Carrickshock 2-15 Ahascragh-Fohenagh 0-06
Carrickshock used their Croke Park experience to capture the All-Ireland Club Intermediate Hurling Championship title, beating Ahascragh-Fohenagh 2-15 to 0-06.
They become the fourth Kilkenny side to win the title in the last six seasons following on from Clara, The Rower-Inistoge and Bennetsbridge.
Goalkeeper Jamie Power netted a 23rd minute penalty, and points from Richie Power, Kevin Farrell and Damien Walsh helped the Leinster champions to a 1-06 to 0-02 interval lead.
Damien Walsh added second goal early in the second half and some glorious scores from Richie Power kept the Leinster champions well in front.
Cathal Mannion scored all but one of Ahascragh-Fohenagh’s points.
The Kilkenny men were completely in control in the early stages, with Richie Power sending over a couple of points, followed by scores from Kevin Farrell and John Power.
The Galway men pressed, but could find no way past a solid defence in which Niall Tennyson and skipper John Tennyson stood tall like giants.
The pressure imposed on the man in possession forced Ahascragh-Fohenagh into hurried shots which sailed wide of the posts, and the plan was working perfectly, Carrickshock ahead by six points at the end of the opening quarter.
Cathal Mannion was the one man who looked capable of prising openings in the Carrickshock defence, but it took him 20 minutes to get their opening score, a fine solo effort at the Hill 16 end.
Carrickshock were awarded a penalty in the 23rd minute when Richie Power was dragged back by Padraic Mannion as he bore down on goal, and goalkeeper Jamie Power advanced to send a low shot past opposite number Donal Power.
Padraic Mannion sent a series of booming deliveries into the heart of the Carrickshock defence, but invariably they were hoovered up by a compact and efficient unit which kept scoring opportunities to a minimum.
Mannion did conjure up another opening which he converted in style, but he lacked support, and his side trailed by 1-06 to 0-02 at the break.
Michael Rice was a colossus around the middle, but it was his partner Brian O’Donovan who sent in the searching ball that Damien Walsh chased, winning the race against goalkeeper Kelly to flick the ball beyond him and finish calmly to the net.
Richie Power and John Power added scores, and Darragh Brennan’s point stretched the lead to 11 points with 45 minutes played.
Now it was show-time for the former Cats star Richie Power, who steered over a couple of majestic long rang points to edge his side ever closer to the title.
The Galway men scored just once in the final quarter, another Mannion free, and it was an easy ride to the finish for Carrickshock, who finished the job off with scores from Michael Rice, Pat Tennyson and mark O’Dwyer, who thrilled the audience with an audacious series of tricks and flicks before slotting the ball between the posts.
Carrickshock: J Power (1-00, pen); D Franks, J Dalton, J Grace; J Cahill, J Tennyson, N Tennyson; B O’Donovan, M Rice (0-01); J Power (0-02), R Power (0-06, 1f), D Walsh (1-01); K Farrell (0-02, 2f), D Brennan (0-01), M O’Dwyer (0-01).
Subs: J Butler for O’Donovan (38), S Power for Brennan (53), P Tennyson (0-01) for Cahill (58), J Murphy for Grace (59), M Rohan for O’Dwyer (59)
Ahascragh-Fohenagh: D Kelly; B Kilroy, J Kelly, P Gavin; JP Egan, P Mannion, J Finnerty; S Kelly, L Tully; L Cosgrove (0-01), S Smyth, E Delaney, F Donnellan; C Mannion (0-05, 3f), R Kelly, M Kelly.
Subs: S Connelly for Donnellan (h-t), E O Ceallaigh for M Kelly (42), C Cosgrove for Delaney (50), S Smyth for R Kelly (54)
Referee: G McGrath (Wexford).
