter McDonald to give Noel Doherty’s outfit the lead again. Then came a lovely score, which was all down to the hunger and anticipation of TJ Reid. As the opposition tried to work the ball out of defence, TJ cutely positioned himself to intercept Eddie Donnelly’s attempted pass to Zach Bay Hammond. Now in possession of the ball, Reid rifled it over the bar to the delight of the Shamrocks bench. From the restart, Darragh Corcoran rose highest to claim the ball, swapped passes before striking over a quality point from out on the left.
Another long ball from Thomastown into the danger zone saw Stephen Donnelly take possession, before popping a pass to Colm Treacy who’s fiercely struck shot beat Dean Mason but also the far post, a real let off for Shamrocks. Some good sweeping saw Evan Shefflin get on the ball in space and bat a nice pass to Brian Cody who was in acres of space and took the score. Again, the response from the county champions was from a Robbie Donnelly placed ball, but the same player spurned a similar chance moments later. Peter Connellan’s next battle with TJ saw the defender penalised and the ‘Town punished from the resulting free. Killian Corcoran then found Brian Cody with a nice pass, and the No.14 notched his second of the afternoon. The final score of a hard-hitting all action first half came from Robbie Donnelly following a foul on Colm Treacy to leave Shamrocks up by two points at the short whistle.
There was one change to the line-ups when the teams returned, Paddy Mullen had replaced Stephen Barron for the Shamrocks, as Henry opted for more of a physical presence for the battle that lay ahead. Some of the early second half action saw Killian Corcoran prevent a certain goal with a great diving block. Two intercounty colleagues then saw yellow for a little ‘argy bargy ‘, namely Adrian Mullen and Peter McDonald. There were four minutes on the clock before the first score of the second period arrived, a third score from Brian Cody, after Adrian Mullen went short from a sideline cut.
Richie Reid then hit a long free which Eoin Cody won possession from before passing to Niall Shortall, who applied a tidy finish. Luke Connellan got Thomastown’s first score after the interval which signaled the first change for Noel Doherty’s men, Naoise Dempsey replacing Rory Connellan, who was on the periphery of the quarterfinal encounter. TJ tagged on another placed ball before the brother’s Mullen combined for a nice score. Paddy won the ball, picked out his younger sibling and the former Kilkenny captain did the rest. Shamrocks notched the next two scores also, two fine examples of great teamwork, resulting in points for Liam Barron and TJ Reid which left the 20-times Tom Walsh winners eight points to the good after 42 minutes.
Glancing at the sideline, the worrying expressions were obvious amongst the Thomastown management team. Unlucky not to start the last eight clash, Naoise Dempsey struck a sweet score to reduce his sides deficit, but the gap was about to hit double figures. Darragh Corcoran played a searching ball down the left channel, which Peter Connellan misjudged as he slid to intercept. TJ picked up the ball and gave a driven pass across the pitch to Niall Shortall who steadied himself before striking a fierce shot into the ground and past the despairing Diarmuid Galway to raise a green flag.
Thomastown looked doomed. To their credit, as champions do, they kept plugging away and registered the next 3 points, two from Robbie and a nice effort from Peter McDonald. Having watched the Mullen’s combine a little earlier, the Cody’s then did likewise. Eoin got on the ball before picking out Brian, whose radar was certainly in, and he added another point to his growing tally. Robbie Donnelly was doing his best to help eat into the Shamrocks lead and fired over two more points to leave his side 7 in arrears. Doherty’s charges were trying to work a goal chance, but Dean Mason and Joey Holden both made telling interventions to preserve a clean sheet. Two more scores were added by Cody’s Brian and Eoin to rubber stamp their sides passage to the last four. Final score in UPMC Nowlan Park, Shamrock Ballyhale 1-22, Thomastown 0-16.
>>SHERRY SAYS
Four! Yes folks, we are down to the final four in this seasons St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship. Dicksboro were the first side to claim a semi-final berth, getting the better of Glenmore by 6 points. Goals from Shane Stapleton and Liam Moore saw the Palmerstown outfit lead by four at the interval, Eamon Jackman’s charges did enough to repel the Pairc na Ratha based side in the second period and won out by six in the end.
The second offering of Saturday’s double header saw those swash-buckling Vegas Boys end Bennettsbridge’s season. John Walsh put in an inspirational performance, notching 1-12 for Colm O’Byrne’s men. All looked rosy for the ‘Bridge, especially when James Hughes took flight before striking past Seán Fitzpatrick in the Vat goal early doors and a second major, scored by Nicky Cleere saw Brian Lannon’s team lead at the interval. ‘Bridge sub Ciaran Brennan struck a third major for the hoops, but the loss of fullback Enda Morrissey to a red card, saw Mullinavat power on and a second green flag, this time raised by Michael Malone helped secure a second consecutive last four appearance for the Vat.
O’Loughlin Gaels defeated a gallant Clara side who certainly exited the championship on a high, by 3 points, having looked home and hosed at half time. A brace of goals from Chris Bolger rattled the Loughs, and when James Bergin’s placed ball deadlocked matters at the death, it was anyone’s games. Conor Heary and Fionan Mackessy (2) efforts in stoppage time saw the 2023 champions scrape the win.
Bring on the Semi finals!!!!
