History Makers: Kilkenny club win first ever junior league title

Cloneen won a first ever title in the Junior Hurling A-F league grades with a well merited five-point victory over Graigue Ballycallan at Ballyragget.

This was a great occasion for the club based in Clogh, only formed in 1984, the newest hurling club in Kilkenny.

Cloneen got off to a great start here with a second minute goal from full forward Michael O’Keeffe, when he gained possession and swivelled, before striking home.

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An Eoin Egan free and a Padraic ‘Podge’ Dunphy point got the opening GB scores by the sixth minute.

Cloneen replied with two points from the impressive Cathal Barry either side of a Michael O’Leary score (1-3 to 0-2).

Graigue Ballycallan levelled matters midway through the half when Jimmy Murphy goaled after a free landed short, and Eoin Egan pointed a free.

A series of scores from free taker Ciaran Cooney, along with points from his brother Padraig and a Cathal Barry point put Cloneen clear by the 21st minute, and a Cathal Barry goal in the 25th minute left them six clear, 2-8 to 1-5.

A three-point sequence from Podge Dunphy, Adam O’Brien and an Eoin Egan point halved the arrears in the next four minutes (1-8 to 2-8).

At the interval Cloneen led 2-10 to 1-8.

The frequency of scores reduced in the new half, with the humid conditions and injury breaks halting momentum. Even the referee needed attention for a blood injury after an accidental impact!

Two points from Eoin and Paidi Egan had left GB just a goal behind six minutes into the second half, bur for the next quarter hour they were outscored 0-6 to 0-1 by the Cloneen men.

An unusual climax to the afternoon was when Junior Board Chairperson Paddy Cooney presented the trophy to his son Padraig.

A deserved Cloneen victory after a very entertaining Junior E Final.

Teams and Scorers

Cloneen: Ciarán Cooney (0-5, 0-4 frees), Cathal Barry (1-2), Kieran Whelan (0-3), Michael O’Keeffe (1-0), Chris Phelan (0-2), Francie Ward (0-2), Michael O’Leary, Padraig Cooney, James Love (0-1 each).

Graigue Ballycallan: Eoin Egan (0-5, 0-4 Padraic Dunphy (0-3), Paidi Egan (0-3, 0-1 frees), Jimmy Murphy (1-0), Dermot Heafey (0-2), Adam O'Brien, James Ryall (0-1 each)

Cloneen: Sean Moffatt, Gearoid O’Neill, Malachy Flaherty, John Kelly, Breanainn Buggy Brian McDonald, Chris Phelan, Francie Ward, Ronan Lynch, Ciarán Cooney, Padraig Cooney (C) Kieran Whelan, Cathal Barry, Michael O’Keeffe, Michael O’Leary.

Subs: Michael Doyle, Adam Buggy, James Love Padraic Delaney, Jamie Hurley Fionn Kavanagh, Cian Young, Eoin Phillips. Aidan Barry, Ashley Kerr, Harry Lawlor.

Graigue Ballycallan: Michel Hoyne, Brian Sheridan, Peter Boland (C) Aidan Comerford, David Hoyne, Tom Brennan, George Murphy, Paidi Egan, Peter Murphy, Padraic Dunphy, Adam O’Brien, Eoin Egan, Jimmy Murphy, James Ryall, Dermot Heafey.

Subs: Philip Heafey for Eoin Egan, Frank McCluskey for James Ryall, Eoin Burke for Jimmy Murphy. Eoin Delahunty, Luke 0’Brien, Shane Comerford, Keith Coffey, Aidan Cahill, Pat Purcell, Brendan Dunne, JJ Ryan, Dermot Ryall, Daniel Cahill, Micheal Harrison, Dylan TeehanJoey Corcoran, Ger Teehan, Ger Doheny.

Referee: Gay Rafter