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| Gerry Lifts The All - Ireland Cup |
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All Ireland
Intermediate Hurling
Champions
2004
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All-Ireland Final
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March 28th, 2005
Semple Stadium, Thurles
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Kildangan 2 - 13
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Carrickshock 1 - 13
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( Kilkenny )
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©seanfay2005
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March 29th 2005
IRISH EXAMINER MATCH REPORT
Kildangan snatch victory from jaws of defeat
Kildangan 2-13
(Tipperary)
Carrickshock 1-13
(Kilkenny)
By Diarmuid O Flynn
YESTERDAYS All-Ireland Intermediate club hurling final can surely rank with any of the great days in Thurles.
What drama, what courage, what a way for an All-Ireland title to be won (not lost), but most of all, what a fantastic
advert for the game of hurling.
A minute into injury-time and a goal down, Kildangan's hero, centre-back Dan Hackett, had been flung forward to attack
in a last desperate measure. He was then stretchered off with an ankle break and it all looked over for the Tipperary champions.
Yet fantastically, defying the odds, in a frantic additional six minutes, Kildangan turned this game upside down, notched
2-1 to a point for Carrickshock, and snatched glorious victory from the jaws of bitter defeat.
Corner-forward Conor Hayes, substituted earlier but brought back into the game to replace the unfortunate Hackett, had
the lead role in the comeback. He set up the first of the two injury-time goals, the rebound from his shot falling kindly
for Darragh Egan in the third minute of injury-time.
Three minutes later, after a clever overhead flick by Egan that put him clear in front of goal, Hayes struck again and
gave Hoyne no chance.
Central to all this good late work also was another Kildangan substitute, the pacy Sean Gleeson. It was all terribly unfair
on Carrickshock of course, who contributed so much to a game that started at pace and never let up.
After a ding-dong first half in which there was never more than two points between them, Carrickshock led at the break
by a single point, 1-6 to 0-8, their goal coming in the 22nd minute courtesy of Kilkenny senior star Richie Power, who soared
to grab a long John Dalton free and goal from about five metres.
Wing-forward Patrick Lynch had three classic points for Kildangan in that period, with corner-forward Darragh Egan adding
four more from frees and Jamie Power and Pat Farrell doing most of the damage at the other end, Richie Power far more involved
when shifted to centre-forward.
The second-half was just as tight an affair as the first, the hurling still of the highest standard as both sides fought
for a decisive lead.
From the 43rd minute however, the Kilkenny champions began to shade that battle, the Kildangan attack held in a choke-hold
by an increasingly mean Carrickshock defence, John Tennyson particularly dominant.
At that point Kildangan were ahead 0-12 to 1-8, but four unanswered points saw that lead change hands, 1-12 to 0-12 for
Carrickshock, entering the closing minutes.
Significantly, Carrickshock lost Tennyson from the edge of the square at around that time, a shoulder injury necessitating
a move to wing-back, unblocking what had been an impregnable route to goal.
Then came injury-time on a glory day for Kildangan and for hurling.
Scorers Kildangan: D. Egan 1-6 (0-5 frees); P. Lynch 0-3; C. Hayes 1-0; T. Connors 0-2; H. Flannery, L.K. Flannery, 0-1 each.
Carrickshock: R. Power 1-3 (0-1 free); J. Moran 0-3; J. Power 0-3; P. Farrell 0-2; M. Rice, J. Dalton, 0-1 each.
KILDANGAN: D. Hogan; B. Lawlor, L. Kelly, M. Ryan; K. Hogan, D. Hackett, G. Slattery (c); B. Kelly, T. Connors; P. Lynch,
H. Flannery, J. Maher; D. Egan, E. Nolan, C. Hayes. Subs: L.K. Flannery (Maher 25); B. McLoughlin (Nolan 30); J. Slattery
(Hayes 42); S. Gleeson (McLoughlin 56); C. Hayes (Hackett, inj. 62).
CARRICKSHOCK: B. Hoyne; M. Rohan, J. Tennyson, P. Barron; P. Dalton, J. Dalton, J. Murphy; S. Power, P. Tennyson; R. Power,
P. Cleary, P. Farrell; J. Power (c), M. Rice, S. Gibbons. Subs: J. Moran (Cleary 21); M. Rohan (S. Power 30+1); R. Frisby
(P. Dalton 40); D. Millea (P. Tennyson 53).
Referee: M. Haverty (Galway).
All - Ireland Final
Kildangan show late in All-Ireland thriller
A dramatic ending to an enigmatic contest and a wonderful way to win an All-Ireland.
What took place on Easter Monday bordered on incredulity, as Kildangan became the first team to win the inaugural club
All-Ireland Club Intermediate Hurling Final after a well contest affair against Carrickshock in Semple Stadium on Easter Monday.
