By: Kevin Corrigan
Molloy Environmental Systems Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final
Seir Kieran 2-15
Shinrone 1-15
(After extra time)
Behind by 1-14 to 1-11 in injury time at the end of normal time, Seir Kieran were on their way out but got one last chance when awarded a 21 metre free for a throw ball. Former county star Joe Bergin had to go for goal with 62 minutes on the clock and he duly blasted to the net to force an extra twenty minutes, even though both sides had time to get a late winner.
With rain never stopping for one second on the evening, extra time was the last thing anyone wanted but Seir Kieran took full advantage, adding four points with Shinrone adding just one. The game had a messy end for Shinrone, who were furious at the late free in that gave Seir Kieran the chance to force extra time. Goalkeeper Shane Sampson and sub Brian Loughnane were red carded after the final whistle for words they said to referee Adam Kinahan and it is possible that at least one other member of the club will be reported as well.
It was a pity that a teak tough, very keenly contested game should end in that manner as both sides deserve huge credit for the way they performed in such testing conditions. The hurling had been hard but fair and there were very few bad strokes in the game – if anything Seir Kieran had strayed closer to the line in general play, picking up four yellow cards compared to one for Shinrone, but there had been nothing out of the ordinary in it.
It was a great win for Seir Kieran, who also displayed tremendous resilience to beat Birr in the quarter-final and pure heart has got them through to the final, where they play Coolderry or Shamrocks. There is also plenty of hurling in them but they have serious fighting spirit.
Shinrone should look at themselves before they blame anyone else for this loss. Playing against the wind, they were the better team for much of the first half, leading by 1-4 to 0-2 after 11 minutes, Shane Sampson expertly converting an 11th minute penalty after James Morkan was fouled – he shaped up for a power strike but instead went low and placed his shot in close to Matthew Connors, hitting the ground a metre from the line.
Seir Kieran improved in the second quarter and would have been in bother had that five point gap remained at half time. They got their own penalty goal through Joe Bergin in the 23rd minute and it was all very neatly poised at half time, 1-9 each.
There was little between them in the second half but Shinrone had ample chances to have won the game. Eoin Egan pointed with the goal at his mercy in the 35th minute as the lead exchanged hands on a couple of occasions.
Seir Kieran didn’t score from the 42nd to the 62nd minutes and Shinrone really should have killed them off. The Clareen men just couldn’t find the range into the wind but Shinrone struggled to punish them, trying to fall rather than surge over the line.
They were 1-13 to 1-11 ahead after 51 minutes and Fionn Carney and Declan Cleary missed fairly straightforward chances to turn the screw. Seir Kieran also had misses before James Morkan put three in it with a minute of normal time to go.
Five minutes of injury time was played, justified as there had been a lengthy hold up for a Seir Kieran injury and they salvaged a draw in that.
Seir Kieran looked fitter in extra time and Shinrone were deflated after seeing victory slip from their grasp. They contributed to their own downfall in ways – Shinrone seniors are masters at the short passing game and these players are getting much of the same coaching but a lot of this broke down here and the conditions cried out for direct hurling.
Shinrone had three wides in the first period of extra time, Seir Kieran four before the winners were awarded a penalty when sub Aidan Scully was fouled in the 70th minute but Bergin blasted wide. Bergin made part amends with the only point of the first period in the 71st minute to send Seir Kieran in 2-12 to 1-14 ahead at half time.
Shinrone had ran their race and Seir Kieran did what the losers failed to do in normal time – they got four points ahead thanks to points from Joe Bergin (free), Joe Gilligan and Dermot Mooney and leave Shinrone needing two scores.
They almost got to a penalty shootout. Fionn Carney had a goal shot deflected out for a ’65’ in the 80th minute. Jason Dockery’s snap shot took a deflection and flew over the bar and Matthew Connors made a fine save from James Morkan as Seir Kieran hung on for dear life in injury time.
MATCH ANALYSIS
THE SCORERS
Seir Kieran: Joe Bergin 2-6 (1-0, penalty, 1-6 f), James Scully and Joe Gilligan 0-3 each, Dermot Mooney, Tom Carroll and Stephen Hynes 0-1 each.
Shinrone: Fionn Carney and James Morkan 0-3 each, Shane Sampson 1-0 (penalty), Darragh Cleary (f), Michael Cleary and Jason Dockery 0-2 each, Shane McKelvey, Declan Cleary Eoin Egan 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
SEIR KIERAN: Matthew Connors; Conor Walsh, Donal Coughlan, Brian Dunne; Sean Coughlan, Christopher Connors, Kevin Murray; James Scully, Dermot Mooney; Kyle Dooner, Joe Bergin, Joe Gilligan; Tom Carroll, Stephen Hynes, Declan Purcell. Subs – Aidan Scully for Dooner (57m), Packie Mulrooney for Dunne (74m).
SHINRONE: Shane Sampson; Colin O’Meara, Denis Coonan, Jack Ormond; Shane McKelvey, Darren Crean, Patrick Sammon; Seamus Hoctor, Declan Cleary; Darragh Cleary, Michael Clearey, Jason Dockery; Fionn Carney, Eoin Egan, James Morkan. Subs – Cian Maher for Hoctor (46m), Sam Younge fo Dockery (71m), Brian Loughnane for O’Meara (71m), Jason Dockery for Crean, inj. (74m), Conor O’Sullivan for Egan (75m).
STATISTICS
Wides: Shinrone – 13 (2 in first half, 6 in second half, 3 in first period of extra time, 2 in second period); Seir Kieran – 12 (4 in first half, 3 in second half, 4 in first period extra time, 1 in second period).
Yellow cards: Shinrone – 1 (Eoin Egan); Seir Kieran – 4 (Donal Coughlan, Sean Coughlan, Dermot Mooney, Aidan Scully).
Red cards: Seir Kieran – 0; Shinrone – 2 (Shane Sampson and Brian Loughnane)
By Offaly Secretary Sat 19th Sep
