’Vat oust Tullogher to retain senior football title

Mullinavat retained their Kilkenny senior football league title with a three-point victory over Southern neighbours Tullogher-Rosbercon at the MW Hire training centre, Dunmore on Sunday.

While this final, played in perfect spring conditions, was always well contested, the football was often average throughout the afternoon, but was still always interesting, as there was never much between the sides throughout.

This was Mullinavat’s fourth victory in the senior football league, a competition that started in 1985, but not always completed over the years.

The others were in 2005, 2010 and 2022.

Tullogher-Rosbercon were making their first senior league final appearance, a sign of a rebirth of the ‘big ball’ game, in an area of the county where football once dominated.

Tullogher-Rosbercon took advantage of early Mullinavat sloppiness in the attack with three unanswered points from Cian O’Donoghue, two from frees, sandwiching a point from play by the same player, after a blocked goal chance.

Mullinavat got off the mark on 14 minutes with a goal from a James Culleton penalty, this after Ger Malone was fouled close in.

Points from Ian Duggan (18 minutes) and Liam Fennelly (21 minutes) put the ‘Rod Iron’ boys 1-2 to 0-3 ahead.

Similar minor scores from Niall Mooney (23 minutes) and a Conor O’Donoghue free, meant it was all square at the interval, 0-5 to 1-2.

Two early second half points from an Ian Duggan free, and a Mikey Jones score following a Liam Fennelly pass, got Mullinavat two clear.

Mullinavat now looked like they were going to move through the gears, Darren Kenneally had a close-in goal chance saved, before Tom Aylward did raise a green flag, this after good work by Ger Malone and Liam Fennelly (2-4 to 0-5).

To their credit Tullogher-Rosbercon battled back quickly, and knocked over three points in a row with scores from Cian O’Donoghue (free), Donnacha O’Connor with the best point of the game from distance, and Cian O’Donoghue again, this from play (0-8 to 2-4).

Ian Duggan (M) and O’Donoghue (TR) exchanged frees between the 46th and 48th minutes.

Two further frees from Ian Duggan restored a Mullinavat four point lead (2-7 to 0-9) but it was Tullogher who finished strongest with Danny Glennon pointing from play and a half chance of an equalising goal was blocked before the finish.

Best for Mullinavat were Simon and Tom Aylward, Ger Malone and Ian Duggan from frees.

Cian O’Donoghue was Tullogher’s main man in attack, whilst Pat Hartley, James Lyng, Tarek O’Connor and Danny Glennon were others who tried hard.

Teams & Scorers

Mullinavat - Ian Duggan (0-5, all frees); Tom Aylward, James Culleton (1-0 each); Mikey Jones, Liam Fennelly (0-1 each).

Tullogher-Rosbercon - Cian O’Donoghue (0-7, 0-5 frees); Donnacha O’Connor, Niall Mooney, Danny Glennon (0-1 each).

Mullinavat - Mark McNamara; Mikey Jones, Joe Fennelly, Ian Mansfield; Simon Aylward (captain), Shane Kelly, Darren Kenneally; Tom Aylward, Ger Malone; Conor Duggan, James Culleton, Ian Duggan; Fiachra Knox, Liam Fennelly, Sean Fitzpatrick.

Subs: Michael Walsh for Conor Duggan, Conor Power for Sean Fitzpatrick.

Tullogher-Rosbercon - Eoin Ryan; Lar Murphy, Sean Murray, Niall O’Shea; Jamie Lyng, Jason Shiely (captain), Tarek O’Connor; Pat Hartley, Donnacha O’Connor; Cian O’Donoghue, Conor Hennessy, Michael Handrick; Niall Mooney, Danny Glennon, Cathal Mooney.