Kilmacow 0-25; Cloneen 1-14 (17).
John Power at St John’s Park.
Kilmacow got the better of Cloneen in Saturday’s entertaining junior hurling clash at St John’s Park, continuing their impressive recovery after a disappointing opening-day defeat to Emeralds. The South Kilkenny side have now put together a very encouraging run of form, recording three wins and a draw from their last four outings. That sequence has propelled Kilmacow firmly into contention in what is proving to be a highly competitive Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship.
For Cloneen, however, the campaign has proved much more difficult. A combination of unfortunate circumstances has left them short of playing numbers, making their task all the more challenging during the hard summer conditions experienced in 2026. Despite those difficulties, they showed plenty of determination and gave Kilmacow a serious test, particularly during the opening half.
Kilmacow were generally in control of proceedings, but for much of the afternoon they struggled to turn their territorial advantage into scores. They created two excellent goal chances inside the opening 10 minutes, but on both occasions Cloneen goalkeeper Gary Delaney came to his side’s rescue with outstanding saves.
Those interventions gave Cloneen confidence and ensured that Kilmacow were unable to build the kind of early lead their dominance suggested was possible. Kilmacow eventually opened the scoring through a James Walsh free, with Patrick Dollard adding another point shortly afterwards. Cloneen responded through Gearoid O’Neill, but Kilmacow began to establish a degree of control.
Ian Ahearne, Walsh and Dollard all found the target as Kilmacow moved 0-5 to 0-1 ahead. However, their failure to make the most of their opportunities was becoming increasingly costly. In addition to the two excellent saves from Delaney, Kilmacow had also registered several disappointing wides.
Cloneen made them pay for that lack of accuracy when Eoin Regan found the back of the Kilmacow net with a goal against the run of play. It was a major boost for the Northern side and completely changed the momentum of the game. Three Cloneen points from frees followed, with Regan again heavily involved, and remarkably, despite having enjoyed considerably less possession for long spells, Cloneen had turned the contest on its head. They now led by 1-4 to 0-5.
Kilmacow regrouped and began to regain their composure as the half progressed. The remainder of the opening period was closely contested, with both sides working hard and neither able to establish a decisive advantage.
Kilmacow eventually regained the lead, but Cloneen’s defensive organisation ensured they remained firmly in contention. At half-time, only a single point separated the teams, with Kilmacow ahead on a scoreline of 0-12 to 1-8.
The second half was a different proposition. With the aid of the wind, Kilmacow began to make their territorial advantage count and gradually stretched the Cloneen defence. Their greater possession was now being converted into scores, and they began to pull away from their opponents.
Kilmacow outscored Cloneen by 13 points to six during the second period. The South Kilkenny outfit were more efficient in attack and, as the half progressed, they looked increasingly comfortable.
Cloneen continued to battle and showed considerable spirit despite their limited numbers. Their defensive work remained a feature of their performance and they prevented Kilmacow from adding the goals that might have turned the contest into a much more one-sided affair. In the end, though, Kilmacow’s greater strength and their second-half scoring burst saw them home, keeping their hopes alive in a fiercely competitive Junior Hurling Championship.
There were several excellent individual performances for Kilmacow. Young centre-back Rian McDonald impressed with a composed display, while James Walsh and Patrick Dollard contributed strongly on the scoreboard. Johnny Hayes also put in a committed performance as Kilmacow continued to build momentum.
For Cloneen, their defensive display was a major positive. They showed resilience throughout and can take considerable encouragement from the way they frustrated Kilmacow for long periods. Up front, Eoin Regan was their standout attacking threat. His goal was crucial in changing the direction of the first half, and he was involved in much of the good work Cloneen produced going forward.
Ultimately, Kilmacow deserved their victory, particularly on the strength of their second-half performance. Having recovered so well from their opening defeat to Emeralds, they can now look forward to the remaining games with growing confidence as the Junior Hurling Championship enters an important stage.
SCORERS
KILMACOW: James Walsh (0-10, 0-7 frees), Patrick Dollard (0-5), John Hayes (0-4), Rian McDonald (0-2), Ian Ahearne, Tom Reddy, Jack O’Neill, Sean Dowling (0-1 each).
CLONEEN: Eoin Regan (1-8, 1-7 frees), Ciaran Cooney (0-3, frees), Gearoid O’Neill, Ashley Kerr, Brian Cahill (0-1 each).
TEAMS
CLONEEN Gary Delaney, Michael Doyle, Malachy Flaherty, Gearoid O’Neill, Breanainn Buggy, Harry Roche, Brian Cahill, Michael O’Leary, Francie Ward, James Love, Padraig Cooney, Ashley Kerr, Padraic Delaney, Eoin Regan, Ciaran Cooney
KILMACOW Kieran Dowling, Sean Blanchfield, Niall Bowe, Donnacha Williams, Tadgh Connolly, Rian McDonald, Tom Butler Sean Dowling, Fergal Suffin, Tom Reddy, Patrick Dollard James Walsh, John Hayes, lan Ahearne, Jack O’Neill.
Referee: Eoin Hayes.
