Clare keep Cats in the bag

Clare  2-17

Kilkenny  2-11

Inspired by an outstanding defence, Clare outplayed Kilkenny in a thrilling All-Ireland U-21 hurling final at Semple stadium in Thurles on Saturday evening.

Apart from the second quarter, Clare dominated this tie and were full value for their six-point winning margin, which saw them bridge a three-year gap to their only previous success in this championship.
A blistering opening ten minutes saw Clare take a six-point lead but they struggled to maintain it and, in the second quarter, were under pressure from the pre-match favourites.
Kilkenny captain Kevin Kelly gave his side the lead after just 30 seconds but Cathal McInerney, Cathal O’Connell and Seadna Morey hit back with points by the fourth minute.
O’Connell, the game’s top scorer who was later named as the man of the match, had the first goal of this cracking contest in the sixth minute, finishing superbly after being put clear by team captain Conor McGrath. Colm Galvin and Patrick O’Connor added points to make it 1-6 to 0-2 after just eight minutes.
Slowly but surely Kilkenny fought back and by the 20th minute the margin was down to two, 1-6 to 0-7. A superb save by Ronan Taaffe from Walter Walsh had denied the Leinster side a goal two minutes earlier.
Three minutes from the interval, Kilkenny were awarded a penalty when John Power was adjudged to have been fouled by David McInerney and Killian Ryan. Power blasted the free to the net to level the game at 1-7 each.
In the second minute of injury time, Power provided the pass which led to Ger Aylward scoring his side’s second goal, which sent them go to the break with a one goal advantage, 2-7 to 1-7.
It was clear Clare needed a good start to the second half if they were to regain the initiative and indeed they did take control.
Tony Kelly missed an early chance when his free was wide of the target but two pointed frees by O’Connell at either side of an Aaron Cunningham effort had Clare back on level terms seven minutes into the half.
With Kelly making up a three-man midfield along with Galvin and Golden, top scorer Cathal O’Connell had moved to the half-forward line and these moves were causing problems for the Noresiders.
O’Connell and Ger Aylward exchanged points before Cathal McInerney gave Clare a lead they would hold until the finish when he pointed in the ninth minute. Five scoreless minutes followed before captain Conor McGrath struck a vital blow when he found the net with a powerful strike. Within a minute, he added a point and Shane Golden then hit a magnificent score at the end of a 60m run to leave Clare 2-14 to 2-8 in front.
Any effort by the Noresiders to get through for the goal they now badly needed was dealt with by a dominant Clare defence in which corner back Paul Flanagan was particularly outstanding. Clare continued to dominate in the remaining period and were full value for their six-point win. The winners’ defence was magnificent throughout with corner-back Paul Flanagan in inspirational form. He must have been a very strong candidate for the man of the match award. Another candidate for this honour was surely Cratloe’s Cathal McInerney who tormented the Kilkenny defence throughout and scored four superb points from play in the process.
The diminutive Cathal O’Connell excelled and followed in Clonlara club mate John Conlon’S footsteps on winning the man-of-the-match award. Conlon captured that honour in 2009.

The half-back trio of Patrick O’Connor, Seadna Morey and Conor Ryan excelled in this decider while David McInerney and Killian Ryan also shone.
Ritchie Doyle, Cillian Buckley, Walter Walsh in the opening half and Kevin Kelly worked hard for Kilkenny but they were unable to get the upperhand on the evening.

Clare: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea), David McInerney (Tulla), Killian Ryan (Ruan); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Conor Ryan (Cratloe), Patrick O’Connor (Tubber); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Cathal McInerney (Cratloe), Conor McGrath (Cratloe, captain), Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara).
Subs: Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin) for Cunningham (49 minutes); Niall Arthur for Collins (58 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal O’Connell (1-6, 0-4f); Conor McGrath (1-1); Cathal McInerney (0-4); Aaron Cunningham, Tony Kelly (f), Colm Galvin, Shane Golden, Patrick O’Connor, Seadna Morey (0-1 each).
Frees: 16; wides: 10.
Bookings: Patrick O’Connor (19 minutes); Shane Golden (31 minutes); Cathal O’Connell (61 minutes).

Kilkenny: Dylan Walsh; Jason Corcoran, Willie Phelan, Brian Kennedy; Joe Lyng, Ritchie Doyle, Luke Harney; Geoff Brennan, Cillian Buckley; Ollie Walsh, John Power, Kevin Kelly (capt); Walter Walsh, Padraig Walsh, Ger Aylward.
Subs: Martin Gaffney for Ollie Walsh (inj) 37 minutes; Cathal Kenny for Padraig Walsh (55 minutes).
Scorers: Kevin Kelly (0-6, 5f); Ger Aylward (1-1); John Power (1-0); Walter Walsh (0-2); Geoff Brennan, Padraig Walsh (0-1 each).
Frees: 10; wides: 3.
Bookings: Brian Kennedy (28 minutes).
Referee: Diarmuid
Kirwan, Cork.