Kilkenny brushed past the challenge of Clare in the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Final with twelve points to spare.
Kilkenny 5-16
Clare 1-16
Venue: Semple Stadium
A six year gap was bridged on Saturday evening as Kilkenny were crowned All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Champions with their four goals crucial in overcoming a Clare side that started well but struggled to bounce back following the concession of the brace of green flags.
Played in front of an attendance of 1401, Kilkenny laid down an early marker as a challenge from Alan Murphy forced Shane Taylor to leave the field in the opening exchanges.
Clare built up a five point advantage with nine minutes on the clock. Midfielders David Conroy and Kevin Hehir pointed from distance while Clooney/Quin’s Ryan Taylor finished off a well-worked move with a goal.
Pat O’Grady’s Kilkenny responded in emphatic fashion with Luke Scanlon goaling on the next attack. Shane McGrath and Jack Langton traded points before an excellent overhead pull from John Walsh beat Daniel Vaughan in the Clare net.
Danny Russell pulled one back for the Banner but in the next attack Kilkenny punished a confused Clare back-line as Billy Ryan raised their third green flag of the contest. They added their fourth goal on the twenty fourth minute via Luke Scanlon.
Kevin Hehir and Shane McGrath kept Clare’s account ticking over but Nicky Cleere was on target with four frees to leave Kilkenny 4-05 1-07 ahead at the break.
Inagh/Kilnamona’s Jason McCarthy picked off the first score of the second half, he along with Shane McGrath were Clare’s only two scorers in the thirty minutes of the second half. Kilkenny maintained their dominance with Nicky Cleere, Billy Ryan, Alan Murphy, John Walsh and Jack Langton splitting the posts. A late goal from Walsh secured a twelve point victory for the Cats.
It is the fourth time Kilkenny have won the Intermediate title. They gave Clare very little room to manoeuvre up front and any chance that presented itself their natural instinct was to go for goal and that they did. Being reduced to fourteen men served to drive them on following the dismissal of Evan Cody. John Walsh, Conor Delaney and Luke Scanlon impressed for the victors.
This was a lesson for Clare as their players discovered how quickly a game can change. They went from leading by five points to trailing by three in the space of nine minutes. With time running out only four points separated the teams but Kilkenny powered ahead to win by twelve. Jason McCarthy and Kevin Hehir did best for the Banner.
Remarkably after shipping 3-23 to Waterford in the U21 Hurling Championship, Donal Moloney and his management opted to stick with five out of seven backs from that team. Their hesitancy at the back and poor communication proved costly as they fell to a heavy defeat in this outing.
Going forward Moloney and his management are correct in using this competition to trial players for the U21 championship but when others don’t grasp the chance in either championship they need to look further afield. Jason Loughnane, Cian Moloney and Mícheál O’Loughlin are three examples of players that received no game-time at U21 or Intermediate despite going well for their club.
Kilkenny: Aaron Duggan (Dicksboro); Evan Cody (Dicksboro), Tom Aylward (Mullinavat), Luke Hickey (James Stephens); Jason Cleere (Bennettsbridge), Conor Delaney (Erin’s Own), Geoff Brennan (St Patrick’s); Jack Langton (Clara) (0-02); Luke Scanlon (James Stephens) (2-01); Alan Murphy (Glenmore) (0-02 2f), Conor Tobin (Fenians), Richie Leahy (Bennettsbridge); Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan) (1-05), Nicky Cleere (Bennettsbridge) (0-05 4f), John Walsh (Mullinavat) (2-01). Subs: Sean Morrissey (Bennettsbridge) for Tobin (45), Jack McGrath (James Stephens) for Leahy (53), Shane Donnelly (St Lachtains) for Murphy (59).
Clare: Daniel Vaughan (Tulla); Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones na Sionnna), Eoin Quirke (Whitegate), Ciaran Cooney (O’Callaghans Mills); Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley), Shane Taylor (Broadford), Jason McCarthy (Inagh/Kilnamona) (0-02); David Conroy (St Josephs Doora/Barefield) (0-01), Kevin Hehir (Inagh/Kilnamona) (0-02); Oisin Donnellan (Feakle), Shane McGrath (Feakle) (0-10 7f), Daragh Corry (Tulla); Danny Russell (Éire Óg) (0-01), Michael O’Neill (Kilmaley), Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin) (1-00). Subs: Dara Walsh (Éire Óg) for S Taylor (01) (Inj), Eoin Enright (Kilmaley) for Hayes (32), Páraic O’Loughlin (Clonlara) for Donnellan (49).
Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)