Sport

from Kilkenny Observer 26th November 2021

by Kilkenny Observer

TV & Streaming

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR

SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE A SUNNY UPMC Nowlan Park was the venue last Sunday for the Permanent TSB U19 A Hurling Championship nal between Dicksboro and omastown.

Going into the game, Michael Walsh’s charges were heavily fancied to take the honours, and they duly obliged with an 11-point victory over their opponents.

To be fair, the score line was probably a little harsh on omastown, who kept in touch with the ‘Boro right up to the nal quarter, but goals proved to be their undoing. omastown got o to a good start, when mid elder and captain, Peter McDonald pointed early on from a placed ball, and the impressive No.9 would go onto be his teams star performer on the day. It appeared that the game plan was based largely on getting McDonald on the ball at every opportunity. e response from Dicksboro was emphatic. On 5 minutes, and after some great team play, the ball arrived with centre-forward Liam Moore, who batted the ball to the net, leaving keeper Luke McNena helpless, as he raised the rst of three green ags for his side.

County minor star and captain Harry Shine then opened his account from a placed ball with almost 7minutes on the clock, to give his side a one-point lead. at man McDonald then equalised with a lovely score from play. Dicksboro mid elder, James Carroll, who was heavily involved throughout proceedings then popped over a well-worked score on 11 minutes, to restore his team’s lead, before omastown’s only scorer in the game so far, McDonald was adjudged to have been fouled by his marker, and a free was awarded, which – yes you guessed it, he slotted between the posts.

‘Boro mid elder, James Carroll then picked up the ball nicely, before arrowing a lovely pass to his cornerforward, Cillian Hackett, who pointed from a tight angle to register a lovely score. e Maroon & whites wasted no time in troubling the umpires again, when Liam Moore popped over a well-struck point, despite coming under serious pressure from the omastown defence, and appearing to have little space to get his e ort away. e next Dicksboro attack, almost resulted in a second goal, had it not been for the alertness of omastown keeper

Sport Goals galore as McNena. Harry Shine, collected the ball close to the end line, before heading Dicksboro towards goal, only to be thwarted by the netminder. Shine didn’t dwell on the miss, and on 16 minutes he claim converted another free, to leave the ‘Boro up by 3 at the rst water break, 1-5 to 0-5. When play resumed, Peter silverware McDonald showed that he was in fact human, when he missed from a placed ball. Soon after McDonald strode forward before o -loading to wing-back Naoise Dempsey, who with the wind behind him, struck from far-out the pitch, only to see his speculative e ort drift wide. omastown then nearly hit the net, but were denied by a good save from ‘Boro keeper, Brian Minogue. Luckily for the attacking side, referee Cahill was playing a good advantage, and despite the save, pulled the play back and awarded the free, which McDonald scored from, to reduce the de cit to just two points. Despite playing against a very strong wind, Harry Shine then pointed from a long-range free, before his full-forward Nick Doheny pointed, following superb build-up play from his fellow Dicksboro forwards. From the resulting puck-out, Peter McDonald ran onto the breaking ball before striking a stunning e ort left-handed which was well-received by the omastown supporters in attendance. Shine then pointed from another free, some 50 yards out, before his nemesis McDonald did likewise as the rst period Harry entered stoppage time. ere would still be time for one more score from omastown, when centreforward Luke Connellan red over a lovely point to leave just 2-points between the sides at the short whistle, the ‘Boro 1-8, omastown 0-9. e second half was only a minute old when Shine took a nice pass from James helps Carroll, but pulled his e ort just wide of the post. Nick Doheny then played a lovely ball to Eoin Dalton, who duly slotted between the posts for the rst score of the second period. e next goal chance came shortly afterwards. Liam Moore who had been getting on lots of ball in the rst half, collected the ball before heading straight ‘Boro down the middle of the pitch towards goal. When he got to the 21-yard line, he unleashed a pile-driver of a shot, which smashed against the crossbar and rebounded to safety. omastown, now playing against the wind, got their rst score of the half when McDonald and their only other scorer, Luke Connellan SHINE! exchanged passes, to allow the former to point from

All pix: Danny Lahart

Naoise Dempsey stands firm

Luke Connellan strikes the ball about 50 yards out on the left-hand side. Six minutes left-hand side. Six minutes into the half, Dicksboro into the half, Dicksboro defender Liam Treacy defender Liam Treacy was pulled-up for a tug was pulled-up for a tug on the attacker’s arm, and on the attacker’s arm, and McDonald punished the McDonald punished the indiscretion by pointing the indiscretion by pointing the placed ball. placed ball.

Michael Walsh then looked to his bench looked to his bench to freshen things up,

Sean Maher replaced

Eoin Dalton and would make some telling contributions in the remainder of the nal. remainder of the nal.

Rise & Shine - Harry claims the catch Dicksboro then moved the ball through the lines before passing to Aaron Murphy, who struck a beautiful worked point.

It appeared that Dicksboro were now employing a 2-man full-forward line, leaving just Cillian Hackett and Aaron Murphy inside. e hard-working Nick Doheny along with Liam Moore and Harry Shine were all roaming from much deeper positions and getting on plenty of possessions.

