Heroic Hickey points Cashel to victory

Cashel C.S 2-17 Thurles CBS 3-8

That Cashel prevailed in the end was due in large measure to the fact that of the many gifted young players on view, in Darragh Hickey they had the best of the lot.

The centre-forward, a county minor with Tipperary, ended the game with a dozen points to his credit, five from play, six truly-struck frees on a difficult, windy day, one a 65.

A true star in the making, it was fitting that along with regular team captain Nigel Hayes, injured for this game, he was the one who should accept the Fitzgerald Cup.

Thurles trailed at the half by five points, 2-5 to 1-3, and it looked like the second half would be just damage-limitation.

With three points on the trot however to begin the second half, the reference to Tipperary’s league final loss to Kilkenny, having led by eight points with only ten minutes left, looked to be well off the mark.

Those scores, two from Hickey, one from corner-forward Paddy Ivers, put Cashel eight points clear, and cruising. Twenty minutes gone, that lead was extended to nine, when Thurles finally woke up. Brian Barrett came in to stiffen the defence, Andy Sweeney and Barry O’Loughlin added punch up front, corner-forward Miceal Butler broke free of the clutches of John Dwyer, but the real leadership came from team captain Joe Dixon, with Brian Moran not far behind.

With goals from Dixon and Moran, points from Butler and increasingly influential half-backs Tom King and Liam Devane, Thurles reduced the deficit to four points, 2-15 to 3-8.

We were now in injury-time, and there would be plenty of that. Step forward Darragh Hickey, and his two points, the last scores of a fine game, which made it safe for Cashel.

Scorers for Cashel: D. Hickey 0-12 (0-6 frees, 0-1 65); P. O’Dwyer 1-1; E. Shine 1-1; A.J. Maher, P. Ivers, M. Harding, 0-1 each.

Thurles: B. Moran 1-1; R. O’Gorman 1-0; J. Dixon 1-0; M. Butler 0-2; T. Hennessey 0-2; S. Lillis (free), L. Devane, T. King (free), 0-1 each.

CASHEL C.S: J. Dudley; J. Dwyer, M. Heelan, P. Hayes; T. Hewitt, J. Heffernan, D. McCarthy; J. Hayes, J. McCarthy; P. O’Dwyer, D. Hickey, M. Harding; A.J. Maher, E. Shine, P. Ivers.

THURLES CBS: B. Donovan; D. Patterson, K. Shortall, M. Collins; L. Devane, T. King, E. Ryan; S. Lillis, J. Dixon; T. Hennessey, R. O’Gorman, T. Hassett; M. Butler, D. Kirby, B. Moran.

Subs: A. Sweeney (Hassett 23); B. Barrett (Kirby 33); B. O’Loughlin (Hennessey 42); P. Kelly 59).

Referee: W. Barrett.