Borris-Ileigh 0-16
Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-15

ANOTHER SIDE WHO suffered recent disappointment in the Tipperary senior hurling decider will get a shot at redemption this year after today’s semi-final action.

Borris-Ileigh, who lost out two years ago at the final hurdle, prevailed in the second semi-final clash to set up a novel final meeting with the 2016 beaten finalists Kiladangan.

It will provide Borris-Ileigh with an opportunity to end a 33-year wait for this silverware and they certainly showed the necessary resilience to get the job done in this contest.

The Johnny Kelly-coached side were hit hard by the dismissal of defender Liam Ryan entering the final quarter and shortly after Cian Darcy rifled over a free to draw the teams level at 0-10 apeice.

But Borris-Ileigh coped with their personnel disadvantage. The experience of All-Ireland winners Paddy Stapleton and Brendan Maher in the spine of their defence was crucial, Dan McCormack’s influence grew at midfield and most importantly of all, Borris-Ileigh had a towering attacking display from Conor Kenny.

He finished with 0-7 to his credit, all of those efforts registered from play and four of them after Borris-Ileigh were forced to operate with 14 men. Kenny shot Borris-Ileigh’s only scores from play in the opening period, weighing in with a brace of points. His final effort in the 59th minute was a sublime effort, fetching a puckout and lofting over a point from the sideline with a majestic strike.

That pushed Borris-Ileigh in front 0-15 to 0-13, Kilruane countered with a Darcy score, Brendan Maher smashed over a long-range free and a Justin Cahill effort concluded the scoring. Despite a pulsating period of injury-time that lasted over seven minutes, Kilruane could not draw level. It was a tough outcome for the Cloughjordan outfit, who had Eamonn O’Shea amongst their sideline coaching crew, as their wait for a first final appearance since 1986 goes on.

The first half was cagey stuff, pockmarked by poor shooting with 12 wides recorded between the two sides. Borris-Ileigh would have been glad to be only trailing narrowly at the break, 0-7 to 0-6, with late injury-time points from Kenny and Kevin Maher, courtesy of a free, pulling them closer.

Kilruane were in front 0-7 to 0-4 approaching the break with Darcy looking lively while further back senior star Niall O’Meara was prominent at centre-back and Tipperary’s All-Ireland U20 winning captain Craig Morgan was another impressive defender. They nearly grabbed a goal in the 7th minute but Kian O’Kelly drilled his shot against the butt of the upright. 

Borris-Ileigh hung in there during a difficult opening and then showed superb resolve to chisel out a victory that seals their berth in the final.

Scorers for Borris-Ileigh: Conor Kenny 0-7, Kevin Maher 0-5 (0-4f), Brendan Maher 0-2 (0-2f), Jerry Kelly (0-1 sideline), James ‘JD’ Devaney 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilruane MacDonaghs: Cian Darcy 0-7 (0-4f), Ray McLoughney (0-1f), Justin Cahill, Kieran Cahill 0-2 each, Conor Cleary, Niall O’Meara 0-1 each.

Borris-Ileigh

1. James McCormack

2. Seamus Burke
3. Paddy Stapleton
4. Liam Ryan

5. Sean McCormack (joint captain)
6. Brendan Maher
7. Ray McCormack

8. Tommy Ryan
9. Dan McCormack

12. Conor Kenny (joint captain)
11. Niall Kenny
14. Jerry Kelly

10. Kieran Maher
13. Kevin Maher
15. James ‘JD’ Devaney

Subs

18. Jack Hogan for Tommy Ryan (46)

Kilruane MacDonaghs

1. Seamus Hennessy

4. Craig Morgan
3. Jack Peters
2. Eoin Hogan

7. William Cleary
18. Darragh Peters
6. Niall O’Meara

5. Justin Cahill (captain)
9. Ray McLoughney

11. Thomas Cleary
15. Cian Darcy
10. Conor Cleary

8. Kieran Cahill
14. Brian O’Meara
12. Kian O’Kelly

Subs

17. Sean McAdams for Darcy (half-time)
15. Darcy for McAdams (38)
19. Mark O’Neill for Thomas Cleary (49)
17. McAdams for O’Kelly (54)
20. James Cleary for Kieran Cahill (62)

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels)

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