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Piltown bag first title on offer in the South
THIS South junior hurling league final in sunny Mullinavat was a frantic, uncomplicated, absorbing contest which kept the partisan crowd chewing what nails they possessed up to the final whistle.
Piltown 1-17
Kilmacow 1-10
Both sides had short periods of supremacy. In the final analysis it was the Piltown's take from their best spell that was the deciding factor.
Kilmacow rattled off four points inside the opening10 minutes. Piltown's only replied was a single point. Ten minutes later the winners were ahead by the odd point in nine, and now it was their turn to look impressive.
As both sides slugged it out toe-to-toe, and then some, the seminal score of the half arrived in the added time – a goal for Piltown.
Kilmacow were in the process of probably grabbing a levelling score before the break, but a noticeable sluggishness by one of the Kilmacow attackers led to the attack breaking down. The ball was pilfered and was slapped to the Kilmacoe end by corner-back, Michael Burchill. Mark Culleton won the dropping ball, fed Adam Murphy with an inch-perfect pass, and the speedmerchant raced goalwards before releasing a shot that Richie O'Neill could only snap at.
At half-time Piltown led by 1-7 to 0-5.
Reduced deficit
Mike Sweeney reduced the deficit with a smart pointed free within 60 seconds of the re-start. Within two minutes Paul Kirby and Mark Culleton had put six points between themselves and their neighbours. The tempo had risen. The exchanges were unforgiving. The intensity was bone crunching.
With the new half but a pup, Richie McNamara really poured petrol on the smouldering fire when he shot a great goal in the 35th minute. There was but a puck of a ball between the sides. Game on!
Both sides were guilty of some desperately poor shooting. Kilmacow were the greater culprits.
The Piltown half back line of John Brophy, Andrew McCarthy and James Phelan was an extremely tough barrier to break. McCarthy was inspirational, and some of the balls that were being bombed down on top of him only acted as grist to his millstone of a right hand.
Kilmacow just could not break the three-point differential no matter how hard they tried. On the odd occasion that the Piltown half back trio were pierced, Kevin Brophy, Brendan Norris and Michael Burchill were equal to whatever came through. At the 46th minute mark a Mikle Sweeney free left three points between the sides.
Stretched to four
Within a minute that had stretched to four. A monstrous free by McCarthy had it elasticaed still further by the 51st minute. Even though the 17-year-old Johnny Hayes crashed over a fine point in the 53rd minute, it was Piltown who finished the stronger with a plethora of points by Daniel Norris, Martin Power and Philly Kenny.
The first of the South titles are in the Piltown bag.
They won't be satisfied with that, but it will further boost their confidence in their own abilities and in the belief that their manager (Tom Duggan) is doing a huge amount of right things.
Scorers: Piltown - Paul Kirby (0-6, five frees); Adam Murphy (1-0); Martin Power (0-3); Daniel Norris (0-2); Andrew McCarthy (0-2, frees); John Brophy, Mark Culleton, Andrew Norris, Phil Kenny (0-1 each). Kilmacow - Mike Sweeney (0-5, frees); Richie McNamara (1-1); Paddy O'Keeffe, Luke Harney, Martin Tynan, John Hayes (0-1 each).
Piltown - James Norris, Brendan Norris, Kevin Brophy, Michael Burchill, John Brophy, Andrew Mc Carthy, James Phelan, Daniel Norris, Andrew Norris (capt), Mark Culleton, Shane Kinsella, Neil Kelly, Adam Murphy, Paul Kirby, Martin Power.
Sub - Phil Kenny.
Kilmacow - Richie O'Neill, Dean Power, Tom Reddy (capt), Andy Kearns, Denis Scully, Brian Fleming, Willie O'Toole, Martin Tynan, Luke Harney, Richard Walsh, Shane Gaule, John Hayes, Richie Mc Namara, Paddy O'Keeffe, Mike Sweeney.
Subs - Peter Mullally, Paul Kelly, Sean Ivory, John Daniels.
Referee - G. Quilty (Slieverue).
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Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
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