Under 15A hurling shield final
Sixmilebridge 6-22 St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 1-6

Meeting for yet another occasion this season in various U15 competitions and with a keen rivalry developing the end result of this game played in Sixmilebridge on Wednesday evening was all the more surprising at first glance.

Yet delving deeper, the skeleton squad provided by St Joseph’s on the evening was the overriding factor in the result.

This should not take in any way from the complete performance displayed by a determined home side who in the Féile had led for a long stretch of the game only to be caught by a late late St Joseph’s rally.

Missing players such as Leon Talty, Darragh and Graham Ball to name a few diluted the intensity of the contest from a visitor’s perspective as Dylan Keogh attacked the St Joseph’s goal with single mindedness intent from the throw in.

His first two efforts were over the bar before the ultra-accurate Cillian Murphy had the first of nine points mostly from frees by the 5th minute.

Gerry Barry denied Darragh Leyden a Sixmilebridge goal, but it was just delaying the inevitable for the home side as Keogh goaled from the next attack. Murphy, Rory Chaplin and Cian Conroy (1-1) had a dozen points on the scoreboard after 10 minutes as St Josephs failed to muster even one attack of note and the spirit was drained from them with each Sixmilebridge attack.

They added a further (1-4) with Keogh adding (1-2) before Joseph Kelly finally got St Joseph’s on the score sheet as they were now (3-10) to (0-1) in arrears. Thomas O Connor had the ball in the Sixmilebridge net from the resultant puck out.

This scoring respite was sadly just that a reprieve as Sixmilebridge kept on the offensive with more scores from Murphy and Keogh’s with his sides fourth goal.

Gerry Barry denied Leyden another goal effort before Rory Chaplin and Keogh once more had the winners (4-15) to (1-3) clear after 40 minutes.

Sixmilebridge emptied their bench as did St Joseph’s with their two substitutes. Joseph Kelly added a score, but Sixmilebridge were absolutely relentless and tagged on (1-4) before Kelly and Cillian Thornton rounded off the St Joseph’s scoring.

Sixmilebridge with (1-3), as John Deasy had his first and his side’s sixth goal, rounded off a miserable evening in Sixmilebridge for the boys from St Joseph’s.

Dylan Keogh and Cillian Murphy were the stars of the show with a combined tally of (4-15) with Mark Mullins, Aidan Moloney, Rory Chaplin, John Deasy, Jack O Halloan and Cian Conroy also to the fore.

St Joseph’s had solid performances from Gerry Barry, Joseph Kelly, Cathal McMahon, Shane Mescall and Liam Clune.

Following the game Bord na nOg representative Jim Corbett, a Sixmilebridge native presented the Under 15A hurling shield to Sixmilebridge captain Mark Mullins.

SIXMILEBRIDGE: Conor Keogh, Dylan Keogh, Mark Mullins,Cuan MacGiollacearna, Darragh Whyte, Aidan Moloney, Jack O Halloran, Donal O Leary, Cillian Murphy, Rory Chaplin, John Deasy, Stephen Gavin, Dylan Keogh, Darragh Leyden, Cian Conroy. Subs: Cathal Aherne for D Keogh, Peter Gilligan for Chaplin, Niall Forde for Moloney, Conor Peacock for Keogh, James Lynch for C Keogh, Dylan Leyden for Gilligan. Scorers: Dylan Keogh (4-6), Cillian Murphy (0-9), Cian Conroy (1-2), John Deasy (1-1), Rory Chaplin, Cathal Aherne (0-2) each.

ST JOSEPH’S DOORA BAREFIELD: Gerry Barry, Sean McMahon, Dara Bohannon, Martin Daly, Cathal McMahon, Shane Mescall, Dean Fitzpatrick, Liam Clune, Conor Byrne, Joseph Kelly, TJ Moore, Cian Breslin, Thomas O Connor, Leon Guerin, Adam Tariq. Subs: Cillian Thornton for Guerin, Liam McAllister for Tariq. Scorers: Thomas O Connor (1-1), Joseph Kelly (0-3), Cillian Thornton, TJ Moore (0-1) each

Referee: Derek Conway (Corofin)