St Canice’s Credit Union Kilkenny SHC Quarter Final.
Thomastown 2-25; Clara 1-19.
John Power at UPMC Nowlan Park
2024 champions produce commanding first-half display to end Clara’s championship hopes at UPMC Nowlan Park. Thomastown, the 2024 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship winners, comfortably secured their place in the county semi-final when they overcame Clara in the second game of Saturday’s quarter-final double-header at UPMC Nowlan Park.
The outcome was effectively decided during a dominant opening 30 minutes in which Thomastown established a 15-point advantage. Clara battled much more strongly after the interval, making good use of the wind and outscoring their opponents during the closing stages, but the damage had already been done.
Thomastown led 2-17 to 0-8 at half-time and, although Clara never stopped competing, the gap was simply too substantial to bridge. The winners made an emphatic start, registering the first five scores of the game. Robbie Donnelly was responsible for three of those points from frees, while John Donnelly and Stephen Donnelly also found the target as Thomastown immediately imposed themselves on proceedings.
Clara eventually settled and began to find some attacking opportunities. Rory Glynn, who was Clara’s most prominent threat in attack, registered two points, while Joe Power also got on the scoresheet. That brief response reduced the deficit, but Thomastown quickly regained control. Ben Nevin and Luke Connellan added points to leave Thomastown 0-7 to 0-4 ahead after the opening exchanges. Glynn responded with another well-taken point for Clara, but Thomastown were beginning to find considerable space in the Clara defence. Luke Connellan added another score before Robbie Donnelly converted a free and Stephen Donnelly followed with a point from play.
By the 15th minute Thomastown had moved 0-10 to 0-5 ahead. Clara continued to search for a way back into the contest and Conor O’Shea reduced the deficit from a free. However, what followed was the decisive spell of the game. Over the next ten minutes Thomastown hit an unanswered 1-7, turning an already difficult situation for Clara into an almost impossible one.
There was one controversial moment during this period when Clara appeared to have the ball in the Thomastown net. After 22 minutes, Rory Glynn finished an attack with what looked like a potential goal, but the referee did not allow the score. There was some suggestion that an advantage might have been applied during the build-up but play continued and Clara were unable to gain any reward from the attack.
Thomastown then struck for their first goal. A low shot from Daithi Barron on 26 minutes was saved by Clara goalkeeper Kevin Nolan, but the ball was adjudged to have crossed the goal line. The goal further increased Thomastown’s advantage and they continued to dictate matters.
Clara did manage to stem the flow with two points before the break. Martin O’Connell registered one before Conor O’Shea added another from a free. However, Thomastown had the final say before the interval. John Donnelly won possession and the ball was worked into the attack before Daithi Barron finished to the net for his second goal of the afternoon. It left Thomastown in a commanding position at the interval, leading by 2-17 to 0-8.
The second half was a considerably different affair. With the wind behind them, Clara came out with renewed purpose and enjoyed their best spell of the match during the opening minutes after the restart. David Langton scored twice before Paul Cody and Chris Bolger also pointed, giving the Clara supporters something to cheer about.
However, Thomastown were not prepared to allow their opponents back into contention. They responded with four unanswered points to re-establish the 15-point advantage they had enjoyed at half-time. John Donnelly opened the sequence before Ben Nevin and Luke Connellan added further points. Robbie Donnelly then converted another free to leave Thomastown 2-21 to 0-12 ahead by the 42nd minute.
Clara finally found a breakthrough when Dara Glynn scored their first goal of the game a minute later. Paul Cody played an important role in the build-up before Glynn finished the move, reducing the deficit to 11 points. Conor O’Shea then added another point from a free, leaving the score at 2-21 to 1-13.
There was no shortage of effort from Clara during the closing stages and they continued to take whatever scoring opportunities came their way. They eventually outscored Thomastown by six points to four during the remainder of the game, but those scores were largely a matter of consolation as Thomastown had built up such a commanding lead during the opening half.
For Clara, Rory Glynn provided a constant attacking threat and was among their more effective players, while David Langton, Paul Cody, Chris Bolger and Conor O’Shea all contributed to their second-half response. The Clara players can at least take some satisfaction from the fact that they remained competitive after the interval and never allowed the game to become a complete procession.
For Thomastown, however, the principal objective was achieved in convincing fashion. Their first-half display was the foundation for the victory, with their movement, accuracy and ability to create scoring opportunities leaving Clara with an uphill battle long before the final whistle. Daithi Barron’s two goals proved particularly important, while the Donnelly brothers, Robbie, John and Stephen, were prominent throughout the contest. Luke Connellan and Ben Nevin also contributed valuable scores as Thomastown maintained control.
The victory sends Thomastown into the county senior semi-final in a fortnight’s time, where they will renew their challenge for another county title. Having already lifted the senior championship trophy in 2024, the Thomastown camp will now have their sights firmly set on another appearance in the latter stages of the competition.
For Clara, meanwhile, the championship journey comes to an end. Although they will be disappointed with the manner of the quarter-final defeat, their senior status for 2027 has been secured, providing a solid foundation on which to build for next season.
The contrast between the two sides was most evident in the opening half, when Thomastown’s scoring burst effectively settled the contest. Clara showed plenty of resolve after the break, but Thomastown had done more than enough by then to ensure their safe passage into the last four.
SCORERS
THOMASTOWN: Daithi Barron (2-1), Robbie Donnelly (0-8, 0-7 frees), Luke Connellan (0-5), Stephen Donnelly (0-4), John Donnelly (0-2), Peter McDonald (0-2), Ben Nevin (0-2), Jack Holden (0-1).
CLARA: Rory Glynn (0-4), Conor O’Shea (0-4 frees) Chris Bolger (0-3 frees), Dara Glynn (1-0), Paul Cody (0-2), David Langton (0-2) Joe Power, Martin O’Connell, Joe Connolly free, Liam Ryan (0-1).
TEAMS
THOMASTOWN. Diarmuid Galway, Ned Kirwan, Peter Connellan, Rory Connellan, Brian Staunton, Eddie Donnelly Zach Bay Hammond, Ben Nevin, Peter McDonald, Robbie Donnelly, John Donnelly, Stephen Donnelly, Daithi Barron, Luke Connellan, Jack Holden. Substitutes: Conor Barcoe for Ben Nevin, Cian Doherty for Jack Holden, John Jo Farrell for Robbie Donnelly,
CLARA: Kevin Nolan, Luke Lawlor, Matt Kenny, Ciaran Prendergast, Shane Staunton, Conor Cody, David Barcoe, Martin O’Connell, Jack Langton, Dara Glynn, Paul Cody, Conor Q Shea, Pester Ryan, Rory Glynn, Chris Bolger. Substitutes: Joe Power for Matt Kenny, Ciaran Prendergast for David Langton, Liam Ryan for Lester Ryan, David Langton for Ciaran Prendergast Joe Connolly for Conor O’Shea.
Referee: Richie Holland.
