Under 21 hurling championship 2013

[townman]

Maybe it was the memory of the Final trilogy three years ago, but I expected ALOT more from Clareen v Coolderry this evening. Instead we got a display of poor striking, poor shooting, poor handling, poor passing, hardly any combination play and poor (albeit consistent) refereeing.

Adrian Hynes opened the scoring with a scrambled goal in the fourth minute, Coolderry levelled and Andy Connolly’s goal put Coolderry 1-4 to 1-1 ahead after 22 minutes, going on to lead 1-5 to 1-3 at half time. Going on the balance of play Coolderry should probably have been about eight points ahead but weren’t.

Clareen had the use of the fresh wind and the hill for the second half. Two quick Adrian Hynes points (one a free) levelled it up three minutes into the second half, and Séamie Dunne(?)’s goal made it 2-5 to 1-5 for Clareen. With Tom Carroll getting on alot of ball and Brian Gavin’s ‘Kilkenny’ style of allowing up to 10 steps and plenty of barging, I thought Clareen would win well at this stage. Declan Parlon got through alot of work at midfield, as did the Larkin fella with the yellow helmet (Brian?), and the scoring dried up again.

The breeze was a big factor, where James Gannon struggled to puck out into the wind As was the hill. The sides swapped scores during the last five minutes, twice Coolderry reduced the gap to 3, twice Clareen put 4 in it again and Clareen advance.

David King was full-back for Coolderry and they probably needed him further outfield. Andrew Connolly never really threatened, where Damien Maher was probably Coolderry’s most dangerous forward.

Hard to know about Clareen. Billy Connors looked dodgy around the square and Joseph Connors (who seems to have been hurling U21 forever now) was busy around the square. Still, the full-back did well under the dropping ball. Keith Mullally isn’t a centre half-back in the traditional sense but he did well. He made one great run upfield and drew a crucial free, and made a mighty catch near the end when Coolderry sought a goal. Conor Walsh is a stylist too. Still, they have Hynes and Carroll in attack (who has lost weight too), and Dunne is a good worker.

Logic says ’Rynagh’s should win the semi-final, and win well. Then again, when has a ’Rynagh’s v Clareen match ever followed logic? I’d still expect a ’Rynagh’s v Shinrone Final.

this Mullally chap from Gracefield i am hearing good things about this lad, i remember him playing
a few years ago in the Coolderry Clareen under 21 saga, he must have been only 16 then i think
his under 21 again next year he was brought on as a sub a few years ago and done well getting the free that drew the first game at the end in Crinkle.

do you think Shinrone will beat K/K i wouldn't think so, i'd go for K/K Rynaghs final, but as you said
Rynaghs and Clareen could go either way.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Fixtures section of the County Board site promise a semi-final double header in Birr on Saturday evening. Rynagh's v Clareen at 4.30, Shinrone v Kilcormac at 6pm.

[townman]

they should be played in O'Connor park this is an outrage

[puzzled]

Great to see the county board had the sense to maks it a double header in Birr,should be two good games!
First up is St.Rynaghs V Seir Kieran Og this is very hard to call,Rynaghs backs are probably stronger than Clareens but Clareen look like their forwards are better than the Rynaghs forward unit,i am going to go for Tom Carroll and Adrian Hynes to see Clareen through to the final but only just!

K/K V Sinrone is just as hard to call,if the Geraghtys and young Kiely hurl to their best Shinrone will get it very hard to get through,Shinrone will have a good few of their senior squad playing and it will give us an early sign of how all the hard training that Derry O'Donavan and Daithi Regan has been doing with them over the winter has improved them or not! K/K by a few points for me if they keep their discipline!

[townman]

Rynaghs 1-20 Clareen 1-9

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Shinrone 3-13 K/K 2-11

[Plain of the Herbs]

Rynagh's were well positioned when they were just a point behind after playing into the wind. Clareen had a horrendous time shooting into the Town goals in the first half. Hynes and Carroll all missed frees and they must have had about a dozen wides by half-time. Pat Camon really stood out at full-back. Stephen Quirke was out injured and Ethan Mannion did well on the frees.

Camon went to midfield after half-time to pick up Tom Carroll. Carroll ironically did better in the second half, though marked by Camon who was on top of his game. Dónal Moran stuck an early goal and Rynagh's ran out easy winners. Maloney, Kelly (both in defence), Horan at midfield, Kenny (who lost a goal chnace through one-sidedness) Dolan, Mannion and Daly all did well.

I was impressed with Shinrone in the second semi-final. All their Senior players stood up and led. Seán Cleary made some fine catches, Cleary did well at full-back, McKelvey did well too. Of the others Conor Doughan is a horse of a young fella, Damien Murphy did well too, the goalkeeper was solid and Jordan Fogarty caught the eye with stunning pace, a fine first-half goal and a clinching goal a couple of minutes from the end.

