AIB All-Ireland Club IHC Final
Thomastown 2-23 Castle Lions 0-13
Written by Paul Keene, at Croke Park
It certainly takes a lot of inspiration to win the AIB All-Ireland Club Intermediate hurling title, but Thomastown proved that sweat is a truly key quality.
This young team, brilliantly led by captain Stephen Donnelly who scored 2-3 and was named Man of the Match, left the question of whether such an opportunity even possible after back-to-back defeats in the county intermediate finals. It may not have been impossible to hold her.
In the 2019, 2020 and 2022 local finals, they lost once in a penalty shootout and the other in overtime. Even the great Henry Shefflin couldn’t lead them to the promised land when he took over his term in 2021.
But Noel Doherty has done just that this season, first leading the county to breakthrough success, then leading a totally determined and single-minded group of Thomastown players to state honors and now national honors. Ta.
To tell the truth, they never looked like they were going to lose in this final, and apart from a 10-minute wobble in the middle of the first half, they were always in the lead.
John Donnelly, who was in Kilkenny’s squad for the All-Ireland senior hurling final against Limerick last July, was also hugely influential, scoring four goals, with Robbie Donnelly leading the way with nine points from frees and placed balls. became.
Last year’s County under-20 players Luke Connellan and Zac Bay Hammond also made strong cameos, but the defense as a whole held them to just 0-13.
The defeat was tough for the Castle Lions, who have suffered a final setback in Cork for the past few seasons, but they finally clinched the Premier Intermediate title down south before defeating Munster.
Thomastown are the eighth Kilkenny team to win the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship and are set to make a big impact on the local senior scene.
With Niall O’Leary as their sweeper, Castle Lions tried to hold back Thomas Town’s attack and take advantage of the wide open spaces at the other end, where David Morrison and Anthony Spillane formed a two-man inside line.
The Cork and Munster champions struggled early on and didn’t score until the 14th minute when placed-ball guru Alan Fenton, their top scorer at 0-7, hit the post.
During that time, Thomastown appeared to have little trouble breaking through the Castle Lions defence, scoring five points, three from Robbie Donnelly and two from John Donnelly.
However, shooting was an issue for Thomastown, allowing the Castle Lions to fight back with six wide shots in a relatively short amount of time and seven in the first half.
Fenton took the lead for the Castle Lions, then O’Leary and Oscar Hallihan Parler scored from the left side, making the score two points from 0-5 to 0-3.
However, the lead was extremely close, and Thomastown finished the first half strong with two 3-pointers, leading 0-11 to 0-6 at the interval.
Both teams had goal chances in the first half. Stephen Donnelly was denied a goal in the 15th minute, while Castle Lions’ Anthony Spillane was denied twice. The first was a well-timed challenge from Peter Connellan, then goalkeeper Diarmuid Galway.
Former Kilkenny Under-20s Stephen Donnelly had a brief spell in the senior team under Brian Cody, but he eventually scored after the restart and it was a beautiful goal.
John Donnelly ran up the left flank and did some spade work before deftly passing the ball to Donnelly, who was in Acre’s space 20 meters out in the middle. The net expanded properly.
Moments later, as if to underline Thomastown’s depth of quality, Luke Connellan, last year’s Kilkenny Under-20s captain, set up the score by Zach Bay Hammond, last year’s Under-20s vice-captain. It was done.
It’s no surprise that Thomastown’s recent run of form has been built around talented young U-21 players, and their raw enthusiasm and fitness were evident throughout the second half.
In particular, they overwhelmed the Castle Lions with six consecutive points between the 40th and 47th minutes.
Robbie Donnelly’s first shot was only partially blocked, but Stephen Donnelly followed up from close range four minutes into the game to score the second goal.
thomastown scorers: Stephen Donnelly 2-3, J Robbie Donnelly 0-9 (0-5f, 0-2 65), John Donnelly 0-4, Luke Connellan 0-2, Jonjo Farrell 0-2, Peter McDonald 0-1, Jack Holden 0-1, Eddie Donnelly 0-1.
Castle Lions scorers: Alan Fenton 0-7 (0-2 65, 0-4f), Niall O’Leary 0-2, Colm Spillane 0-2, Oscar Hallihan 0-1, B. Murphy 0-1.
thomas town: Diarmuid Galway; Peter Connellan, Jay Burke, Ned Kirwan. Brian Stanton, Eddie Donnelly, Zach Bay Hammond. Peter McDonald, Jonjo Farrell. Robbie Donnelly, Luke Connellan, John Donnelly. Thomas O’Hanrahan, Jack Holden, Stephen Donnelly.
sub: Dylan Waugh (Holden, 52), David Prendergast (O’Hanrahan, 59), Richard O’Hara (Kirwan, 59), Alex Kass (Luke Connellan, 61), Brian O’Hanrahan (Bay Hammond, 61) )
castle lions: Jack Barry. Jamie O’Leary, Colm Barry, Dara Spillane. Niall O’Leary, Colm Spillane, Leo Sexton. Alan Fenton, James Carney. Barry Murphy, Keith O’Leary, Leon Doocy. David Morrison, Anthony Spillane, Oscar Hallihan.
sub: Colm McCarthy with Doocy 12, Shane Moloney with Joe O’Leary 49, Brian O’Donovan with Hallihan 53, Ronan Fenton with Morrison 53, Rob Feeney with K O’Leary 57.
referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).