Kilkenny IHC- Hogan to the fore as Danesfort make county decider

They had to battle their opponents and the elements, but Danesfort got the job done as they kept their drive to return to the senior hurling ranks on track.

The ’Fort held the upper hand when seeing off the Rower-Inistioge at a wet and dreary UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday.

The dismal weather made it challenging for the two teams with players on both sides struggling constantly to get clean possession. The winners had first advantage of the elements, but a three point lead at the interval barely looked sufficient.

It took just 30 seconds for Tom Doyle, who played well at midfield for the Rower, to land the first point of the game, but within four minutes Richie Hogan tied things up with a brilliant point from the wing from under Ardán de Grás. Hogan was hugely influential for the winners and started at centre half-forward in place of the injured Paddy Hickey.

The inclement weather was undoubtedly a factor in the concession of multiple frees by both teams in those opening 30 minutes. Richie Hogan was in great form from placed balls, landing six points, while his brother Paddy, landed another from a 90 metre free.

It took the Rower until the 14th minute to score their second point, with Doyle again finding the range. They followed that up with two Richie Leahy frees at the start of the second quarter, giving his side a slender lead.

The Rower had some momentum at this stage, but their attack struggled to make any headway against a solid Danesfort rearguard where Daire O’Neill outstanding at corner-back.

The winners almost grabbed a goal on 19 minutes when a ground shot from Jack Bruton brought a great save from Paddy Lyng in the Rower-Inistioge goal. However, it did not take them too long to regain the lead with Richie Hogan landing three pointed frees - the winners were never headed thereafter.

Richie Leahy was the only Rower forward making any headway against the winners’ defence and he landed a point, similar to the first point from Richie Hogan, again out on the wing. That score should have energised the Rower, but they struggled to get fired up all over the pitch.

Indiscipline was again to cost the Rower late in the first half, with Richie Hogan landing a brace of points to see his side lead 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval.

The Richie show continued after the interval with Hogan (Danesfort) and Leahy (Rower) picking off two points apiece. All came from placed balls, one of Leahy’s efforts a brilliant line ball from under Ardán de Grás.

The game was bubbling along until the key score of the game arrived in the 44th minute. Danesfort substitute Jake Cullen did the damage with his first action in the game, catching a Ben Whitty delivery before blasting it to the Rower net.

Ironically, Cullen scored a similar goal in Danesfort’s quarter-final victory against Conahy Shamrocks just after arriving on the pitch.

Danesfort were now in control of the game, dominating the exchanges all over the pitch. Jack Bruton, superb at corner-forward and lightning fast on the ball, pointed on 50 minutes, with Rower midfielder Tom Doyle narrowing the margin one minute later when he landed his third point of the game.

The Rower pressed for a way back into the game, but couldn’t make their pressure count. Darragh Joyce went close, bringing a big save out of Paddy Hogan on 53 minutes - a Rower goal at that stage would have made for a tighter finish.

Richie Leahy pointed another free to narrow the margin with six minutes remaining, but aside from the Kilkenny panellist, no other Rower attacker really troubled the ’Fort defence.

Three unanswered points in a two minute spell for the winners close to the finish from Colm Phelan (2) and Robbie Walsh was just reward for another dominant period as the Rower lost their shape in the closing 10 minutes.

Richie Leahy kept their rally going with two points, one from a fee, but Richie Hogan’s 10th point of the afternoon was enough to send his side into the county final.

After an even first quarter, Danesfort were the better side for the remainder of the game. Tenacious defending allied to some swift and neat off the shoulder passing was at the heart of many of their well-worked scores, or resulted in frees being awarded against their opponents.

Daire O’Neill was the star man for the ’Fort, with Richie Hogan highly influential all through the game and his accuracy from placed balls was crucial to his side’s victory. Others to the fore for the winners were Des Dunne, Paul Murphy, Philly Cooney, Colm Phelan Jack Bruton and Robbie Walsh.

With only one attacker, Richie Leahy, scoring from play it was always an uphill battle for the Rower. Tom Doyle made a telling contribution from midfield with three points, but his side struggled for scores, getting just six points from play.

Jack Walsh put in a solid hour at corner-back with Joe Lyng, Pat Lyng and Darragh Joyce best of the rest.

Teams & Scorers

Danesfort - Richie Hogan (0-10, 0-9 frees); Jake Cullen (1-0); Colm Phelan (0-2); Robbie Walsh, Jack Bruton (0-1 each); Paddy Hogan (0-1 free).

Rower Inistioge - Richie Leahy (0-9, 0-6 frees, 0-1 line-ball); Tom Doyle (0-3).

Danesfort - Paddy Hogan; Darren Booth, Diarmuid Phelan, Daire O’Neill; Des Dunne, Paul Murphy, Cathal O’Neill; Philly Cooney, Cathal Kearney; Colm Phelan, Paddy Hickey, Ben Whitty; Richie Hogan, Robbie Walsh, Jack Bruton.

Subs: Jake Cullen for Eoin Brennan, 41 mins; James Mullally for Jack Bruton, 61 mins.

Rower-Inistioge - Paddy Lyng; Eoin Doyle, Joe Lyng, Jack Walsh; Sean Lester, Kieran Joyce, Pat Lyng; Tom Doyle, Michael Galavan; Darragh Joyce, Richie Leahy, George Murphy; Eoin O’Brien, Tom Murphy, Jim Ryan.

Subs: Kevin Murphy for Jim Ryan, 50 mins; Ruaidhrí Delaney for George Murphy, 54 mins.

Referee – Gay Rafter (Threecastles).