Thomastown 2-23 Castlelyons 0-12
Bridesmaids for so many years within Kilkenny, Thomastown finally enjoyed a big day out at Croke Park, capping a landmark campaign by capturing the AIB All-Ireland club IHC title.
Noel Doherty's young side lost three county finals between 2019 and 2022 and must have wondered if an occasion like this was even possible but have smashed through their glass ceiling in remarkable fashion.
Led superbly by captain Stephen Donnelly, who scored 2-3, as well as Kilkenny seniors John Donnelly and Peter McDonald, the Leinster champions streaked to a 16-point win in front of 4,537.
Free-taker Robbie Donnnelly oozed quality throughout the hour or so too and finished with nine points.
They started strongly and while there was a speed wobble for 10 or so minutes midway through the first-half, Thomastown never really looked in any trouble.
It was a tough defeat for Castlelyons to take as they experienced their own final setbacks within Cork in recent seasons before finally claiming the Premier Intermediate title but this was a level they simply couldn’t reach.
Thomastown are the eighth Kilkenny team to claim the All-Ireland intermediate crown and look set to make a big impact now on the senior scene locally.
Setting up with Niall O’Leary as their sweeper, Castlelyons sought to stifle Thomastown’s attack and to exploit the wide open spaces at the other end where David Morrison and Anthony Spillane operated in a two-man inside forward line.
The Cork and Munster champions found it tough going at the start and didn’t get a score on the board until the 14th minute when placed ball expert Alan Fenton, their top scorer with 0-07, split the posts.
In the meantime, Thomastown hit five points – three from Robbie Donnelly and two from John Donnelly – and appeared to have little trouble cutting through the Castlelyons defence.
Shooting became a problem for Thomastown though and six wides in a relatively brief period, and seven in the first-half, allowed Castlelyons to come back into it.
That opening Castlelyons score by Fenton was followed by points from O’Leary and an Oscar Hallihan pearler from the left wing and suddenly there was just two points in it, 0-05 to 0-03.
That was as close as the gap got though and Thomastown finished the half strong with two three-point bursts to lead by 0-11 to 0-06 at the interval.
Both sides had goal opportunities in that opening half. Stephen Donnelly was denied in the 15th minute while Anthony Spillane was twice denied for Castlelyons, once by a well-timed Peter Connellan challenged and then by goalkeeper Diarmuid Galway.
Stephen Donnelly, a former Kilkenny U-20 who briefly featured for the seniors under Brian Cody, eventually got his goal after the restart and it was a beauty when it arrived.
John Donnelly did the spadework with a surging run up the left before cleverly hand-passing across to Donnelly who was in acres of space in a central position 20 metres out. The net duly bulged.
Shortly after, as if to underline the depth of Thomastown’s quality, Luke Connellan, last year’s Kilkenny U-20 captain, was set up for a score by Zach Bay Hammond, last year’s U-20 vice-captain.
It’s no surprise that Thomastown’s strong recent form has been built on a core of talented young U-21 players and their raw enthusiasm and physical fitness was evident throughout the second-half.
They overran Castlelyons between the 40th and 47th minutes in particular with a six-in-a-row of points.
Stephen Donnelly grabbed his second goal four minutes from time, following up from close range when Robbie Donnelly's initial shot was only partially blocked.
Thomastown: Diarmuid Galway; Peter Connellan, Jay Burke, Ned Kirwan; Brian Staunton, Eddie Donnelly (0-01), Zach Bay Hammond; Peter McDonald (0-01), Jonjo Farrell (0-02); Robbie Donnelly (0-09, 0-05f, 0-02 65), Luke Connellan (0-02), John Donnelly (0-04); Thomas O’Hanrahan, Jack Holden (0-01), Stephen Donnelly (2-03).
Subs: Dylan Waugh for Holden 52, David Prendergast for O’Hanrahan 59, Richard O’Hara for Kirwan 59, Alex Cass for Luke Connellan 61, Brian O’Hanrahan for Bay Hammond 61.
Castlelyons: Jack Barry; Jamie O’Leary, Colm Barry, Dara Spillane; Niall O’Leary (0-02), Colm Spillane (0-02), Leo Sexton; Alan Fenton (0-07, 0-02 65, 0-04f), James Kearney; Barry Murphy (0-01), Keith O’Leary, Leon Doocey; David Morrison, Anthony Spillane, Oscar Hallihan (0-01).
Subs: Colm McCarthy for Doocey 12, Shane Moroney for J O’Leary 49, Brian O’Donovan for Hallihan 53, Ronan Fenton for Morrison 53, Rob Feeney for K O’Leary 57.
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
