Wolfe Tones win second junior hurling title with ease
Wolfe Tones revel in their Junior Championship success Photo: Michael Anderson
Wolfe Tones claimed their second UPMC Junior Hurling title in three years when they easily overcame Kilcock in the Final at a breezy Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Saturday afternoon. Playing with the stiff breeze in the first half the Sallins/Kill combination got into their stride early on and registered four points to Kilcock’s one inside the opening eight minutes with sharpshooters, David Cronin, Jack Couch and Mark Kiernan, getting the scoreboard in operation with Kilcock’s sole reply coming from impressive midfielder, Tom McLoughlin. Within the space of a further ten minutes, Tones had more or less put the game beyond Kilcock’s reach as they fired in two goals. The opening goal of the game came on eleven minutes from lively corner forward, Kiernan, son of Tones manager, Luke Kiernan, and goal number two arrived courtesy of wing forward, Aaron Carney seven minutes later.
“Our inside forward line are very good and we know there’s goals in them,” he said. “They’re young, they’re 23, 21 and 20 but there’s a lot of talent in there and if we get good ball into them there’s goals in them,” said manager Kiernan after the game.
A brilliant sideline cut from McLoughlin and a pointed free from nineteen-year-old Gavin Kenny, just about kept the Kilcock scoreboard ticking over. Couch, Cronin and full forward, Gavin Egan, all contributed as Tones outscored Kilcock 0-6 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half. The two Kilcock scores came from Kenny, one from a free and one from play. Wolfe Tones turned over 2-11 to 0-5 in front as they faced the breeze for the second half.
Kilcock manager, Alan Bourke, rang the changes, introducing four substitutes at half time and his side started the brighter with a point inside thirty seconds from one of those substitutes, Sean Nolan, son of former Confey and Kildare player, Darragh Nolan. Kilcock needed a goal but the goal went the other way as Jack Couch pounced to finish past Patrick Barker two minutes after the restart. Any chance of a Kilcock comeback seemed remote now even though they fought gallantly throughout.
“At half time we said that the third quarter was the most important quarter in every game. We settled well enough; they got a point and then we got a goal. That was tough on them as they needed a bit of momentum going in the second half,” said Kiernan Gavin Kenny kept bringing the fight to Tones with points from play and frees but Jack Couch, in particular, kept them at bay with points from play, from frees and a ’65. Second half substitute, Daragh McMahon, added Tones fourth goal in the 52nd minute but there was to be a goal in Kilcock after all.
Deep in injury time a puck out from Patrick Bolger was fielded by Dylan Morrow and his shot from distance deceived everyone and trickled into the back of Niall Gorry’s net. Top scorer, Jack Couch, finished off the scoring for the day and Wolfe Tones emerged as convincing winners and will now ply their trade at intermediate level in 2027 although as an amalgamated team they will not be able to represent Kildare in the Leinster Junior Club Championship this year.
“We have a really good squad and we probably have 22 players that should be starting and that’s brilliant. It makes it competitive and it’s a great position to be in. Now we are up to the second standard in Kildare, we’re up into intermediate championship so that’s where we want to be,” concluded Kiernan.
Niall Gorry; Stephen Moran, Ciaran O’Gorman, Ronan Forde; Jack Heading, Paddy McGrath, Cillian Power; Jack Fogarty, Fionn Doyle 0-1; Jack Couch 1-6 (0-1f, 0-1’65), Vinny Teehan, Aaron Carney 1-1; Mark Kiernan 1-2, Conor Egan 0-2, David Cronin 0-4(2f).
Simon Hughes for Aaron Carney 47, Daragh McMahon 1-0 for Vinny Teehan 56, Harry Younge for Ronan Forde 59, Kevin Foley 0-1 for David Cronin 59, Conor Hayes for Mark Kiernan 59.
Patrick Barker; Oisin Miley, Sean Miley, Pádraig Norris; Cillian Nolan, Niall Doolan, Daire McNickle; Tom McLoughlin 0-2 (1sl), Dylan Morrow 1-0; Joe Fitzmaurice, James Murphy, Gavin Kenny 0-7 (5f); Luke Bourke, Ben Mulligan 0-3, John Quane.
Evan O’Brien for Pádraig Norris 25, Colin Kyne Delaney for Oisin Miley H/T, Glen O’Brien for Cillian Nolan H/T, Sean Nolan 0-1 for James Murphy H/T, Conor Byrne for Niall Doolan 46.
Owen Murphy
