Eoin Brennan was on hand to watch Inagh-Kilnamona power to a 7-11 to 2-5 defeat of Clarecastle in the U13A hurling final
Goal hungry Inagh-Kilnamona powered to their third Under 13A crown in six seasons after hat-tricks for Sean Hehir and Fionn Daffy sunk Clarecastle in Cusack Park on Monday evening.
A quickfire brace of majors in the tenth minute through Hehir and Padraig O’Looney helped settle Inagh-Kilnamona to a seven point half-time cushion.
However, it was their clinical five goal blitzkrieg in just 17 minutes on the restart that put the result beyond any doubt as Joint-Captain Daffy, Hehir and the excellent O’Looney provided the firepower to cement the prestigious honours.
In addition, Donnacha Kelly, midfielders Tom Hegarty and Tadhg Hassett and especially goalkeeper Rio McCoy also impressed as Clarecastle had just as many goal chances but found the Inagh-Kilnamona stopper in particular stubborn mood.
That said, even without talisman Sean Meere, Clarecastle battled hard throughout, with spinal defenders Arthur Cecotka and Fionn Plunkett excelling in what was their biggest hour to date.
Harry O’Donoghue, Donal Garvey, Sean Kelly, Cian Earle and Pat Hennessy were others to provide the greatest resistance for the Magpies.
Overall however, while the scoreline was somewhat flattering, Inagh-Kilnamona did possess the superior balance, inter-play and ruthless edge in front of the posts, epitomised by those early goals.
A goalmouth scramble was eventually broken up by a superb Padraig O’Looney strike while Sean Hehir also found the net in only the next passage of play to blaze 2-1 to 0-1 clear by the tenth minute.
Meanwhile down the other end, Fionn Plunkett’s long range frees caused consternation in Inagh-Kilnamona’s last line but Harry O’Donoghue and Paddy Tuohy both just struck agonisingly wide of the goal.
With O’Looney’s point-taking ability exemplary as was Fionn Plunkett’s hooking and blocking, Harry O’Donoghue also lit up the game with a wondergoal in the 27th minute when picking up possession from 60 metre and bearing down on goal before rifling to the net at 2-6 to 1-2 by the break.
Inagh-Kilnamona went for the jugular on the restart though, with two perfect finishes by Hehir completing his 25 minute hat-trick before Fionn Daffy smashed that record with three majors in just nine minutes by the 50th minute to sandwich a like score from Clarecastle substitute Kiernan Sheridan at 7-8 to 2-3.
Harry O’Donoghue and Fionn Plunkett peppered the Inagh-Kilnamona goal in search of consolation scores but goalkeeper Rio McCoy was in inspirational form to repel anything the Magpies could fire at him.
Such a spectacular final display was fitting for a Inagh-Kilnamona side that completed a ten match unbeaten championship run on their way to a first Under 13A title since 2019.
Inagh-Kilnamona: Rio McCoy; Tiernan Cummins, Fergal Queally, Christopher Rynne; Darragh White, Conor Moroney, Darragh Seery; Tom Hegarty, Tadhg Hassett; Donnacha Kelly, Fionn Daffy, Padraig O’Looney; Colin Griffin, Cathal Glynn, Sean Hehir. Subs: Michael Gutherie for Glynn (35), Conor Griffin for Colin Griffin (47), Iwan Phillips for Rynne (52), Keith O’Rourke for White (55), Daithi O’Leary for Kelly (55), Thomas Rynne for Hehir (55), Martin Roughan for Cummins (57), Donagh Minogue for Seery (57), Ronan Killeen for Hassett (59), Cathal Callinan for Daffy (59), Darren O’Halloran for Queally (59), Paddy Hehir for McCoy (61) Scorers: Fionn Daffy (3-3, 2f); Sean Hehir (3-1); Padraig O’Looney (1-5); Colin Griffin, Conor Griffin (0-1 each)
Clarecastle: Caoimhin Geraghty; Oisin Considine, Arthur Cecotka, Donal Garvey; Diarmaid Egan, Fionn Plunkett, Gavin Reidy; Barry Murphy, Cian Earle; Luke Donnelly, Harry O’Donoghue, Pat Hennessy; Paddy Tuohy, Sean Kelly, Cathal Murphy. Subs: Kiernan Sheridan for Murphy (HT), Rhys Healy for Reidy (47, inj), Sam Kelly for Considine (52, inj), Ryan Casey for Tuohy (54), Diarmaid Carmody for Donnelly (55), Darragh Drennan for Garvey (60) Scorers: Harry O’Donoghue (1-1); Sean Kelly (0-3); Kiernan Sheridan (1-0); Fionn Plunkett (0-1f)
Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)