​Kilkenny CBC claim early bragging rights in big win over St Kieran’s College

Kilkenny CBC made an ideal start to the Leinster PPS Corn Ui Dhuill Senior Hurling Championship when running out nine point winners over near neighbours St Kieran’s College.

The group stage opener brought together the two Kilkenny city schools but a dominant second half display saw the visiting CBC outfit run out pretty comfortable winners in the end.

Led by valuable contributions from the likes of Ollie O’Donovan, Joe Dowling and Jack Roche in attack, the Dunningstown Road outfit had that bit more quality on the day as Kieran’s were restricted to just 1-4 from play over the course of the hour.

Both teams were without a number of regulars but it was Kieran’s who settled the quicker as they found the net within 30 seconds of the start as Mikey Barron and Cormac Neary combined to set up Cian Franks who flicked the sliotar past Rian Dowling in the CBC goal.

The CBC school then found their groove with two Ollie O’Donovan frees either side of a Ben Henderson effort that levelled the contest.

A Cormac Neary placed ball attempt briefly edged the All-Ireland champions back in front before O’Donovan and Jack Roche made it 0-5 to 1-1 in favour of the winners.

The to and fro nature of the round 1 affair continued when Neary and Luke McDonald pointed Kierans back to the front by the end of the first quarter but with a decent breeze at their backs, CBC soon began to get motoring.

Quickfire scores via Roche, Paddy O’Brien and Adam Maher gave CBC a two point buffer on the scoreboard and while Kieran’s got back level when Neary and Gearoid O’Shea split the posts, it was only brief respite with the winners controlling the rest of the first period.

Four points on the spin before the break will have given Kilkenny CBC huge confidence and belief as Joe Dowling, Ollie O’Donovan and Sean Kavanagh scored to leave the visitors with a 0-12 to 1-5 advantage at the interval.

The second half opened up with a Cormac Neary effort from play leaving just a puck of the ball between the teams but the famed hurling nursery would never get any closer on the scoreboard as CBC dictated the tempo of the contest.

impact sub Sean Kavanagh got his second point of the afternoon to set CBC up for a spree of scores with Adam Maher and Jack Roche moving the advantage out to six shortly afterwards (0-15 to 1-6).

Cormac Neary’s fifth point of the game gave Kieran’s brief hope of a comeback but with CBC going on another three score in a row spell, the game was all but over as a contest with the inside duo of Joe Dowling and Ollie O’Donovan adding to their tallies.

Jack Roche and Gearoid O’Shea then exchanged efforts before back to back Neary frees made the scoreboard a bit more respectable from a Kieran’s point of view.

With the game played on an all-weather surface, the hurling on show was off a very quick variety but goalmouth action was still few and far between apart from the early Kieran’s goal though there was two chances before the end.

After being assisted by Ollie O’Donovan, the CBC full-forward Joe Dowling was denied by Cian Dermody before Mikey Barron had a shot saved in the very next attack down the other end.

CBC added on further scores from Jack Roche and Sean Kavanagh who both had a huge impact as they eventually rounded off on a comprehensive success.

A good win for Matthew Ruth’s team but they will know only too well that they also defeated Kieran’s in the group stages last year before their rivals went on to win Leinster and All-Ireland crowns so there is a lot of hurling to be played yet.

​Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny CBC: Ollie O’Donovan (0-6, 5fs); Jack Roche (0-5); Joe Dowling (0-4, 1f and 1 ‘65); James Kavanagh (0-3); Adam Maher (0-2); Ben Henderson, Paddy O’Brien (0-1)

St Kieran’s College: Cormac Neary (0-7, 6fs); Cian Franks (1-0); Gearoid O’Shea (0-3)

Kilkenny CBC: Rian Dowling (Dicksboro); Padraic Meany (Clara), David McGee (O’Loughlin Gaels), Noah Gibbons (Dicksboro); Kealan Barcoe (Young Irelands), Josh Dowling (Erin’s Own), Robbie Lacey (Dicksboro); Ben Henderson (Dicksboro), Paddy O’Brien (John Lockes); Jack Roche (Rower Inistioge), Adam Maher (O’Loughlin Gaels), Luke McDonald (O’Loughlin Gaels); Ollie O’Donovan (John Lockes), Joe Dowling (Dicksboro), Sam O’Shea (Dicksboro).

Subs: James Kavanagh (Dicksboro) for O’Brien, h-t; Patrick Kennedy (Conahy Shamrocks) for O’Shea, 43 mins; Eoghan Lynch (John Lockes) for McDonald, 61 mins.

St Kieran’s College: Cian Dermody (James Stephens); Paul Kirwan (Rower Inistioge), Sean Kavanagh (Dicksboro), Roman Connolly (Thomastown); James Ryan (Shamrocks Ballyhale), Ben Nevin (Thomastown), Ben McEvoy (Graigue Ballycallan); Ned Spellman (Rower Inistioge), Jack Rhatigan (Conahy Shamrocks); Brion Walsh (James Stephens), Cormac Neary (Graigue Ballycallan), Gearoid O’Shea (St Molleran’s, Waterford); Cian Franks (Carrickshock), Dan Carroll (Dicksboro), Mikey Barron (Shamrocks Ballyhale).

Subs: Max Edwards (John Lockes) for Walsh, 45 mins; Jack Bolger (Barrow Rangers) for Spellman, 50 mins; Jack Stapleton (St Patrick’s Ballyraget) for Rhatigan, 54 mins; James Tierney (Danesfort) for Kirwan, 56 mins; Aidan Keating (Young Irelands) for Kavanagh, 60 mins.

Referee: Eoin Maher (Mullinavat)