It had been an excellent game of hurling between two sides that plied their trade in their respective Intermediate championships
in 2004. With two minutes to go, the Kilkenny champions led by a goal and the referee signalled that there would be three
minutes of added time. Then a tackle by Kildangans Dan Hackett who had ventured forward in search of a goal saw the centre
back fell awkwardly and break his ankle. It was a break that was apparently visible to the sizeable crowd in the Old Stand.
In injury time, on came Conor Hayes, who had been substituted 20 minutes earlier and the game resumed. Within a minute
a high ball on top of the Carrickshock full back line broke to Hayes and the corner forwards shot was saved before coming
off a Kilkenny defender and into the back of the net to level the scores. Then in the 65th minute with the game standing on
a knife-edge and much to the excitement of the crowd Tommy Connors was fed a handpass by Sean Gleeson. The midfielder then
set off on a run along the left wing before striking the sliotar between the posts to give the North Tipperary parish a one-point
advantage.
Then another highball reigning down on the Carrickshock full back line was somehow diverted across from the left corner
by Egan to the unmarked Hayes standing 14 yards out. The corner forward caught the sliotar with an unstoppable first time
strike to guarantee that this All-Ireland title would be heading back to Puckane.
It had been a glorious end to a glorious game for Kildangan.
The first half had started brightly and after 10 minutes Kildangan led by two points. A Hugh Flannery point and been added
to with a brace of frees from Darragh Egan and two majestic points from wing forward Pat Lynch. The first of which had seen
the wing forward field a puck-out from Dermot Hogan before pointing and the second saw Lynch hit over from the right touchline.
The opening period had seen the Tipperary side on top but after nearly 20 minutes Carrickshock moved Kilkenny senior panellist
Ritchie Power into centre forward to more telling effect. Two minutes later a long range free from John Dalton was plucked
out of the air by Power who instantly rifled to the net to give his side a one-point lead. Almost immediately Power sidestepped
a Kildangan challenge and directed a shot from 60 yards straight between the posts.
The Kildangan bench responded to the score by introducing Liam Karl Flannery, who missed the semi-final with a knee injury,
at wing forward and he made an immediate impression on the game, when he was pulled down for a free that Egan put between
the posts. Carrickshock captain Jamie Power got his second point of the half, just before the break to restore their two point
margin that was cut down to a single score when Flannery was again fouled and Egan hit over from placed ball.
The second half took up where the first half left off as the sides continued on their epic battle. A Darragh Egan point
five minutes in was replied to when James Moran drove over. Then Liam Karl Flannery hit a wonderful score from 50 yards after
catching a long clearance to again level the scores. With 20 minutes to go Kildangan took the lead when Egan pointed another
free but within a minute the sides were again on even terms when Jamie Power was set up by his brother Ritchie who shot between
the uprights.
Kildangan then retook the lead when Pat Lynch with some quick thinking hit a long range free to the unmarked Connors who
powered over but within a minute the sides were level once again when a deflected free from Jamie power was caught 14 yards
out by Ritchie Power and Kilkenny star buried the sliotar low over the bar when maybe he should have shot for a goal.
Both sides were then guilty of missing a multitude of chances as the pace of the game began to take its toll on the players
and the game was interrupted with a barrage of substitutions on both sides. Carrickshock centre-back John Dalton went on a
surging run and finished with a point. This was added to when Ritchie Power hit a long range free over the bar. Indeed, with
three minutes of normal time remaining Moran scored again for the Kilkenny side to give them a three-point advantage.
The dramatics that followed he be remembered for a long time by all who were in Thurles to witness the excitement.
In the parish of Kildangan it might never be forgotten.
Scorers:
Kildangan:
D Egan 0-6, C Hayes 1-0, P Lynch 0-3, T Connors 0-2, L K Flannery, H Flannery 0-1 each.
Carrickshock:
R Power 1-3, J Power 0-3, J Moran 0-3, P Farrell 0-2, M Rice, J Dalton 0-1 each.
Kildangan: D Hogan; B Lawlor, L Kelly, M Ryan; K Hogan, D Hackett, G Slattery,B Kelly, T Connors; P Lynch, H Flannery,
J Maher; D Egan, E Nolan, C Hayes.
Subs: L K Flannery for J Maher (25 min), B McLoughlin for Nolan (H-T), J Slattery for C Hayes (42 min), S Gleeson for
McLoughlin (55 min), C Hayes for Hackett (61 min).
Carrickshock: B Hoyne; M Rohan, J Tennyson, P Barron;
P Dalton, J Dalton, J Murphy; S Power, P Tennyson; R Power, P Cleary, P Farrell; J Power, M Rice, S Gibbons.
Subs: J Moran for Cleary (19 min), M Rohan for S Power (30 min), R Frisby for P Dalton (40 min), D Millea for P Tennyson
(53 min).
Referee: M Haverty (Galway)
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