Kilkenny JHL- Goals help Windgap scoop junior hurling league honours

The scene was set for a cracking game between two well known protagonists, as St Lachtain’s (Freshford) were going for three wins on the trot over Windgap, when they met in well appointed Tom Ryall Park on Saturday afternoon.

With both clubs focused on the championship quarter-finals and players with knocks and niggles being rested, the holders from Freshford were missing most of their top stars as they had eight changes on all lines bar the goal line, while Windgap had just two changes.

In the game St Lachtain’s, with the help of a strong crossfield breeze, opened the scoring through Paddy Killeen and a Liam Hickey free, before Jack Doyle and freetaker James Power equalised.

After St Lachtain’s lost a player to a blood injury, there was an exchange of points by Paddy Killeen and James Power that saw the sides tied at three points apiece at the end of the first quarter.

A flourish of Windgap scores over the next eight minutes through James Power and an Adam O’Shea goal, after Darragh Brennan made a great save from Jack Doyle, saw them lead by 1-8 to 0-4 as Alexander Rafter interrupted them with a point.

In a quick change to the flow of the game the Freshford men, through Darragh Maher, Alan Rafter, Cian Dawson, Liam Hickey and Paddy Killeen, went on to add five points to a single Windgap response, a point from Pat Grace.

It saw the score at 1-9 to 0-9 in favour of Windgap at the break.

As the fine crowd, reflected on a first half that saw all the starting six St Lachtain’s forwards on the score sheet and the Windgap ’keeper being the busiest, the resumption saw the continuation of the low key format and scoring.

Over the next 25 minutes Windgap, through James Power with four points, Billy Power, Willie Phelan and Killian Enright outpointed St. Lachtain’s by seven points to a single Liam Hickey free to lead by 1-16 to 0-10.

With five minutes to go, and the full complement of substitutes used by both sides, Liam Hickey cut the lead by two points, before Séan Purcell popped up at full forward to goal for Windgap.

This left the scores at 2- 16 0-12, The remaining minutes saw Cathal Hickey and Emmett Landy exchange points, with Cian Dawson wrapping up the scoring, as an reiteoir Stephen Delaney called time with Bearna na Gaoithe taking the county title by 2-17 to 0-14.

As an Leas Cathaoirleach, Jim Fennelly presented the JJ Kavanagh Cup, to Windgap captain Pat Grace, his observations were that the league was now done and dusted and it was now championship time when different levels are expected.

Teams and scorers

Windgap - Eoin O’Shea; Cian Ryan, Séan Purcell (1-0), Padhraic Foley; Billy Power (0-1), Willie Phelan (0-1), Séan Foley; Séan Power, Adam O’Shea (1-0); Jack Doyle (0-2), James Power (0-10, 0-5 frees, Zak Kennedy; James Culleton, Pat Grace (0-1), Conor Doyle.

Subs: Peter Landy, Killian Enright (0-1), Emmett Landy (0-1), Pat Power, Jim Power.

St Lachtain’s - Darren Brennan; Conor Dalton, Lachtain Kennedy, Padraig Donnelly; Jerry Bergin, Conor Donnelly, Simon Rafter; Cathal Hickey (0-1), Jack Hickey; Alexander Rafter (0-1), Darragh Maher (0-1), Alan Rafter (0-1); Paddy Killeen (0-3), Liam Hickey (0-5, 0-1 free), Cian Dawson (0-3).

Subs: John Fitzpatrick, Matthew Durnan, Philip Campion, Cathal Power,  Cian Leahy.

Referee - Stephen Delaney (Graigue-Ballycallan).