Masita GAA All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Croke Cup final
St Kieran’s College (Kilkenny) 1-15
Thurles CBS (Tipperary) 1-12
Jackie Cahill reports from Semple Stadium
ST KIERAN’S are Croke Cup champions for a 20th time.
The Kilkenny city-based college retained their Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary schools ‘A’ Hurling title at Semple Stadium this afternoon, seeing off a dogged Thurles CBS by three points.
Thurles were within a point of St Kieran’s early in the second half but the winners had that little bit of extra craft required to get the job done.
A 1-5 haul from Ray Lahart proved crucial for St Kieran’s and it was Lahart who grabbed the crucial goal for the champions in the 18th minute, four minutes after Michael Connors had netted for Thurles.
Billy Ryan collected three points while Richie Leahy and Seán Morrissey hit two each for St Kieran’s, and although they hit some bad wides in the second-half, including three missed frees from Lahart, there was always a sense that Liam Smith’s charges could keep Thurles at arm’s length.
Connors finished with 1-2 for Thurles and Niall Heffernan hit five points, including four frees, but the Harty Cup winners were always playing catch-up after Lahart’s goal.
Right from the start, St Kieran’s looked sharper and they were 0-4 to 0-1 up before a flat Thurles were handed a boost.
Ronan Heffernan’s long ball in around the St Kieran’s goalmouth wasn’t dealt with by goalkeeper Adrian Mullen and Connors was on hand to find the net from 12 metres.
Niall Heffernan (free) and Leahy traded points before Lahart’s killer goal, superbly created by Billy Ryan, handed St Kieran’s the initiative.
Their biggest lead of the half was five points – 1-9 to 1-4 – but a run of three unanswered points had Thurles back in contention, following their best spell of the first half.
Lahart popped over a free in first-half stoppage time to hand St Kieran’s a three-point interval lead, 1-10 to 1-7, which was eaten into when Jack Skehan and Niall Heffernan (free), registered for Thurles after the break.
But St Kieran’s kicked on again with four unanswered points, including two from Lahart placed-balls.
Scores from Kevin Duggan and Connors provided 2009 Croke Cup winners Thurles with some hope of a revival, but after Heffernan missed a crucial free with five minutes left, Seán Morrissey popped over a final point for St Kieran’s.
Robbie Long whipped a vicious effort over the crossbar in stoppage time but St Kieran’s held out to cement their status as post primary schools specialists.
Scorers for St Kieran’s: R Lahart 1-5 (0-4f, 0-1 65), Billy Ryan 0-3, Richie Leahy & Seán Morrissey 0-2 each, Jason Byrne, Liam Blanchfield & Tadhg O’Dwyer 0-1 each.
Scorers for Thurles CBS: Michael Connors 1-2, Niall Heffernan 0-5 (4f), Jack Skehan, Ronan Heffernan, Billy McCarthy, Kevin Duggan & Robbie Long 0-1 each.
St Kieran’s:
1. Adrian Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
2. Michael Cody (Dunnamaggin)
3. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)
5. Jack Keoghan (Tullaroan)
4. Jonathan Barron (Thomastown)
6. Jason Cleere (Bennettsbridge)
7. Eoin Walsh (Lisdowney)
8. Jason Byrne (Clara)
9. Richie Leahy (Rower-Inistioge)
11. Seán Morrissey (Bennettsbridge)
10. Liam Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge)
12. Joe Connolly (Clara)
13. Ray Lahart (James Stephens)
14. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan)
15. Tadhg O’Dwyer (James Stephens)
Subs:
17. Eamonn Egan (Graigue-Ballycallan) for Barron (47)
22. Niall Walsh (Windgap) for Connolly (48)
21. Eoghan Kearney (Dunnamaggin) for T Walsh (inj, 57)
18. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan) for E Walsh (60+2)
Thurles CBS:
1. William Tierney (Thurles Sarsfields)
4. Jack Derby (Thurles Sarsfields)
3. Enda Heffernan (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
2. Dillion Quirke (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
7. Tom Hayes (Moycarkey-Borris)
6. Jack Skehan (Holycross-Ballycahill)
5. Christopher McCullagh (Moycarkey-Borris)
8. Ronan Heffernan (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
9. Cathal Moloney (Thurles Sarsfields)
10. Billy McCarthy (Thurles Sarsfields)
11. Kevin Duggan (Galmoy)
12. Niall Heffernan (Moycarkey-Borris)
14. Michael Connors (Drom & Inch)
15. Robbie Long (Drom & Inch)
14. Ronan Teehan (Gortnahoe-Glengoole, capt.)
Subs:
17. Paul Kennedy (Drom & Inch) for Moloney (39)
24. Brendan Kelly (Rathdowney-Erril) for Duggan (59)
18. Jack Butler (Upperchurch-Drombane) for R Heffernan (60+4)
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow).
