National Hurling League Division 1A: Clare 0-19 Kilkenny 0-16
Clare lurched into life in the closing minutes of Sunday’s exciting if not exactly sparkling NHL Division 1A match at Cusack Park, Ennis.
After a second half that at times resembled a slow bicycle race, such was the inaccuracy of shooting, the home side clicked into decisively sharper form once Kilkenny had drawn level in the 65th minute.
Clare wore the county’s historic blue jerseys to commemorate GAA founder Michael Cusack and played competitively, seeing out the Leinster champions for a third win in the campaign, which has been conducted without two of their key forwards, the injured Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly.
In their absence, David Fitzgerald had another prolific afternoon, his five from play laying the foundation for the win.
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It was a strong Kilkenny line-up. This year’s captain Paddy Deegan returned after his O’Loughlin Gaels heroics – winning club player of the year on Friday night – and started at wing forward.
TJ Reid, also making a seasonal reappearance, announced his presence with a stream of nine converted frees but also threatened from play and it was his assist that set up John Donnelly for the team’s last score to equalise for only the second time in the second half.
In the 69th minute, a ruck in the Kilkenny half was eventually resolved with a throw-in that culminated in a high challenge. Aidan McCarthy, who had been settled on as the free taker after Mark Rodgers and Peter Duggan had each had a go, steered over the point for Clare to hit the front.
As if sensing the opportunity, Diarmuid Ryan and Duggan both took on long-range efforts in the 70th and 71st minutes, to stretch the lead to the final score. Kilkenny weren’t finished and a final, frantic attack saw half chances for Mikey Butler and TJ Reid and finally, thundering up from wing back on to the ricocheting ball, Shane Murphy, who drove his shot wide – sending home happy and relieved the preponderance of the 6,824 crowd.
Clare’s win was a welcome counterbalance to the last two All-Ireland semi-finals between the counties, both won by Kilkenny. Brian Lohan’s team have now assured themselves of a place in the league semi-finals later this month, regardless of their final match against Offaly.
The Clare manager has also used the opportunity to look at younger players, like Conor Leen, who had a lively tussle with Adrian Mullen before being withdrawn at half-time, and last year’s under-20s sharp shooter Keith Smyth who had a big impact, scoring two from play.
Eamonn Foudy became the third goalkeeper to get a shot in the current campaign and after the trauma of his championship outing against Tipperary last year, this was more encouraging: no goals conceded and a double save from Reid and Donnelly’s follow-up on the hour.
The manager’s nephew Darragh Lohan had an industrious game at centrefield. He’s a powerful runner and puts himself about, picking up a second yellow card in injury time.
Like their first match of the league against Cork, Clare struggled to put a reflective gloss on the scoreboard after a first half during which they had difficulties with converting frees. Mark Rodgers looked tired after a busy, few weeks and his radar went askew. Duggan missed his attempt, leaving Aidan McCarthy to answer the call and his accuracy yielded six converted frees.
Three times, Clare got the margin out to four but Kilkenny responded. The visitors had their own shooting problems, especially in the second half when even Reid missed a couple of frees. The veteran Ballyhale man had a decent re-entry to orbit and could well have had a goal, having received a pass from Mullen, who was on advantage in the 17th minute but referee James Owens awarded the free.
Captain Conor Cleary praised his forwards’ hard work in the second half for complicating Kilkenny’s movement from the back but Kilkenny always looked capable of conjuring something – at one stage in the first half, a cornered Cian Kenny without his hurl, managed to play the ball with his foot and get it out to Eoin Cody for a point.
Before half-time, Mullen had a chance on another advantage but hit it wide, allowing Reid cash in the free. It took two injury-time frees from McCarthy to send the home team in, a slender two points to the good, 0-11 to 0-9.
John Donnelly came in for the second half and scored three from play to supplement Reid’s frees.
It went down to the wire but the late Clare flourish got the job done.
Clare: E Foudy; P Flanagan, C Cleary (capt), A Hogan; D Ryan, J Conlon, C Leen (0-1); C Galvin, D Lohan; D Fitzgerald (0-5), D Reidy (0-1), P Duggan (0-2); M Rogers (0-1, one free), A McCarthy (0-6, six frees), K Smyth (0-2). Subs: S Morey for Leen (half-time), Rory Hayes for Hogan (39 mins), S Rynne for Conlon (46 mins), S Meehan for Rogers (61 mins), Ross Hayes for Flanagan (69 mins).
Kilkenny: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield (0-1), R Reid, S Murphy; D Corcoran, M Carey; A Mullen, TJ Reid (0-9, nine frees), P Deegan (0-2) (capt); C Kenny, E Cody (0-1), H Shine. Subs: C Buckley for Blanchfield (35-37 mins – temporary), J Donnelly (0-3) for R Reid (half-time), G Dunne for Shine (46 mins), T Clifford for Kenny (59 mins)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
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