Kilkenny IHL- Rower Inistioge get season up and running with win over Carrickshock

The Rower-Inistioge are off the mark in this year’s intermediate league after seeing off Carrickshock at a sunny Mullinavat on Saturday evening.

Helped by an early goal from Eddie Prendergast, Rower Inistioge led for almost the entirety of the contest but they did have to rely on late scores from Michael Galavan and Conor Joyce to fully insure the two points were in the bag.

Carrickshock largely depended on the free-taking exploits of Jake O’Dwyer and Eoghan O’Neill but a goal in each half from Edward Dwyer and Jamie Power kept them competitive until the end.

After both teams lost their opening fixtures, the stakes were high for this league affair and it was Rower Inistioge who did most of the hurling as they raced into a 1-5 to 0-2 lead.

Eddie Prendergast’s goal in the fifth minute after a forceful direct run from Tom Murphy got the ball rolling for the Rower and further points from Michael Galavan, Eoin O’Brien, Tom O’Callaghan and Sean Lyster had them in firm control.

Carrickshock replied with a brace of Jake O’Dwyer frees before they registered their first effort from play via the hurl of Eoghan O’Neill.

Further scores from Galavan and Kevin Murphy increased the Rower Inistioge advantage and they could have had an even bigger lead if Jamie Power hadn’t stopped a batted goal-bound attempt from Jim Ryan.

Four points on the spin for the winners between the 21st and 25th minutes meant Carrickshock were staring into the abyss but they did get a lifeline when Edward Dwyer goaled three minutes before the break when his effort went through Paddy Lyng in the Rower Inistioge goal.

Successive Eoghan O’Neill frees upon the resumption then allowed Carrickshock to narrow the deficit even further but the ‘Rower managed to keep their noses in front through the industrious Eoin O’Brien, Galavan and Kevin Murphy who finished with a tally of four points from play.

There was still hope for Carrickshock when the oldest of the Power brothers, Jamie converted a penalty after Eoghan O’Neill was brought down in the square.

It all proved in vein however as Galavan and Conor Joyce edged the Rower to the finishing line with their manager Seamus Kelly getting the perfect start to what turned out to be a very busy weekend for the Kilkenny intermediate boss.

Teams and Scorers

Rower Inistioge: - Michael Galavan (0-8, 3fs); Kevin Murphy (0-4); Eddie Prendergast (1-0); Eoin O’Brien (0-3); Jim Ryan, Sean Lyster, Tom O’Callaghan, Conor Joyce (0-1 each)

Carrickshock - Eoghan O’Neill (0-6, 5fs); Jake O’Dwyer (0-5, 4fs); Jamie Power, Edward Dwyer (1-0 each); Kevin Farrell, Michael Murphy (0-1 each)

Rower Inistioge - Paddy Lyng; Ruaidhri Delaney, Jack Walsh, Shane Ryan; Sean Lyster, Ruairi Galavan, Pat Lyng; Joe Mulholland, Eoin O’Brien; Michael Galavan, Eddie Prendergast, Jim Ryan; Kevin Murphy, Tom Murphy, Tom O’Callaghan.

Subs: George Murphy for Mulholland, 34 mins; Conor Joyce for T Murphy, 37 mins; David Kelly for Walsh, 48 mins; Joe Lyng for Prendergast, 52 mins.

Carrickshock - Jamie Power; Edward Dunphy, John Cahill, Sean Moore; Niall Tennyson, John Power, Padraig Lennon; Michael Murphy, Aaron Roche; Edward Dwyer, Jake O’Dwyer, Eoghan O’Neill; Brian Donovan, Kevin Farrell, Kieran Conway.

Subs: James Grace for Donovan, 25 mins.

Referee - Eddie Crowley (Mooncoin).