By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 4
Birr: 1-23
Kinnitty: 0-13
Birr will feature in the final six of the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship as they booked their place in the knockout stages in with one round left to play and while the group is far from clear cut, they have done enough as they build in a bid to bring Sean Robbins back to Birr for the first time since 2008.
Played on Sunday afternoon last in Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr, this was a very good all round performance from the home side, with a win that really was never in any doubt.
With a round of games left to play, Birr will have to face off against the reigning champions Kilcormac/Killoughey in that final game. A win will see Birr stay in second position, but a loss will move them to third place, and if Coolderry beat Kinnitty the sides will be tied, but Birr will hold the upper hand and will go through on the head to head rule.
Either way Birr have done enough so far and they will certainly go into the KK knowing that they have a quarter final placing already secured.
For Kinnitty, it has been another though, hard slog. They are bottom of the group and with Coolderry to come. Win and they keep themselves out of a relegation battle, lose and they will face off against the bottom team in the other group in a bid to retain senior status for 2027.
Initially it was a close affair with Birr leaving the door open on a few occasions for their opponents and by the 18th minute there was only two between the sides 0-6 to 0-4 and Kinnitty were the one doing a lot of the pushing.
It was then, however that Birr started to come into their own. Ailbe Watkins was second to none up front from both placed balls and general play and with Barry Harding and Darragh Tierney also showing very well it wasn’t long until they finally clicked on the scoreboard.
By the half time break Birr had paved themselves into a seven point lead 0-12 to 0-5 and really there was no coming back for Kinnitty from there.
Ailbe Watkins had Birr off the mark with a minute on the clock after a well taken free. Birr doubled their lead a minute later with Luke Nolan pointing, but it wasn’t long until Kinnitty were on the board and with a brace from James Dempsey and Aodhan Kealey the sides were deadlocked.
Ailbe Watkins again and James Dempsey traded scores by the 11th minute, before Birr hit themselves into a two point lead 0-5 to 0-3 with scores from the very industrious Joe Ryan, while the second score came thanks to Morgan Watkins.
James Dempsey was keeping Kinnitty in touching distance, but they just couldn’t string two scores together and it was Birr who came at them again thanks to Darragh Tierney and Ailbe Watkins to see the gap stretch to three, 0-7 to 0-4 with nineteen played.
A nice score from Ruairc Fay brought it back to two, but that was remarkably to be their final score of the half and from there Birr upped the ante significantly.
Luke Nolan looked certain to be in for a goal when he tore through the heart of the Kinnitty defence and just as he went to pull the trigger Paddy Dooley came out of nowhere to hook him and advert the danger.
That really should have pushed Kinnitty on, but it was Birr who had more to offer and with scores from Ailbe Watkins (3), Barry Harding and Darragh Tierney, Birr were seven clear and in the driving seat. The half time scores reading 0-12 to 0-5.
Birr had more to come in the resumption and with a lovely and precise finish to the corner, Ailbe Watkins rose the green flag for the only goal of the game and really any chance of a comeback was definitely quashed for Kinnitty.
Morgan Watkins and Darragh Tierney added points, before Ruairc Fay finally hit over Kinntty’s sixth of the game the scores reading 1-14 to 0-6 with thirty seven on the clock.
Ailbe Watkins and Michael Dooley traded scores and the same player again Ailbe Watkins swapped the next one with Cathal Robinson, just before Odhran Kealey hit over this first of three frees for the half to bring the scores to 1-17 to 0-9.
Darragh Tierney and Joe Ryan added to their own personal tallies with two fine scores, as Ruairc Fay popped up at the other end with his third of the game.
Ailbe Watkins was on the mark again and just before Odhran Kealey landed two either side of a fine score from Barry Harding to bring the scores to 1-12 to 0-2 with fifty six played.
Barry Harding and Conor Hardiman were on the mark next. The Kinnitty Captain Hardiman with what was their final score.
Birr still had more time and it was their Captain Morgan Watkins who had the final say to bring the full time scores to 1-23 to 0-12.
The Scorers
Birr: Ailbe Watkins 1-10 (0-8 Frees), Darragh Tierney 0-4, Barry Harding 0-3, Morgan Watkins 0-3, Joe Ryan 0-2, Luke Nolan 0-1.
Kinnitty: James Dempsey 0-3 (All Frees), Ruairc Fay 0-3, Odhran Kealey 0-3 (All Frees) Aodhan Kealey 0-1, Michael Dooley 0-1, Cathal Robinson 0-1, Conor Hardiman 0-1.
The Teams
Birr: Adam Fitzgerald; Jimmy Irwin, Cormac Kenny, Campbell Boyd; Ben Miller, Padraic Watkins, Colm Mulrooney; Joe Ryan, Ian Kerin; Barry Harding, Luke Nolan, Morgan Watkins (Capt.); Darragh Tierney, Emmet Nolan, Ailbe Watkins.
Subs: Lochlainn Quinn for Emmet Nolan (46 mins), Sean Ryan for Ian Kerin (49 mins), Cian Nolan for Ben Miller (55 mins).
Kinnitty: Niall Corrigan; Michael Dooley, Paddy Rigney, Paddy Dooley; Conor Hardiman (Capt.), Shane Ryan, Paddy Delaney; Cathal Robinson, Danny Flanagan; Aodhan Kealey, William Molloy, Ruairc Fay; Noel Standish, James Dempsey, Thomas Leahy.
Subs: Conor Meaney for Paddy Dooley (35 mins), Jason Armstrong for Noel Standish (43 mins), Odhran Kealey for James Dempsey (43 mins), Christopher Leonard for Thomas Leahy (56 mins).
Referee: David McLoughlin (Shinrone)
By Offaly Secretary Sun 23rd Aug
