Kilkenny IHC Final- Rampant Thomastown surge to overdue Intermediate Championship success

A rampant Thomastown produced a magical performance as they ended their final agony in overcoming Mooncoin in the Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai IHC decider in UPMC Nowlan Park.

The Noel Doherty managed 'Town were appearing in their fourth final in five years and they firmly put an end to recent defeats at the hands of Danesfort, Tullaroan and Lisdowney as they celebrate a first title at the grade since 1983.

Stephen Donnelly was the undoubted start of the show as he scored 1-8 of which every score came from play but as has been all the case all season, the scores came from all over the pitch for Thomastown.

Thomastown started the game as the warmest of favourites and they made that superiority count right from the off as they raced three points clear and while Mooncoin replied with a Ciaran Quilty effort, it wasn't long before the winners continued to dominate.

By the halfway mark of the half it was 0-8 to 0-1 in favour of the Grennan men as nerves and careless mistakes on the Mooncoin side resulted in the big deficit on the scoreboard.

Any hope of Mooncoin mounting a comeback all but disappeared before the break when a long delivery from Brian Staunton found Jack Holden who then offloaded to captain Stephen Donnelly and he buried the shot to the net.

Holden, Stephen Donnelly, John Donnelly and Luke Connellan all added further points before the break as Thomastown led 1-15 to 0-5.

The relentlessness of the winners continued after the break and while Mooncoin kept at it with the likes of Adam Croke, Martin O'Neill and James Delahunty tapping over scores, they were much the second best on the afternoon.

This was Thomastown's day though and it was exhibition stuff by them at times and for the first time since 1989, they will play at the top tier of Kilkenny hurling next term.

Before that there is the Leinster Championship which begins away to Cloughbawn of Wexford in three weeks time and on this showing they will be hard stopped in that competition.

Teams and Scorers

Thomastown: Stephen Donnelly (1-8), John Donnelly (0-6), Robbie Donnelly (0-5, 0-5f), Luke Connellan (0-4), Thomas O'Hanrahan, Jack Holden (0-2 each), Johnny Barron (0-1)

Mooncoin: Pa Walsh (0-4, 0-4f), Adam Croke (0-4), Paul Henebery (0-3, 0-3f), Martin O'Neill, James Delahunty (0-2 each), Sean Gannon, Ciaran Quilty (0-1 each)

Thomastown: Diarmuid Galway; Peter Connellan, Jay Burke, Ned Kirwan; Brian O'Hanrahan, Eddie Donnelly, Brian Staunton; Peter McDonald, Jonjo Farrell; Robbie Donnelly, John Donnelly, Luke Connellan; Thomas O'Hanrahan, Jack Holden, Stephen Donnelly.

Subs: Rory Connellan for T O'Hanrahan 51 mins, Dylan Waugh for R.Donnelly 55 mins, Richard O'Hara for Holden 57 mins, David Prendergast for P.Connellan 58 mins, Johnny Barron for B O'Hanrahan 58 mins.

Mooncoin: Eoin Purcell; Niall Madden, Aidan Doyle, Ryan Carroll; Cormac Daly, Paul Henebery, Martin O'Neill; Mark Kearns, Killian Hogan; Ciaran Quilty, Sean Gannon, Adam Croke; Sean O'Dwyer, Pa Walsh, Kevin Crowley.

Subs: James Delahunty for Daly h-t, Liam Hogan for O'Dwyer 40 mins, Stephen Wall for Crowley 43 mins, Stephen Crowley for Kearns 57 mins, Cormac Kinsella for Carroll 58 mins.

Referee: Raymond Byrne