- This article was first published on 4 April at 19.12pm
Liverpool will win with ease.
You won the village idiot award of the day already.
I don’t remember that.
You won a cuckoo clock
Nice to see Mata start again ahead of Lingard people will moan about Fellaini but was good in last two rounds.. My biggest worry is a sending off for him.
Do you think Mata will be gone next year if Jose shows up? I hope not.
Bleedin FA cup is turning into Super Bowl
It’s sad United used to win league titles and the champions league….they are happy trying to get 4th every season and winning the FA cup. Paul Scholes was right United have turned into Arsenal. #eraisover
Don’t worry don’t cry..
It’s been three season since United won last, get over yourself. No-one can stay at the top forever.
What makes you say they are happy. United fans are furious at the drop in form over the last 4 years
Classic clattenburg cock up there, how is he considered the best ref right now?
Ya he’s a disgrace, bottled sending cabaye and Delaney off. Going out to injury players is an utter disgrace . He had no problem throwing around yellows cards for hand bags but ignores leg breakers.
Palace will feel very aggrieved with that decision. Poor refereeing from Clattenberg.
You pop up infrequently but ref decisions go for or against in every game. Reality is United fans would prefer 4th over FA, just like Liverpool. Ye will do well under Klopp and you know that.
C’mon Palace!
Haha GGMU
Scottish Cup Final 3-2 Hibernian beat Rangers, one of the best games of football I have seen for years even considering it was Scottish football
The pitch invasion after was even better….hup the Hibees!
Disallowed goal. Answers on a postcard please.
Pardew should have a good interview if they lose….
I’m hoping for a 2-1 win for United. I can’t see Palace making it as comfortable for United as they did at Old Trafford in April.
Martin Keown is the worst commentator
Ever !
Woohoo. Deserved win.
United are so boring to watch. Awful first half from a neutral perspective
From a neutral point of view I was looking forward to both games today. Scottish cup was brilliant, this has been really poor. Clattenberg is a wab.
Commiserations to Crystal Palace. Worthy finalists, and it could have gone either way. Congrats to Man United.
Please not another 30 mins.. #Dire
Do you not realise that you can change the channel.
Get in thereeeeeeeeee !!!!!
Ah christ Fellaini starts :-(
At least he’s not playing as a striker or attacking mid…
He’s good for a few peoples elbows.
He’ll properly score then
LVG OUT.
#Moyes in.
He gone now
Expect Man Utd to win, LvG did steady the ship towards the end and looked better, just do not know which Palace team will show up……
How did he? They fooked fourth place away…
A top 4 finished was thrown away long before the last few games , that last few just made it still mathematically possible
4th was being fooked away by Man City… You do actually follow what happens, right?
They fooked away a lot more then fourth place, you do actually follow what happens?
So, you gave up on your original comment? You do follow what you are saying, right?
How am I!!? Utd did fook away fourth place but previously city fooked away any chance they had of winning the league. So again, do you follow it at all??
Fooking hell lads
He properly saw van Goals tactics
PUNCHEON!!!!!
Great win for Hibs!
Damian Delaney was outstanding.Martin O’Neill, please ask Damian to play for Ireland, ignore Keane, he won’t refuse.
It’s o Neill that has the problem with him
I was of the option that Delaney had a problem with Keane since Ipswitch.
Ya he did have a falling out with Keane at Ipswich, but he was asked about it before and said’ its not Roy who had the problem with me at all ‘. There was talk that he would only come back if he was guaranteed a start. O Neill told him where to go
Will take it and be glad of a cup. Springboard for better things hopefully.
What sort of a dirtbag , takes off his club shirt and throws it on the ground after scoring, the mind boggles .
Yours would !
…….
disgraceful scenes.
oops wrong article
Just some prlck lads, move along.
Well done to Palace , a great game best final in years
It was a terrible game. What you talking about Willis
Someone tell who the second commentator on TV3 is!! It’s driving me mad
Welsh hippy we did enjoy that .
Great win , great week for United fans
Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh
Years ago winning the fa cup meant something unfortunately not nowadays…
Fellaini for man of the match!