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It was the kind of performance a coach aspires to, yet rarely achieves.
Understandable then, the delight of St Kieran's
coach Tom Hogan after seeing his side produce the ultimate display at
Clonmel on Saturday to crush the title hopes of St Colman's in a one-sided
All-Ireland Colleges A SHC final.
"You dream of days like this," said Hogan. "I don't ever
remember a performance like that from a St Kieran's team. It was brilliant
to hold such a display for All-Ireland day. We had hoped to win the toss
and play against the wind, but we didn't and I was a bit concerned how the
lads would go. "Obviously we needed a big lead and I suppose 10 points was a very
good cushion to turn over with. But we were helped in no small way by the
sending off of a Colman's player in that first half.
"Colmans were expected to come at us in the second half but our
forwards were magnificent. They acted as defenders never allowing their
backs to clear easily and kept the ball in their half for long periods.
"Today was a day when everything worked out for us and I'm delighted
for everyone involved. Last year we fell to Colmans in the final by a
point and we set our sights last September on today.
"There was going to be no repeat of what happened in Thurles this
time last year. We have the utmost respect for St Colmans as a hurling
college, but today is our day and what a performance to give in an
All-Ireland final," he said.
Rarely has this writer seen such a display of power, pace, hurling and
skill by an under age team. It was simply awesome. There was hardly a
weakness in Kierans and current Kilkenny senior coach Brian Cody could be
forgiven for chuckling to himself at the depth of hurling talent coming
through the schools in his county.
It would be difficult to pick out any one player for special mention, so
good was everyone of them. But the performance of full back John Tennyson
was absolutely flawless. In the air or on the ground, this powerfully built 6ft 3in youngster
completely blotted out the danger of Colmans captain Andrew O'Shaughnessy.
"We've our eye on him all right," said Cody. "He's a great
talent, and there are a couple more of them on that team that will make it
onto the county senior team in time," he said.
Cody's son Donncha, the Prendergast brothers Neal and David, son of former
Kilkenny stalwart Paddy, and Richie Power, son of another former great of
the same name, were other jewels in Kieran's crown.
With 12 of the team eligible for the minor grade, any county with designs
on Kilkenny's All-Ireland title at this level this year will have to think
again.
Colmans can have no complaints. Their cause wasn't helped by the loss of
regular defenders Conor Griffin and James Dorgan with injury, but it is
doubtful if the Fermoy college would have beaten Kierans had they been at
full strength, and their coach Denis Ring said as much.
"I had seen Kierans play three times in this year's championship and
in my 18 years involved in colleges hurling, I have never seen a team like
them," said Ring. Had we been at full strength it would only have meant we'd have been
a little more competitive. Kierans were in a different class today and
good luck to them," he said.
Backed by the very strong wind Kierans set about putting up a good score
and hurling with supreme confidence led 0-7 to 0-0 after 25 minutes before
O'Shaughnessy finally got the Fermoy college on the scoreboard with a
point a minute later.
Colman's defence, in particular full back Brian Lane, was coping well with
the enormous Kieran's pressure, and only the thickness of the crossbar
denied Richie Power a goal before disaster struck for the defending
champions.
Mark Cleary had come on as a blood sub for Seamus Stack but lasted barely
15 seconds after he flattened Kieran's Eamon O'Gorman. The referee had no
alternative but to red card the offender and it gave 14-man St Colmans a
mountain they were unable to climb in the second half.
Fergus Browne was sacrificed as Stack came back for the second half but
Kierans continued where they left off and when Eoin Reid's shot found the
net seconds after the resumption there was no way back for Colmans.
Kierans were rampant and there was little Colmans could do to stop them.
Only some superb defending by goalkeeper Denis Fitzgerald, who made one
magnificent double save, and full back Brian Lane prevented their side
from falling further behind. It was fitting that Fitzgerald should emerge as Colman's top scorer when
his free from his own 45-metre line went all the way to the Kieran's net,
but it was only a token score as the Kilkenny side finished with a
succession of points to run out comfortable winners of their 15th
All-Ireland colleges senior hurling title.
Scorers: St. Kierans: R. Power (0-3 frees), J. Fitzpatrick (0-2 frees) 0-4
each; E. Reid 1-0; D. O'Neill, M. Bergin 0-2 each; E. O'Gorman, J. Murphy,
M. Nolan 0-1 each.
St Colmans: D. Fitzgerald 1-0 (free); A. O'Shaughnessy 0-2; P. Kirby, P.
Kearney 0-1 each.
ST KIERANS: J. Connolly; D. Cody, J. Tennyson, N. Prendergast; P. Butler,
D. Prendergast, J. Walsh; J. Fitzpatrick, D. O'Neill; J. Murphy, E.
O'Gorman, R. Power; M. Nolan, E. Reid, M. Bergin. Subs. D. Bergin for
Murphy; K. Lanigan for M. Nolan; J. O'Farrell for Butler; S. Prendergast
for Power; J. Quaine for Bergin.
ST COLMANS: D. Fitzgerald; C. O'Connor, B. Lane, E. Condon; K. O'Mahony,
A. Kearney, J. O'Donnell; S. Stack, P. Cotter; P. Kearney, F. Brown, C.
Coakley; M. Allen, A. O'Shaughnessy, P. Kirby. Sub. S. Barrett for Cotter.
Referee: S. McMahon (Clare).
Match
Report Courtesy of Brendan Larkin (The Irish Examiner) |