JJ Kavanagh Junior E Hurling League Final
St. Martins 1-18 Carlow Town 0-13
Despite being reduced to fourteen men for the entire second half, St Martin’s won the JJ Kavanagh Junior Hurling League E Final at Cloneen on Thursday evening 27/6/2024. Carlow Town had been the equal of the Muckalee/Ballyfoyle men in the first half and were just a single point behind at the interval, 0-8 to 0-7, and must have fancied their chances following a 28th minute red card to their opponents. However, the St Martin’s men took control after the break to record a deserved eight-point victory.
James Ingram opened the scoring in the first minute for Carlow Town, and, whilst this was the only time they led in the evening, they competed well throughout. In centre forward Alex Delaney, they had one of the players of the match. He recorded four fine points, three frees and one from play in the opening thirty minutes. Seven of their eight first half points came from play, the other was a Diarmuid Murphy point from a “65”.
For St Martin’s, James Dowling (0-3), veteran Johnny Maher (0-2), and single points from Damien Tynan, Ronan Shore, and a Ross Dowling “65” were their first half scorers.
Robbie Shore put St Martin’s two ahead at the start of the new half, but points from Oisin Pender and the excellent Delaney from a “65” left it 0-9 each after thirty-five minutes.
From here to the finish St Martin’s outscored the Carlow outfit 1-9 to 0-4. Substitute Aaron Farrell was the goalscorer, when he finished a long delivery by John Maher, to the Carlow Town net. The same player added two further points from play before the long whistle.
The St Martin’s mix of old and young showed great spirit throughout. Goalkeeper Niall Shore made at least four fine saves that wilted the Carlow challenge. Veteran player John Maher, a Kilkenny senior inter county panelist twenty years ago, was effective as always. Ross Dowling, Ronan Shore, and James Dowling were others to star.
Carlow Town competed well and tried everything to stay in the game. They used the spare man a a sweeper, and in the final ten minutes threw caution to the wind when chasing the game.
Credit is due to the Cloneen club for the staging of this game, with plenty of stewards and facilities looking spick and span.
Referee Brian Fox and his officials also performed well patrolling a very tough encounter.
St Martin’s
Niall Shore, Ciarán Fitzpatrick (captain), Matthew Shortall, Darragh Coughlan, Cormac Quirke, Ross Dowling (0-1 “65”), Adam Comerford, James Callanan, Damien Tynan (0-1), Joe Reid, James Dowling (0-4), Adrian Farrell, Ronan Shore (0-5, 0-3 frees), John Maher (0-4), Robert Shore (0-1).
Substitutes used: Patrick Coughlan for Damien Tynan, Jack Murphy for Darragh Coughlan, Aaron Farrell (1-2), Ciaran Brennan.
Rest Of Panel: Ciaran Brennan, Shane O’Neill, Patrick Brennan, Conor Dooley, James Maher, Tom Davis, Adam Morrissey, Michael Keane, Eoin Murphy, John Joe Kelly, Ewan Buggy, Josh Dempsey.
Carlow Town
Joe Bermingham, Conall McGuire, Cathal Ryan, Stephen Lacey, Lazzie Meaney (captain), Diarmuid Murphy, Sean Buggy, Adam Nolan, Mattie English Hayden (0-1), Gearoid Lacey (0-1), Alex Delaney (0-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 “65”), James Ingram (0-1), Brandon Farrell, Oisín Pender (0-1), Karol English.
Substitutes used: Cian Campion for Gearoid Lacey, Blake Holmes for Brandon Farrell, Ruairi Dunbar (0-1) for Mattie English Hayden, John Phirl for Oisin Pender, Jamie Ayres for Karol English.
Rest Of Panel – Adam Maher, Jason Kenny, Eoin Townsend, Brandon O’Reilly, Brandon Cassidy, Shaun Geoghegan, Tom Behan, Dylan McGrath, James Ingram
Pictures below – Both teams
Pat Cooney, chairman of the junior board presents the trophy to the St Martins Junior E league winning captain Ciaran Fitzpatrick.
Junior E league final captains Ciaran Fitzpatrick (St Martins) and Lazzie Meaney (Carlow Town) with referee Brian Fox.
JJ Kavanagh Junior F Hurling League Final
St. Lachtain’s 0-16 Young Irelands 0-14
St Lachtain’s, Freshford emerged two-point winners over Young Irelands, Gowran in an extremely competitive Junior F Hurling League Final at Palmerston on Sunday 30/6/2024.
The Freshford club were appearing in their fourth successive Junior F league final, having lost to Tullogher Rosbercon (2021) and Conahy Shamrocks (2022), before defeating Windgap in last year’s final. On this occasion the title could have gone either way, with never more than a couple of points between two evenly matched teams.
Matthew Durnam put Lachtain’s ahead in the opening minute, this was replied to a minute later by Jack Blagriff, from a free. Jack went on to prove a valuable player for Gowran, particularly from placed balls. James O’ Connor (SL) and Jim Conlan exchanged scores by the sixth minute, and this was the trend all through the opening half.
At the interval St Lachtain’s led 0-10 to 0-9, in a game played in lovely sunny conditions, before a fine attendance. Conor Dalton was scorer in chief for Freshford with six points, five of which came from frees.
The most important moment of the game arrived early in the new half. Gowran’s Michael Lennon was illegally tackled when close to goal, the award was a penalty, which was saved by Mark Nolan in the Freshford goal. While veteran Sean Kehoe added a point almost immediately to leave Young Irelands two points clear, this save would prove vital.
Young Irelands went 0-14 to 0-12 clear with a Sean Kehoe free in the 20th minute but Freshford finished the stronger, and three points from the excellent Conor Dalton (two frees) and a fine score from midfield by Matthew Durcan, saw the black and amber Freshford men home as two-point winners, after a fine sporting contest.
St Lachtain’s team & scorers:
Mark Nolan. Cathal Bowden, Luke Phelan, Jimmy Cantwell, Cian Leahy, Fergal Tobin, Caillin McCabe, Conor Dalton (0-10, 7 frees), Shay Burke, Matthew Durnan (0-3), Barry Hughes (0-1), James O’Connor (0-2), Jack Whitty, Evan Landers, Declan Killeen (Captain).
Substitutes:
Used – Ben Dermody
Rest of Panel – Sean Counihan, David Burke, Michael Farrell, Michael Kavanagh, Ger Dalton, Kevin Dalton, Darragh Quinn (injured).
Young Irelands team & scorers:
Peter Carroll (captain), Martin Carter, Thomas Drennan, CJ Delaney, David Langton, Jonny Dunphy Michael Lennon, Jim Conlon (0-2), Jack Blagriff (0-6, frees), David Drennan, Jody Foley, Paul Kinsella (0-1), Ciaran Kavanagh, Sean Kehoe (0-3, 1 free), Kieran Byrne (0-2).
Substitutes:
Used – Niall Walsh, David Holland, Eoin O’Neill, Jake Byrne.
Rest of Panel – Tommy Carroll, Stephen Heffernan, Luke O’Donnell, Michael Keating, Vincent Byrne, Kieran Phelan, Tim Brennan, Ken Knox, Jack Kennedy, Jack Glendon, Charlie Brennan.
Referee: John McCormack.
Pictures below – Both teams
Pat Cooney, chairman of the junior board presents the trophy to the St Lachtain’s Junior F league winning captain Declan Killeen.
Junior F league final captains Declan Killeen (St Lachtain’s) and Peter Carroll (Young Irelands) with referee John McCormack.
By John Power Wed 3rd Jul
