Captains Josh Moloney & Sean Neylon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
St Joseph’s Spanish Point produced a tremendous second half display to be crowned All Ireland PPS Senior D champions and lift the Rice Cup.
St Joseph’s Spanish Point 0-15
Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara 1-7
At Tuam Stadium
By Ivan Smyth
The West Clare side were deadlocked at 0-5 apiece with their Offaly foes at the interval but from the resumption of play until the 64th minute, they outscored their opponents 0-10 to 0-2. Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara did rattle the net when Ben Kennedy dispatched a penalty to the net deep in to injury time but St Joseph’s Spanish Point comfortably saw out the contest.
Key to the second half turnaround was St Joseph’s Spanish Point’s ability to win their opponent’s restarts. The Clare side overturned 10 of their opponents first 13 kickouts in the game as they upped their conversion rate after an erratic shooting display in the opening half.
Throw in great defensive displays from Conor Kearney, vice captain Josh Moloney and Diarmaid Comber alongside Euan Lineen and Cathal Talty kicking four points apiece. This was a tremendous all round team display with Talty’s redeployment closer to goal proving key as the Kilmurry Ibrickane man proved an excellent focal point even as his side dropped bodies back to defend their lead.
It was the Offaly side, who had a 27 player panel comprised solely of players from Clare GAA club that started the brighter against a nervy St Joseph’s Spanish Point. Tommie Bracken (free) and two efforts from Ben Kennedy moved the Clara school in front.
St. Joseph’s Spanish Point were well in this contest but they only troubled the scoreboard from one of their first 10 shots on goal.
Lineen got the West Clare side off the mark but St. Joseph’s Spanish Point saw four point efforts blocked, three travel wide while a Moloney effort hit he crossbar and fell in to the grateful hands of Bracken in goal.
Two Talty scores levelled the contest before Kennedy and Lineen traded efforts. A Kennedy free helped Ardscoil Chiaráin move a point ahead but Seán Neylon fired over a lovely score to ensure the sides were deadlocked at 0-5 apiece at the break.
Although St. Josephs’ Spanish Point had grown in to the contest after a shaky first 10 minutes, even their most ardent of supporters must have been surprised by how they dominated the final period.
The winners produced a ferocious start to the final half as Talty opened the scoring before two smart Oisin Sexton efforts gave Spanish Point a dream start to the final period. Even though James Cullen fired over off his left for Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara, the momentum was firmly with the Clare side as they continued to dominate both sets of restarts.
Lineen kicked a classy score although the winners may have been slightly fortunate to not have been penalised after Finn O’Driscoll appeared to pick the ball off the deck in the lead up to the score, something which angered the Clara side’s management.
However, Paul Reidy’s side had come out the wrong side of most 50-50 calls in the game and with the bit of luck, St Josephs’ Spanish Point kicked on.
The increasingly influential John Moloney kicked a terrific free from the deck while Lineen (free), Talty and substitute Cian Coughlan also found the target. Even though Kennedy converted a place ball to make it 0-7 to 0-13, Evan Cahill kicked a ’45 that pushed this to a three score game.
Neylon slotted over and even though Kennedy dispatched a penalty for Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara after Conor Doyle was felled, it was St Joseph’s Spanish Point who claimed All Ireland glory.
Scorers for St. Joseph’s Spanish Point: Euan Lineen 0-04 (2 frees), Cathal Talty 0-04 (1 free), Seán Neylon 0-02, Oisin Sexton 0-02 each, Josh Moloney (free), Evan Cahill (45) and Cian Coughlan 0-01 each.
Scorers for Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara: Ben Kennedy 1-05 (1-0 pen, 3 frees), Tommie Bracken (1 free) and James Cullen 0-01 each.
Teams:
St. Joseph’s Spanish Point
1. Tomás Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
3. Gary Donnellan (Cooraclare),
4. Conor Kearney (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
2.Shay Gleeson (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
5. Josh Moloney (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
6. Diarmaid Comber (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
7. Cillian Keavey (St. Joseph’s Miltown),
8. Paul Frawley (St Joseph’s Miltown),
9. Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
10. Seán Neylon (St Joseph’s Miltown),
15. Cathal Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane),
12 Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare),
11. Oisin Sexton (Kimurry Ibrickane),
14. Euan Lineen (St Joseph’s Miltown),
13. Finn O’Driscoll (Cooraclare).
Subs: 21. Cian Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for O’Driscoll (41),
17. Cormac Byrne (St Joseph’s Miltown) for Keavey (57),
18. Eoin Devanney (St Joseph’s Miltown) for Frawley (60+1)
23. Colin Ryan (Doonbeg) for Gleeson (60+4)
19. Aidan Considine (Cooraclare) for Townsend (60+5)
Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa Clara (All Clara GAA)
1. Tommie Bracken
2. Kevin Minnock
3. Christian McKeon
4. Ryan Carroll
5. Ronan Tuohey
6. Darragh McKeon
7. Conor Taylor
8. Conor Doyle
9. Ciarán McKeon
10. James Cullen
15. Barry Egan.
12 Myles Handy
17 Scott Griffith
14 Ben Kennedy
13 Greg Byrne
Subs (All Clara GAA):
20. Aaron Kelly for Byrne (38).
18. Brian Hogan for Cullen (45)
26. James Dunne for Griffith (45)
19 Hugh Hillard for Taylor (60+5)
22. Kevin Gavin for Egan (60+5)
Referee: S. Corcoran