After some carless play in the omastown defence, the omastown defence, substitute Sean Maher substitute Sean Maher pounced on the loose ball pounced on the loose ball and pointed, leaving the and pointed, leaving the

‘Boro 3-points ahead, ‘Boro 3-points ahead, 1-11 to 0-11. From 1-11 to 0-11. From the next play, the next play, referee Cahill referee Cahill awarded a free to awarded a free to omastown, omastown, which Peter which Peter McDonald stood over, a long way from the Dicksboro posts. To his credit, he had the distance, but unfortunately unfortunately not the not the accuracy and accuracy and his e ort went his e ort went behind and wide, behind and wide, as the whistle as the whistle sounded for the sounded for the second water break. second water break. e Dicksboro mentors e Dicksboro mentors must have had some must have had some inspiring words for their inspiring words for their

CONTINUED CONTINUED >>> >>>

Thomastown clear their lines

Dicksboro post-match

The jubilant ‘Boro team

... CONTINUED

players, as they would go on to outscore their opponents 2-6 to 0-3 during the nal period. Aaron Murphy got on the ball and stuck a nice pass to Sean Maher, who notched his second score his entering the fray. e deadly Harry Shine then e ortlessly popped over another free, to extend his sides lead to 5 points, 1-13 to 0-11. omastown appeared to be nding it even more di cult against the wind, to manufacture scoring opportunities, compared to the ‘Boro in the rst half. Some nice play between Luke Connellan and Zach Bay Hammond, ended with

Captain & goal scorer Aaron Murphy li s the cup

the latter striking over a wellworked point, but almost immediately, Dicksboro hit back. Substitute Mikey Raggett played a nice pass to Liam Moore, who struck a great point.

If the 5-point lead wasn’t enough, Dicksboro made sure shortly afterwards. On 52 minutes, in uential mid elder James Carroll picked up the ball before hitting his corner-forward, Cillian Hackett with a lovely pass. Hackett worked his way along the end line, before picking out Aaron Murphy who nished to the net from close range, to extinguish any remaining faint hopes of omastown glory. e man that started the move for the ‘Boro’s second goal, James Carroll, then got on the score board when he collected a pass from Hackett, before pointing. e ‘Boro were rampant. Another goal chance came, this time it fell to Cillian Hackett, who saw his goalbound e ort blocked and put behind for a ‘65, which Shine struck over. Peter McDonald continued his one-man battle and struck from another placed ball. It was goals that his side needed, but the Dicksboro defence, led by Niall Rowe and Stevie Dermody continued to stand rm as they had done throughout the game.

Dicksboro nal point would come from substitute, Mikey Raggett, their 17th of the game. omastown were then awarded a free, which captain, Peter McDonald attempted to goal from, but his erce e ort was de ected over by keeper Minogue. Harry Shine then put the icing on the cake, when he picked up a loose ball before ri ing past Luke McNena for his side’s third major of the day. e hard-working Naoise Dempsey then took a nice pass on the run before registering the nal score of the game. e long whistle then sounded; Michael Walsh’s team were U19 County Champions.

Final Score: Dicksboro 3-17, omastown 0-15.

>> SHERRY SAYS...

is is a mighty ne Dicksboro team. Harry Shine and Liam Moore will take many of the plaudits, but for me, it was maybe lesser-known names that caught the eye in their sides win over a gallant omastown out t. Under the watchful eye of their No.3, Niall Rowe, the Dicksboro defence gave away very little to the opposition. For me, the performance of corner-back, Stevie Dermody was phenomenal. I lost count of the number of balls he won over the course of the game. e half-back line of Charlie Nolan, Tom Carroll and the hugely talented Timmy Cli ord controlled proceedings. is allowed mid elder James Carroll to get on lots of ball and pick some great passes to the danger men inside. Cillian Hackett was a constant menace throughout. Some of this panel will be involved in the county U20’s panel next season, and that can only bode well for Mr. Lyng & Co. A word on the performance of omastown captain and mid elder, Peter McDonald. is young man has all the qualities to be a future senior star. His placed ball accuracy was exceptional. His drive and ability to get up and down the pitch was great. He never gave up. He will have a big role to play in getting his club into the senior ranks again. Comhghairdeas Dicksboro. A well-deserved victory.

Permanent TSB U19 B Hurling Championship Final Erins Own 3-8 Bennettsbridge 0-13 @ UPMC NOWLAN PARK, Sunday 21st November

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR

SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

ERINS Own defeated a gallant Bennettsbridge side in the curtainraiser to the A grade nal

Goals win games, and this was certainly the case on an autumnal day at county headquarters.

Star of the show was unquestionably Erins Own full-forward, Jamie Maher, who notched a hat-trick of goals to seal a glorious win for JD Harding’s Castlecomer side.

Bennettsbridge took to the eld without joint captains and twins, Daniel & Harry Murphy, and this would prove to be a huge loss for Patrick O’Neill’s team.

Player-of-the-match Maher was undoubtably the di erence between the two teams, and there isn’t a full-back in the county that will fancy marking the bustling No.14 next season!