Mullinavat 2-28; Tullogher Rosbercon 0-14.
John Power at Tullogher Rosbercon GAA Grounds
Mullinavat, beaten in the last four JJ Kavanagh Junior F County Hurling Finals, continued their “drive for five” with a comfortable away victory over Southern neighbours Tullogher Rosbercon at Tullogher.
The Vegas men, who recently captured the Junior F league title, are determined to finally get over the line in the championship this year and, on the evidence of this impressive display, they will take plenty of confidence into their semi-final meeting with James Stephens.
Mullinavat have endured plenty of heartbreak in recent years, having suffered defeat in four successive county finals, but there was little sign of nerves as they took control from the opening exchanges. Indeed, despite playing against a stiff breeze in the first half, they made the perfect start.
Stephen Law had the ball in the Tullogher Rosbercon net in the second minute after following up on a long, dangerous inward ball from Daniel Walsh. It was an excellent start for the visitors and one which immediately settled any early nerves. Billy Delahunty added a point for Mullinavat before Tullogher Rosbercon opened their account in the fifth minute when Fergal O’Shea converted a free.
Mullinavat, however, were quickly into their stride again. Jake Morrissey contributed two points while Jack Power also got on the scoresheet as the visitors opened up a 1-4 to 0-1 lead by the tenth minute. Barry Furlong reduced the deficit with Tullogher Rosbercon’s second point, but Mullinavat responded in clinical fashion. Stephen Law converted two frees to extend the advantage to 1-7 to 0-2.
Fergal O’Shea pointed another Tullogher Rosbercon free, but the home side were then hit by a superb Mullinavat scoring burst which saw the visitors register seven unanswered points.
Jack Power got the first, before Stephen Law added three points to underline his influence on proceedings. Jack Whelton, Billy Delahunty and Pat Mulhearne also found the target as Mullinavat moved into a commanding position.
The home side did their best to stem the tide and Peter Meggs exchanged points with Stephen Law before Ciall O’Connor and Law also traded scores by the 23rd minute, with Mullinavat leading 1-15 to 0-5.
To their credit, Tullogher Rosbercon produced their best spell of the opening half in the closing stages. Peter Meggs struck two fine points before Barry Furlong added another, giving the home supporters something to cheer about as the interval approached. Half-time: Mullinavat 1-15, Tullogher Rosbercon 0-10.
With the breeze now at their backs, Mullinavat set about putting the result beyond doubt after the restart. They registered three unanswered points in the opening minutes, with Jack Power scoring from play and Stephen Law converting two frees. Ciall O’Connor replied with a free for Tullogher Rosbercon, but Mullinavat immediately regained control. Pat Mulhearne, Jack Power and Ciaran Holden all added points as the scoreboard read 1-21 to 0-11.
From that point onwards, Mullinavat were able to comfortably manage the game. Their experience, strength and greater scoring power eventually told as they continued to pick off scores while restricting the home side to a handful of opportunities.
By the time the final whistle sounded, Mullinavat had added a further 1-7 to their tally, while Tullogher Rosbercon could only manage three more points. It made for a comprehensive victory and one which sends the Vegas men into the last four with their confidence high.
While Mullinavat will rightly take plenty of positives from the performance, massive credit must also go to Tullogher Rosbercon. This is a club operating at an impressive level, with four adult teams competing this season, a remarkable accomplishment for a rural Kilkenny club.
Their players can take considerable pride from the effort they produced, particularly during the first half when they battled against both a strong Mullinavat side and difficult conditions. They never stopped trying and contributed to an entertaining contest.
Mullinavat now face another major test in the semi-final when they meet James Stephens, another Kilkenny club boasting four adult teams. The city side will provide a much sterner examination, but Mullinavat will certainly fancy their chances following this performance.
The Vegas men have been knocking on the door for several years and have come agonisingly close on four occasions. With the Junior F league title already secured and another county semi-final now safely negotiated, the “drive for five” remains very much alive.
Their ultimate destination is UPMC Nowlan Park in September, and on this form Mullinavat will believe they have every chance of finally making it through the final hurdle and getting their hands on the JJ Kavanagh Junior F County Championship trophy.
SCORERS
MULLINAVAT Stephen Law (1-11, 0-5 frees), Billy Delahunty (1-2), Pat Mulhearne (0-3), Jack Whelton (0-2), Jack Power (0-4), Jake Morrissey (0-3), Ciaran Holden, John Reade, Michael Johnstone (0-1 each). TULLOGHER ROSBERCON Ciall O’Connor (0-3 frees), Peter Meggs (0-3), Fergal O’Shea (0-3 frees), Barry Furlong (0-4), Barry Furlong (0-1).
TEAMS
MULLINAVAT
Declan Duggan, Jamie Dempsey Tommy Lannigan, Jamie Walsh, Louis Madigan, Daniel Walsh, James Dalton, Jake Morrissey, John Reade Jack Whelton, Pat Mulhearn, Stephen Law, Jack Power, Darragh Tynan, Billy Delahunty. Substitutes, Michael Johnston for Tommy Lannigan, Jamie Dungan for Daniel Walsh, Ciaran Holden for Jamie Walshe, Thomas Jones for James Whelton, Tadhg Knox for Stephen Law.
Rest of panel: Conor Frisby, Killian Dungan, Cormac McEvoy, Kevin Roche, George Culleton.
TULLOGHER ROSBERCON
Wayne Hendrick, Liam Walsh, Declan Grennan, David Manning, Sean Walsh, Sean Meaney, Robert Hartley, Matt Rossiter, Jack Byrne, Barry Furlong, Lorcan Furness, Peter Meggs, Liam O’Neill, Ciall O’Connor, Fergal O’Shea. Substitutes: Paul Manning, James Dooley, Jack Byrne.
Referee: Paul Cahill (Dunnamaggin).
