O’Loughlin Gaels 2-15
Ballyhale Shamrocks 2-13
Club All-Ireland champions Ballyhale Shamrocks have been sent crashing out of the Kilkenny senior hurling championship.
The Shamrocks were undone as goals in either half from Mark Bergin and Mark Kelly saw O’Loughlin Gaels end their reign in Nowlan Park today.
The city side were full value for their win as they led for practically all of the match. Led by Mark Bergin (0-4), they took control in the first quarter.
It looked like the Shamrocks would click into gear when Henry Shefflin brought his side to within a point of the leaders by the 24th minute but Bergin shot the perfect response, squeezing the sliotar home from the tightest of angles after a great pass from Danny Loughnane.
That goal helped O’Loughlins go in with the lead at half-time (1-7 to 0-7), but by the 41st minute Ballyhale had edged in front (0-12 to 1-8), with Shefflin again leading the way.
The game turned back the city side’s way after that, as they shot five of the next six points — Bergin got four — before Mark Kelly finished a swift team move with a goal from close range.
Although six points clear, O’Loughlins couldn’t relax. T.J. Reid brought his side right back into the reckoning with a poacher’s goal on 58 minutes.
David Burke and Jack Nolan replied with points, but O’Loughlins had to work until the final whistle after Bob Aylward’s injury-time goal left just two points between the sides.
Scorers for O’Loughlin Gaels: Mark Bergin (1-9, 0-6 frees), Mark Kelly (1-1), Martin Comerford (0-3), David Burke and Jack Nolan (0-1).
Scorers for Ballyhale Shamrocks: Henry Shefflin (0-8, 0-6 frees), TJ Reid, (1-2, 0-1 free), Bob Aylward (1-0), James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick, Colin Fennelly, Mark Aylward (0-1 each).
O’Loughlin Gaels
1. Stephen Murphy
2. Anthony Forristal
3. Andy Kearns
4. Eddie Kearns
5. Huw Lawlor
6. Brian Hogan
7. Paddy Deegan
8. Mark Bergin
9. Shane Mahoney
10. David Burke
11. Eoghan Grant
12. Martin Comerford
13. Sammy Johnson
14. Danny Loughnane
15. Mark Kelly
Subs
19. Jack Nolan for Mahoney (26)
18. Conor Bergin for Johnson (35)
Ballyhale Shamrocks
1. Richie Reid
2. Keith Nolan
3. Joey Holden
4. Alan Cuddihy
5. Paul Shefflin
6. Michael Fennelly
7. Padraig Holden
8. Ronan Corcoran
9. David Hoyne
10. James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick
11. Aidan Cummins
12. TJ Reid
13. Henry Shefflin
14. Colin Fennelly
15. Mark Aylward
Subs
29. Eoin Reid for Cummins (22)
20. Brian Cody for M. Aylward (54)
17. Bob Aylward for Hoyne (56)
Clara 1-23
Mullinavat 0-14
An impressive string of first-half scores helped Clara ease past Mullinavat and reach the Kilkenny senior hurling final this afternoon.
That burst of nine unanswered points, picked off between the sixth and 19th minutes, told most of the story as they fashioned a lead they would not lose.
Showing great control in the middle third, Clara’s pace allowed them to create room in which to cause havoc. David Langton, Liam Ryan (2), Lester Ryan (2), John Murphy, Conor O’Shea (2) and Keith Hogan were all on target as Clara’s purple patch left them seven clear of Mullinavat by the 19th minute (0-10 to 0-3).
The remainder of the half didn’t get much better for the ’Vat, as Lester and Liam Ryan added points to stretch Clara’s lead into double figures (0-15 to 0-5).
Mullinavat tried to raise their game in the second-half, but Clara weren’t about to cough up their big advantage.
Led by Mark Mansfield and Joe Gahan, Mullinavat did get to within eight points at one stage, but Liam Ryan (2), Keith Hogan and Jason Byrne fired back with a barrage of points before Hogan’s 50th-minute goal settled it well before the final whistle.
Scorers for Clara: Keith Hogan (1-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 65), Liam Ryan and Lester Ryan (0-6 each), John Murphy, Conor O’Shea (0-2 each), David Langton, Jason Byrne (0-1 each).
Scorers for Mullinavat: Mark Mansfield (0-8, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65, 0-1 sideline), Joe Gahan (0-2), Ian Duggan, Willie O’Dwyer, Ger Malone, Mikie Jones (0-1 each).
