Late goal brings an end to Kilkenny CBS’ All-Ireland dream

A disappointing second half performance put pay to Kilkenny CBS’ prospects in the Croke Cup as they fell to defeat agaist Claregalway.

The CBS had led from early on but their attacking threat that looked so promising in the opening period soon dried up and their paltry five point second half tally was never going to be enough to see them advance.

To make things more difficult, all five points came via Patrick Lacey frees and while the Dicksboro star did excel for his school once again, he also squandered a couple of crucial opportunities including a missed 65 that could have forced extra-time.

It was still only in the dying minutes that Claregalway found a way in as after frees from Eoin Collins edged the Connacht finalists in front, they then struck for the match winning goal when Ronan Duggan found the net well into stoppage time.

Fresh from a narrow Leinster Final loss on penalties to arch rivals St Kieran’s, the CBS started ut with a great degree of authority and after eight minutes of play they had already opened up a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage on the scoreboard.

An opening minute Eoin Collins free didn’t deter the Kilkenny school as they hit back with efforts from Niall Drennan, Patrick Lacey and Ollie O’Donovan.

Claregalway then kept in touch with scores from Collins, Jack Kelly and Cormac Feeney but CBS seemed to always have a response with Lacey proving just as effective from play as on the frees and with O’Donovan continuing to torment the Galway outfit’s backline, they looked relatively comfortable approaching the half-time interval.

A goal would have really cemented CBS's apparent dominance at this juncture but both Zac Scanlon and Anthony Clifford were denied big chances as Claregalway went into the dressing rooms trailing by only four points and a stiff wind at their back to come.

CBS never really got going upon the resumption however and Claregalway slowly but steadily built the pressure and by the halfway mark of the half, the sides were deadlocked at 0-17 apiece.

Lacey got three more frees before the end for Matthew Ruth’s CBS team but the lacking of fluency from play was their downfall as Claregalway powered forward en masse and the five point tally from defence by Matthew Collins kind of told the story.

CBS still had the chances with Anthony Clifford denied twice more for goal on top of Lacey’s free-taking losing it’s way in the wind and Claregalway took full advantage to shock the Kilkenny side with their late rally.

Teams and Scorers

Claregalway College- Eoin Collins (0-10, 9fs); Matthew Collins (0-5); Ronan Duggan (1-1); Cormac Feeney (0-3); Jack Kelly (0-1), Gearoid King (0-1, 1f)

Kilkenny CBS- Patrick Lacey (0-14, 9fs and 1 '65); Ollie O'Donovan (0-3); Niall Drennan (0-2); Donnchadh Hennessy (0-1)

Claregalway College- Brendan Fox; Cormac Gillespie, Daniel Hughes, Dylan O'Connell; Matthew Collins, Sean Moran, Dylan Casserly; Gearoid King, Ben Morley; Jack Kelly, Eoin Collins, Ronan Duggan; Cormac Feeney, Patrick O'Kane, Daniel Fitzmaurice. 

Subs: Mark Walsh for O'Connell, h-t.

Kilkenny CBS- Daniel McCormack (O'Loughlin Gaels); Matthew Bolger (St Martin’s), Oisin Henderson (Dicksboro), Conor Barcoe (Thomastown); Kealan Barcoe (Young Irelands), Josh Dowling (Erin's Own), Patrick Purcell (Barrow Rangers); Donnchadh Hennessy (Dicksboro), Paddy O'Brien (John Lockes); Luke McDonald (O'Loughlin Gaels), Patrick Lacey (Dicksboro), Niall Drennan (Galmoy); Zac Scanlon (James Stephens), Anthony Clifford (Dicksboro), Ollie O'Donovan (John Lockes).

Subs- James Cleere (Dicksboro) for C.Barcoe, 32 mins; Zak O'Halloran (John Lockes) for Scanlon, 37 mins; Sam O'Shea (Dicksboro) for O'Brien, 42 mins; Darragh Power (James Stephens) for Drennan, 54 mins.

Referee- Matthew Farrell (Roscommon)