Clare 2-13
Kilkenny 1-11

DESPITE going four points down inside the first five minutes of the All-Ireland intermediate hurling final at Thurles on Saturday evening, Clare recovered to bring home the title for the first time to the Banner County.

An excellent goal from team captain Tony Carmody at the mid-point of the opening half put the winners into a lead they held to the finish, holding a four-point lead at the break and wind assistance to come in the second half.
Carmody suffered a hamstring injury as he burst through to score Clare’s opening goal; it meant he had to leave the action a couple of minutes later. This opened the door for the return of Daire Keane, who missed the semi-final win over Galway due to a broken thumb. The Kilmaley man scored his side’s second goal ten minutes into the second half.
The team for Saturday’s final showed one change from the side that started against Galway. Joe O’Connor from Parteen who replaced Declan O’Rourke in that tie retained his place to the exclusion of the Wolfe Tones man.
Kilkenny made the better start and took the lead after just 30 seconds when midfielder Michael Grace pointed. Clare were rocked in the fifth minute when Kilkenny wing-forward Paul O’Flynn, who caused huge problems for Kevin Moynihan, broke through to fire past Andrew Fahy.
Clare struggled in the early stages and were fortunate not to have gone further behind. They should have opened their account in the sixth minute when Joe O’Connor had a goal chance but he failed to find the target. A minute later they landed their first score, a point from midfielder Shane Golden following a pass from Sixmilebridge clubmate Eamonn Fennessy.
Golden repeated the feat in the tenth minute before Niall Gilligan converted a free and from here on, Clare grew in confidence. They took the lead at the mid-point of the first half when team captain Carmody burst past a few Kilkenny defenders and blasted to the net.
The sides swapped points twice in the next ten minutes before Clare hit three-in-a row from Martin Duggan, Kevin Dilleen and Padraig Hickey, to leave it  1-8 to 1-4 at the break.
It was a good position to be in for the Banner men who had played against the fairly stiff breeze in the first half. Early in the second half the defending champions piled on the pressure but Clare full-back Patrick Kelly made a timely interception when the Leinster champions looked to be in for a goal.
The winners had points from Joe O’Connor and Niall Gilligan before Daire Keane scored their second goal. A Padraig Hickey effort for a point rebounded off the upright and Keane reacted quickest to find the net. The goal put Clare nine points clear with 20 minutes remaining and it was always going to be difficult for Kilkenny after this.
They made three changes in personnel in the early stages of the second half and these switches helped them put a bit of pressure on Clare. Two of their substitutes Ger Aylward and Burke got on the scoresheet as their side hit three unanswered points to close the gap to six at the three-quarter stage.
Ronan Keane and Shane Golden were dictating matters at midfield while John Fennessy and Michael Hawes were doing well in defence, their play helping to keep Kilkenny’s scoring chances to the minimum.
Ten minutes from time the margin was still six after both sides had added two points to their tallies. Kilkenny created a goal chance but Clare keeper Andrew Fahy advanced quickly to clear the danger before substitute Declan O’Rourke pointed to put seven between the sides with four minutes remaining.
To their credit, Kilkenny battled to the end and added two points in the closing stages but Clare held firm and when the final whistle sounded were deservingly five points clear.
Patrick Kelly, Michael Hawes and John Fennessy were prominent throughout in the Clare defence. Ronan Keane and Shane Golden ruled matters in the middle of the field while up front Joe O’Connor, Padraig Hickey and Niall Gilligan caused a lot of problems for Kilkenny.
GAA President Christy Cooney presented the trophy to Tony Carmody in front of the official attendance of 2,250.

Clare: Andrew Fahy (Whitegate); Mark Earley (Tubber), Patrick Kelly (Clarecastle), Alan Brigdale (Crusheen); John Fennessy (Sixmilebridge), Michael Hawes (Cratloe), Kevin Moynihan (Éire Óg); Ronan Keane (Éire Óg), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge); Martin Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Tony Carmody (Sixmilebridge) captain, Kevin Dilleen (St Joseph’s); Joe O’Connor (Parteen) Niall Gilligan (Sixmilebridge), Padraig Hickey (Broadford).
Subs: Daire Keane (Kilmaley) for Carmody (inj 21 minutes); Paidi Fitzpatrick (Sixmilebridge) for Moynihan (46 minutes); Declan O’Rourke (Wolfe Tones) for Duggan (48 minutes); Sean Chaplin for Golden (inj 58 minutes); Conor Tierney (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Gilligan (62 minutes).
Scorers: Niall Gilligan (0-3, 2f); Tony Carmody, Daire Keane (1-0 each); Shane Golden, Padraig Hickey, Joe O’Connor (0-2 each); Ronan Keane, Declan O’Rourke, Martin Duggan, Kevin Dilleen (0-1 each).
Frees for: 7; wides: 9; 65s: 1
Bookings: Kevin Dilleen (31 minutes).

Kilkenny: Ritchie O’Neill; Willie Phelan, Michael Walsh, Sean Phelan; Luke Harney, PJ Rowe, Stephen Byrne; Michael Grace, Willie O’Dwyer; Paul O’Flynn, Seoirse Kenny, JJ Farrell; Ger Shelly, Eddie Hickey, Adrian Stapleton.
Subs: Gerri Aylward for Stapleton; Ollie Walsh for Kenny; Simon Burke for Carroll; Conor Conway for O’Dwyer; Nicky Kenny for Hickey;
Scorers: Paul O’Flynn (1-2); Eddie Hickey, Simon Burke (1 free); Ger Aylward (0-2 each); Stephen Byrne, Conor Conway (free), Michael Grace (0-1 each).
Frees for: 8; wides:12.
Bookings: Stephen Byrne (15 minutes); Seoirse Kenny (27 minutes).

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan, Cork.

Carmody hails ‘brilliant performance’

“A brilliant performance” was how team captain Tony Carmody described Saturday’s All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship final.
“The hardest thing for me was watching from the sideline, especially the second half. The lads have been excellent all year and today was no different,” Carmody said.
“To be honest when Kevin approached me I could not have envisaged an evening like this evening in Thurles. There was a great group of lads involved from day one.
“I couldn’t ask any more from management, from the county board or from players. It was heartbreaking when I got injured and had to leave the field,” according to the team’s centre-forward.
“At the start of the season we said the team wins and that’s the way it has happened and everyone is delighted. We said it’s all about the team winning and everyone got behind that philosophy. It doesn’t matter who scores, it’s all about the team winning.
“That’s the way it has happened and everyone is delighted. We had four great games in this competition and we can’t complain,” the team skipper said.
“For the last two weeks we have been talking about not conceding an early goal,” he added.
“We were playing against a savage wind today and they came down and scored an early goal and went four points up. We came back strongly and being up at half time with wind assistance to come was a huge lift. I don’t think we were ever going to be beaten.”
Like other members of the squad, Carmody is confident about the future of Clare hurling
“We said from the start that we would be honest and work hard. There is no fear for the future of Clare hurling. There are great players in the county and once they get matches under their belt they come on and please God there will be a good few of this squad playing senior hurling next year,” he concluded.