Kilcormac/Killoughey edge past Birr to set up date with St Rynagh’s

St Rynagh’s and Kilcormac/Killoughey will clash in an Offaly SHC final for the first time after they registered penultimate round victories over Shinrone and Birr, respectively, in Tullamore yesterday.

Neither encounter set pulses racing, however, but the curtain-raiser was closely fought out and it was second-half sub Killian Leonard who was the hero, landing the decisive injury-time point as Danny Owens-managed Kilcormac/Killoughey edged out Birr 1-11 to 0-13.

The Double Ks, who last reached the final in 2009, deservedly led 1-7 to 0-4 at the interval, the goal slammed home by Conor Mahon in the 20th minute.

Ciaran Slevin and Peter Geraghty picked off some decent points and on the stroke of half-time Mahon drilled a glorious goal opportunity wide of Brian Mullins’ upright.

Trailing 0-8 to 1-8, wind-aided Birr, who amassed five second wides to none for the winners in the same spell, had a 42nd minute Sean Ryan goal correctly disallowed for a square infringement.

Birr picked up fine points from Paul Cleary and sub Michael Dwane to help claw back into contention and when Rory Hanniffy equalised, 0-13 to 1-10, in the 55th minute, it looked like the four-time All-Ireland club winners might snatch an unlikely victory but K/K, held their nerve though.

In the second encounter, Stephen Quirke’s brace of stunning goals ensured 16-time Offaly SHC winners St Rynagh’s triumphed 3-12 to 0-15 to book their place in a first final since 2001 at Shinrone’s expense.