The turning point was bringing Dónal Morkan to midfield from corner-forward. Morkan put his body on the line and in full flight, 'Duck' is a wonderful sight (unfortunate pun NOT intended). Shinrone wouldn't have been noted for rolling up the sleeves but this evening they died with the boots on.

Based solely on this evening's evidence, Shinrone would be marginally more likely to win the title. But only marginally so. It will be a great Final though.

[Plain of the Herbs]

St Rynagh's v Shinrone Final is fixed for Birr on Sunday evening (28th) at 5.30pm.

[townman]

St Rynagh's v Shinrone Final is fixed for Birr on Sunday evening (28th) at 5.30pm.

at least they are seen sence now, why on earth would you being Shinrone and Rynaghs to tullamore
was a great atmosphere in Birr yesterdays minor game, lets hope for more games in ST,Brendans.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Games of two halves are nothing new, but this was a game of a quarter and three-quarters. Due to Shinrone’s utter dominance of the three-quarters part, most of the second half was played out in almost stony silence with St Rynaghs’ followers naturally stunned and the Shinrone faithful hardly believing what was unfolding before them.

In the quarter part, St Rynagh’s settled into the game quicker. They were sharper, knew what they were about about and got some great ball into Ethan Mannion. With Shinrone’s touch seemingly that bit ‘off’, and with St Rynagh’s picking off scores, leading 0-5 to 0-1 it seemed very little would tip this Final beyond Shinrone’s ‘point of no return’.

Then a few things happened. Shinrone switched their corner-backs and also brought Dónal Morkan out to midfield, freeing ‘Duck’ from his corner-forward isolation. Around the same time Joey O’Connor, seemingly injured, moved to full-forward before eventually being withdrawn.

Daniel Doughan went on to have a monster of a game following his switch from right corner to left. Michael Cleary was always dominant at full-back. Conor Doughan at midfield was also mighty. Seán Cleary is arguably the most improved hurler in Offaly at the moment and caught some mighty balls and drove forward. He is evidently benefitting from his time with the Offaly panel.

A fine goal from young Adrian Cleary gave Shinrone a lifeline. Rían Kelly was clattered in an ‘incident’ and was forced to move to the forwards before being taken off. Kelly was a loss to them. Then Rynagh’s moved Pat Camon from full-back to midfield and gaps began to appear in the Rynagh’s defence and Shinrone scored a string of points before half time to lead 1-10 to 0-6 at the break.

It seemed to me that Rynaghs’ solution to their many problems was to switch somebody, anybody and this resulted in a complete lack of shape as they grew more disorganised and a hungry Shinrone, now totally dominant in all sectors, found the gaps.

Shinrone came of age this evening. I can’t think of a bad hurler on the team, nor think of one who won’t possibly have a contribution to make at Senior level. After a hundred years of disappointments, of bad luck (the various stories from the 1960 Senior County Final can’t be beaten for pure ill-luck), of carelessness and of eejiting, they are now about to enter their golden era.

They may or may not win a County Senior title in that time. There will be days when they hurl well and lose, and there will be days when they snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But they certainly have the talent and for that they should be contesting Senior championships with Kilcormac, with Coolderry, with St Rynagh’s and with Birr. They deserve that much, at least.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Great win for Shinrone. As a football man with a limited knowledge of hurling, one can only look on and think that the emergence of Shinrone would be a good thing. They have some classy hurlers coming on and lets give a bit of credit to Daithi Regan whom I believe is training the u21s as well.
Hopefully the emergence of more contenders for Sean Robbins will help the overall contenders for the Offaly panel.

Much of a crowd there as a matter of huge interest?

[Toxicity234]

Congrts to Shinrone. They were excellent on the day. Morkan and Conor Doughan in midfield were outstanding they covered every blade of grass but there use of the ball was what set them apart. they didn't waste a ball all day.
The goal just after half time was the really kill blow and it was the kind of goal i love to see, them the ball broke to the full forward they wasn't a though of pick it up, just a great ground stroke and bang the game was over.
One of Shinrone selectors was in front of me on the sideline and even coming into the last few mins he was still shout at his players to hold there shape that always good to see.

Someday nothing goes right for a team and that what happen to St. Rynagh. i was disappointed that St. Rynagh were so poor.
Pat Camon was excellent for them but they moved him around so much they lost there shape and never had a chance. The quality of the ball going into the forwards was shocking, there forwards never had a chance.
For most of the second half Rynagh half back line played in midfield and robbed all the space from there own forward line and Shinrone full forward line had half the field to play.
Ethan Mannion was the only forward that look like he could change the game and look like he has a big future ahead of him.

The Offaly U21 play Laois in a little over a month there is the making of a good team

[townman]

looks like Ollie Baker could be under pressure from big Daithi

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Well done Shinrone... commiserations St Rynaghs
again great for Offaly I hope and this should make for a serious year in the Senior Championship.
Great reporting as always on here.
Many thanks