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St Kieran's win Masita Croke Cup thriller

Kierans.

Kierans.

Masita Croke Cup Final

ST KIERAN'S, KILKENNY 5-19 PRESENTATION ATHENRY 3-17

After extra-time

St Kieran’s College are All-Ireland champions again, but the famed Kilkenny school had to use all of their experience to get their hands on the Croke Cup for a 22nd time.

The Saints needed extra-time to get the better of a dogged Presentation Athenry in a see-saw battle at Semple Stadium. With six minutes of normal time left they trailed Kieran’s by nine points (3-12 to 0-12) but, incredibly, they rattled off three goals in quick succession to force the additional 20 minutes.

Eoin O’Donnell gave Athenry hope when he scrambled the sliotar home in the 55th minute, a belief that grew when Mark Kennedy raised another green flag 60 seconds later.

Kieran’s were hanging on at that stage, but were caught on the line when, deep into injury-time, Eoin O’Donnell pounced to flick the sliotar home after goalkeeper Dean Mason had saved Shane Quirke’s shot (3-12 to 3-12).

That run might have flattened some teams, but not Kieran’s. They traded points with the Pres in the early stages, then took a decisive step when subSTITUTE Jamie Young rifled a ground shot to the net after Ciaran Brennan’s effort was saved by Patrick Rabbitte. They didn’t stop there; points from Adrian Mullen and Conor Kelly (65) saw Kieran’s lead by five at half-time in extra-time (4-16 to 3-14). They would not look back.

Kieran’s were quick to find their rhythm in the early stages of the game, charging ahead with points from Eoin O’Shea, Ciaran Brennan, Conor Kelly and Adrian Mullen (free) but they were guilty of conceding too many frees.

That was a lifeline for Athenry. Mark Kennedy showed his accuracy, converting three in a matter of minutes to leave the sides level after 12 minutes (0-4 to 0-4).

With Kennedy adding a 65 the Galway side edged their way ahead soon after, but the lead didn’t last long. Frees from Kelly and Mullen pushed Kieran’s back in front. Another Kennedy 65 levelled the game again, but then Kieran’s stepped up the pace.

Three goals in five minutes saw the hungry Saints stamp their authority on the game. Captain Daithi Barron scored the first, soloing in to blast to the net in the 21st minute, before Ciaran Brennan tore through the Athenry defence to add a second. When David O’Carroll bagged the third, firing home on the rebound after Mullen’s shot was stopped, the Saints were on a roll. At half-time they trooped in 10 points to the good (3-7 to 0-6). Athenry looked in trouble.

Things didn’t get any better for the Connacht side early in the second half. By the 35th minute they were 12 points in arrears (3-10 to 0-7) but as the half wore on they got back into the game, Kennedy (2), Adam Brett and Eoin Caulfield chipping away at the deficit with some valuable points. That gave them the heart to drive on and draw level late on.

Athenry weren’t as fortunate in the second half of extra-time. Having been reeled in once before Kieran’s made sure it wouldn’t happen again. Points from Conor Kelly (2) and Ciaran Brennan increased their lead, before Brennan added the final nail to the Athenry coffin with a low 77th minute shot that crept inside the far post.

**Scorers for Kieran’s College: **Ciaran Brennan 2-1, Adrian Mullen 0-7 (2fs) Conor Kelly 0-7 (2fs, 165), Daithi Barron 1-2, David O’Carroll and Jamie Young 1-0 each, Eoin O’Shea and Ian Walsh 0-1 each.

**Scorers for Presentation Athenry: **Mark Kennedy 1-9 (5fs, 265s) Adam Brett 2-1, T.J. Brennan 0-3, Ian McGlynn (f) ,Cillian Lawless, Eoin Caulfield, Conor Walsh 0-1 each.

ST KIERAN'S: Dean Mason, Tommy Ronan, Conor Murphy, Mark Nolan, Diarmuid Phelan, Jesse Roberts, Luke Murphy, Killian Egan, Adrian Mullen, Eoghan Moylan, Eoin O’Shea, Daithi Barron, Conor Kelly, Ciaran Brennan, David O’Carroll.

Subs: George Murphy for O’Carroll (36) Ian Walsh for Moylan (47) Jamie Young for O’Shea (49) Eoin Cody for Barron (52) Eoin Kenneally for Cody (61)

**PRESENTATION ATHENRY: **Patrick Rabbitte, Adam Clarke, Conor Lee, Eoin Lawless, Karl Conneely, Conor Walsh, T.J. Brennan, Shane Quirke, Jason Reilly, Eoin O’Donnell, Adam Brett, Brion Connolly, Mark Kennedy, Cillian Lawless, Eoin Caulfield.

Subs: Oisin Salmon for O’Donnell (43), Ian McGlynn for Reilly (48), Bobby Concannon for Connolly (59), Brion Connolly for Quirke (71) Brandon Lee for Lawless (73), Dara Coleman for Walsh (76).

REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).