Clara
1. Killian Phelan
2. Dermot Nolan
3. Shane Prendergast
4. Sean O’Shea
5. Neal Prendergast
6. John Phelan
7. David Langton
8. Lester Ryan
9. Jack Langton
10. Conor O’Shea
11. Keith Hogan
12. Jason Byrne
13. Liam Ryan
14. Chris Bolger
15. John Murphy
Subs
18. Ciaran Prendergast for J. Phelan (52)
33. Eoin O’Shea for S. O’Shea (59)
19. Ben Nolan for Bolger (59)
25. Joe Connolly for Murphy (59)
Mullinavat
1. James Culleton
2. Joe Fennelly
3. Robert Malone
4. Simon Aylward
5. Padraig Gahan
6. Liam Fennelly
7. Brian Phelan
8. Dinny Butler
9. Mark Mansfield
10. Ian Duggan
11. Joe Gahan
12. Michael Malone
13. Jamie Fennelly
14. Willie O’Dwyer
15. Ger Malone
Subs
20. Adam Mansfield for Butler (45)
19. Mikie Jones for O’Dwyer (45)
Despite the set piece malfunctions, and errors, they were a ball placement away from a qf….against a kiwi side playing at their best for quite sometime.
Squad reshuffle could be exciting with some very good prospects – it’s been a great 2yrs.
@Dean Harper: kelleher should have busted Barrett out of his way ffs
@Gary Galligan: Recurring issue with Leinster and Ireland. Genuinely wonder if they’re aware the laws have changed. Ireland need to tighten up in a few areas up front in the next few years
@Andrew Martin Farrell: rob herring would have scored
Had they got through the quarter final we were into the finals as the championship is totally unbalanced. Very proud of what we achieved. The French exit puts it into perspective. Great Irish team it was close margins amongst top 4 teams. Screw up by World Rugby.
@Con Cussed: How do you expect to beat these guys in a final when you can’t beat them in a quarter final. I’m sick of listening to this draw was against us nonsense. If we can’t beat them in quarters, forget about it.
@Ray Ridge: Gowl
@Ray Ridge: You are as thick as a train sleeper
Well said, Jack.
So – Ireland got beaten by NZ who got beaten by France who got beaten by SA who got beaten by Ireland.
We aren’t too far away, nobody is taking us lightly anymore. The days of 30/40 pt hidings are over.
If you said in the 90s through to 2016….people would be cheesed off losing to nz by 4pts in an Ave performance…they’d have sectioned you.
Certainly no time for complacency but there are a lot if building blocks in place for continued growth.
@Dean Harper: still not passed a RWC quarter final though.. Bottom line. And so many rugby fans snearing at the Football Teams Loss on Friday night… A Football team that has been to the Last 8 of a World Cup of 140 teams, and a semi-Final of a Euros consisting of 30 teams.. Enough of that nonsense now after this one.
@Nigel O’Neill: It’s actually 210 teams that participate in the Football World Cup and 55 teams in the Euros. Let’s face it the only reason Ireland are seen as a big team in rugby is that hardly anybody else plays the sports. Most of the world is actually completely unaware that this so called Rugby World Cup is on.
Very very articulately put by classy Conan. We have had a ball this last two years in truth. The best in Irish Rugby history. We would do well to remember that. We have never had it so good. It has been class. Truly class.
Farrell out and O Gara in before the French get him.
@Daratheprofessional 1: .I don’t think IRFU will be sacking the best coach we ever had. That high praise comes from the mouths of our best ever players like Sexton and POM.
@Tom Reilly: Couldn’t agree more, every one of the players has praised Faz over and over, constantly stating it was the best setup that they had ever been involved with. Hopefully he will stay and start bringing through the next generation.
@Daratheprofessional 1: O’Gara wouldn’t have an open cheque book with Ireland like he has with La Rochelle to buy the best team he can. It’s madness to think he’d be anywhere near Farrells level as a coach. I’m sure he should be in a few years time but he’s not there yet. I think it’s a change in forwards coach we need more than anything. The lineout has been a disaster for a while now and the scrum was badly exposed by NZ. Maybe going straight to international level coaching for Paul O’Connell was too much of a step. Would he have been better off doing a few years with a province or foreign club team first to get experience?
@Joseph Deegan: Our line out has been great thanks to Paul O’Connell. Like all aspects of the game it can have a down day. Don’t throw the baby out with the water!
@Con Cussed: It’s a long time since the lineout was all great. It’s been well flagged by us mere mortal supporters for long enough so certainly it would be well studied and targeted by the coaches and rugby brains of all our opponents. Look at Andy Farrell’s bollicking of Paul O’Connell at half time in the SA match.
Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of mistakes by backs too, missed tackles, wayward passes etc. but the lineout is a major problem for a long time.
@Tom Reilly: If players like Ross Byrne were asked, would it be so positive, fine asking guys that played more or less every minute, they will always be happy.
@Daratheprofessional 1: clueless