Kilkenny IHC- Blacks and Whites stun Fenians with late surge

Blacks and Whites (Skeoughvosteen) staged a remarkable second half comeback as they saved their intermediate status with a battling victory over Fenians in Bennettsbridge on Saturday.

The Johnstown men looked to have the relegation semi-final within their control when they led by seven points at the start of the second half, but the combination of a systems failure up top and a resurgent Skeough outfit meant that Blacks and Whites claimed a three point success in the windup.

Blacks and Whites showed great resolve and guts when the game was there for the taking with Ryan Murphy, Ian Foley and Sam Byrne all offering valuable contributions.

Fenians will still see this one as one that got away all the same. The fact they scored 1-3 within the first eight minutes of the second half but nothing at all afterwards rather sums up their fortunes.

It was a tight and tense affair as relegation games tend to be and the sides shared the first eight points of the game.

Points from Ryan Murphy and Martin Kelly looked to have give Blacks and Whites the ideal start before Cathal Phelan, Mark Webster and Conor Tobin helped the Johnstown side get up and running.

The nip and tuck nature was broken by the Fenians when Conor Tobin knocked over back to back frees after the centre-forward took over placed ball duties on the back of Mark Webster uncharacteristically squandering a couple of opportunities.

Michael Prendergast and Ryan Murphy responded for Eddie Scally’s team but Fenians still held the initiative with points from play by both Conor Tobin and Cathal Phelan ensuring the North Kilkenny side took an 0-8 to 0-6 advantage into the break.

The goalmouth action went up a notch at the start of the second half with Blacks and Whites firstly seeing Ryan Murphy have a close in effort blocked before Fenians grabbed the only goal of the game when a point attempt from Willie Brennan went all the way in after Keelin O’Grady lost the flight of the sliotar and saw it trickle over the line after spilling through his fingers.

Quick follow-up scores from Adam Duggan and Conor Tobin firmly had the Fenians in control, even if Blacks and Whites kept plugging away with scores by Ryan Murphy and Aaron Foley. A 38th minute score from Rory Garrett kept the Johnstown side six points to the good but from here, things began to unravel.

A host of missed opportunities and some indiscipline would be their downfall ultimately as Blacks and Whites plugged away at the deficit.

Three in a row from Ryan Murphy left just a puck of the ball separating the sides at the end of the third quarter and while Aaron Foley also had a goal chance well saved by Damien Delaney, it was still a sign of things to come.

Two more Murphy efforts as well as a lovely executed score from Sam Byrne meant the teams were deadlocked at 1-11 to 0-14 and it looked all to play for.

A massive free from his own half by Ian Foley edged the Blacks and Whites in front in the 49th minute and somehow there wasn’t another score for 13 minutes or so. Fenians had the chances to level but nothing was going their way as Paul Murphy and Ian Foley sealed the comeback success with two late points.

Teams and Scorers

Blacks and Whites - Ryan Murphy (0-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 65); Ian Foley (0-2, frees); Sam Byrne, Paul Murphy, Michael Prendergast, Aaron Foley, Martin Kelly (0-1 each).

Fenians - Conor Tobin (0-5, 0-4 frees); Willie Brennan (1-0); Mark Webster (0-2, frees); Cathal Phelan (0-2); Adam Duggan, Rory Garrett (0-1 each).

Blacks and Whites - Keelin O’Grady; Jamie Ryan, Tommy Joyce, Aaron Foley; Michael Prendergast, Ian Foley, Joe Kelly; Paul Murphy, James Kennedy; Daire Murphy, John Lennon, Martin Kelly; Ryan Murphy, Sam Byrne, Louis Brennan.

Subs: Jason Byrne for Kennedy, h/t; Jamie Byrne for Brennan, 38 mins.

Fenians - Damien Delaney; Daragh McCormack, Rory Phelan, Padraig O’Grady; John Henderson, Rory Garrett, Jerry Henderson; Adam Duggan, Willie Brennan; Kieran Grehan, Conor Tobin, Sean Tobin; Regan Downey, Cathal Phelan, Mark Webster.

Subs: Mark Hughes for Webster, 45 mins; Daragh Tobin for Phelan, 50 mins; Tomas Sharkey for S Tobin, 55 mins; Cormac Ryan for Duggan, 57 mins.

Referee - Brian Fox (O’Loughlin Gaels).