Offaly SHC Final: Kilcormac-Killoughey retain title

Offaly SHC Final

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-24 Shinrone 2-14

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

A devastating second quarter from Kilcormac-Killoughey left Shinrone with a mountain to climb in the Offaly senior hurling final, but an heroic effort from the South Offaly club almost got them there as they came from 11 points down to trail by a single point before Kilcormac-Killoughey came with a strong finish to retain their title.

Charlie Mitchell crowned his man of the match performance with an injury time goal that he placed perfectly just a foot inside the bottom right corner of the Shinrone net to clinch K-K’s three-in-a-row, and those tiny margins that make all the difference will haunt Shinrone as they think back to Jason Sampson’s rasping shot that crashed off the crossbar midway through the second half.

Even the most partisan followers of Shinrone will admit, however, that when Kilcormac-Killoughey produced their best hurling in the lead up to half-time, it left them trailing in their wake.

Adam Landy and Killian Sampson picked off some excellent points for the underdogs as they went blow-for-blow with Kilcormac-Killoughey in a lively opening quarter, taking an 0-5 to 0-4 lead after 13 minutes of play.

The K-K full-back line was holding firm with just one shot on a goal – a wide – coming from the Shinrone inside forwards, but out the field Sampson was at the heart of a solid Shinrone display in the trenches.

Then Kilcormac-Killoughey stepped it up, and while there was a real threat that the TG4 cameras would be there to witness a clinic rather than a contest, it was impossible to do anything but admire the crisp and clinical hurling of the 2024 AIB Leinster finalists.

Daniel Hand picked off two points of his own and played a key role in a wonderful team score that was converted by Colin Spain, while the sight of corner-back Tom Spain – a rare contributor to the scoresheet – bouncing off a tackle and splitting the uprights from midfield just before half-time, must have convinced the crowd of just over 4,000 that there would only be one winner as it rounded off a half in which K-K took 20 shots on goal and led by 0-17 to 0-7.

To Shinrone’s immense credit, they conceded the first score of the second half to Mitchell but dug their heels in from there, starting from much better play in their own defence.

Jason Sampson set up Eoin Bailey O’Brien for a goal that felt like a lifebuoy to a drowning team, and they didn’t waste that shot of adrenaline, chipping away at the lead over the next 15 minutes. Ciarán Cleary came off the bench to give them a big target for high ball and his presence yielded a point of his own and was crucial to Seán Cleary hitting a second goal.

With two minutes of normal time remaining there was still just a point between the teams but the effort involved in chasing down that lead took a toll on Shinrone as Adam Screeney shot over his only two points from play, before Mitchell delivered a surgeon’s finish after getting in behind the Shinrone defence and squeezing a low shot underneath Eamonn Cleary. That score wrapped up a seventh county senior titles in all for a club that just 13 years ago, made their first ever breakthrough at this level.

Scorers for Kilcormac-Killoughey: Charlie Mitchell 1-5, Adam Screeney 0-4 (2fs), Damien Kilmartin 0-3, Conor Slevin 0-3f, Daniel Hand 0-2, Colin Spain 0-2, Cillian Kiely 0-1, Enda Grogan 0-1, Conor Mahon 0-1, Tom Spain 0-1, Alex Kavanagh 0-1.

Scorers for Shinrone: Donal Morkan 0-6 (6fs), Adam Landy 0-3, Killian Sampson 0-3, Eoin Bailey O’Brien 1-0, Seán Cleary 1-0, Eamon Cleary 0-1f, Ciarán Cleary 0-1.

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Conor Slevin; James Mahon, Jordan Quinn, Tom Spain; Cillian Kiely, Brecon Kavanagh, Enda Grogan; Colin Spain, Damien Kilmartin; Jack Screeney, Conor Mahon, Daniel Hand; Charlie Mitchell, James Gorman, Adam Screeney.

Subs: Alex Kavanagh for Gorman (39), Leigh Kavanagh for Hand (47), Ter Guinan for Grogan (52), Peter Geraghty for Mahon (59), Mark Mulrooney for J Screeney (60+3).

Shinrone: Eamonn Cleary; Darren Crean, Michael Cleary, Darragh Landy; Dan Doughan, Killian Sampson, Dara Maher; Adrian Cleary, Luke Watkins; Donal Morkan, Adam Landy, DJ McLoughlin; Paul Cleary, Jason Sampson, Eoin Bailey O’Brien.

Subs: Peter Cleary for Crean (HT), Ciarán Cleary for Bailey O’Brien (37), Seán Cleary for Paul Cleary (37), Declan Cleary for A Cleary (52), Gearóid Maher for McLoughlin (59).

Referee: Adam Kinahan (Clodiagh Gaels).