Clonkill do just enough to claim U15 title
Clonkill 2-11, Raharney 0-13
A much anticipated U15 Hurling Division 1 final did not disappoint as the large attendance at headquarters on Saturday evening last were treated to a quite superb game of hurling between two teams who could not be asked for any more than they gave.
It was Clonkill's ability to take their chances and at times their superior physicality that were really the deciding factors here as they only had one wide over the hour's play, while the Deelsiders were guilty of some very poor misses when the game was really in the melting pot. Indeed that stat will probably prove that Raharney had the lion’s share of possession but the Loughegar boys were far more economical when in the scoring zone particularly and that’s what helped them claim the prize here after a thoroughly enthralling game.
The opening half was tit for tat really as both sides struggled at times for cohesive elongated passages of play, but some of the scores were excellent nonetheless, with Clonkill's Conor Maleady pointing two frees and a super score from play, while MJ Long added another. For Raharney, Donnacha Briody, with two frees and a beauty from play, and Shaun McCann with an opportunist strike, saw the sides level at four points apiece after 17 minutes.
Conor Joyce and Long pushed Clonkill two to the good, but Briody with another free narrowed the gap. However, just before the short whistle, the latter pounced for an opportunist goal after Raharney failed to clear and Maleady added a late free and the Green and Golds led by 1-7 to 0-5 at the half-time break.
Raharney came out firing on the resumption with a Briody free and a sublime solo effort from Jack Duignan narrowing the gap to just three points, before Maleady and then Briody exchanged frees. And then Maleady pushed Clonkill four clear with another long-range placed ball.
Raharney had probably their best spell of the game at this stage, with Briody from play and with an amazing display of skill for the score of the game, and Oisin McCauley adding two more frees to leave the minimum between the sides with 10 minutes to play. But the Blues wasted several scorable opportunities to not only level but strike for home.
Niall Brady for Clonkill and Briody exchanged frees as the game became a shoot-out and it could have gone either way in fairness, but again Raharney spurned several chances to level and when one of those opportunities broke down, Clonkill swiftly shifted the ball from their own 21-yard line to the edge of the square with some crisp interplay and Padraig Monaghan pounced for the game defining goal to seal the win and break Raharney hearts. And try as they may for the final knockings, Raharney just could not regain parity and Clonkill held on for a fine win in a splendid game that had a bit of everything.
Scorers: Clonkill: Conor Maleady 0-7 (6 frees), MJ Long 1-2, Padraig Monaghan 1-0, Niall Brady (free) and Conor Joyce 0-1 each. Raharney: Donnacha Briody 0-9 (7 frees), Oisin McCauley 0-2 (all frees), Jack Duignan and Shaun McCann 0-1 each.
Clonkill: Ben Loughlin, Peter Raleigh, Niall Brady, Oisin McGrath, Enda Moran, Aaron Connaire, Sean Flynn, Conor Cleary, Cormac Murphy, Conor Joyce, Conor Maleady, MJ Long, Eoghan Daly Padraig Monaghan, Sean Maleady. Subs used: Kieran McGrath, Adam Kiernan, James McHugh.
Raharney: Oran Smith, Kyle Aughey, Thomas Smith, Ronan Smith, Frank Kiernan, Cian Fleming, Cian McGee, Cian McKeogh, Ronan Lawlor, Jack Duignan, Oisin McCauley, Shaun McCann, Josh McGauran, Donnacha Briody, Tom Shaw. Subs used: Calum McHugh, Luke Kiernan.
Referee: Caymon Flynn.