Inagh-Kilnamona fall at the final hurdle

Munster Junior B final

Eoghan Moloney

 

Inagh-Kilnamona 0-8

Cappamore 0-10

 

IT wasn’t to be for Inagh-Kilnamona in the Munster Junior B final against Cappamore of Limerick as they trailed from early doors and did so for the full 60 minutes.

 

Conditions were far from ideal for hurling with incessant rain and a swirling gale, but Cappamore settled the quicker and raced into a four points to one lead in the opening quarter with points from Liam Creamer, Mark Tracey, Jack Walsh and Jamie McCarthy.

A free from Dermot Gannon was The Combo’s only score in an opening 18 minutes in which they struggled to get a foothold or gain any momentum.

 

Gannon slotted another free but it was cancelled out by Donal O’Mahoney in the 22^nd minute to keep Cappamore three ahead. Inagh-Kilnamona eventually settled and points from Cian Shannon and Thomas Barry in the 25^th minute left them trailing by one point, which was generous considering Cappamore had been the better team by some way. The Clare side’s shooting was askew with four scores from 12 opportunities and this would come back to haunt them.

 

As half-time loomed, Cappamore were awarded a penalty when Eamonn Moloney was dragged down in the box as he went through on goal. Paul Keating saved his side though with an acrobatic, diving save to deny Cappamore a telling blow.

 

When play resumed in the second half, Cappamore rattled off five unanswered points in 11 minutes and this effectively killed the game off. The Combo had to wait until the 19th minute of the second half for Gannon to add another free, followed shortly by another, to get them within four but they could never fully bridge the gap. Youngster Cian Shannon had the chance of the second half when he found himself one on one with the Cappamore ‘keeper and when he pulled first time on the ground, his shot dribbled agonisingly wide.

 

Cappamore were deserving winners with Mark Tracey being particularly influential for the East Limerick side at half back.

While Inagh-Kilnamona didn’t capture the Munster title they still advance to an All-Ireland semi-final in two weeks for which they will regroup for a tilt at All-Ireland glory.

 

Cappamore: Shane Slattery; Conor Fitzgibbon, Seamus Lane, Kevin Doyle; Mark Tracey, Jack Sheehan, Pat Ryan; Kevin Ryan, Conor O’Brien; Jack Walsh, Anthony Foley, Liam Creamer; Jamie McCarthy, Eamonn Moloney, Donal O’Mahoney.

 

Inagh-Kilnamona: Paul Keating; Brian Arthur, Joe Griffin, Padraig Devitt; Shane Wynne, Alan Mullins, Thomas McConigley; Joseph Gallagher, Michael McConigley; Damian Shaughnessy, Dermot Gannon, Shane Vaughan; Cian Shannon, Thomas Barry, Shane Griffin