Kiladangan relishing chance to shine in Munster, says boss O’Meara

The Tipp kingpins missed out on competing at provincial level last time they won because of the pandemic.

BACK ON TOP: Kildangan manager John O’Meara.

John O’Meara has expressed his delight Kiladangan will be able to represent Tipperary in Munster this year having missed out as champions three years ago.

Due to the pandemic, the provincial championship was cancelled but the Sixmilebridge native, who was appointed manager in January, will lead the Puckane club against Clonlara in a Munster semi-final on November 19.

“There is a very good panel there and I’m delighted for them that they get a chance to go on to Munster because they didn’t get a chance in 2020 when they won it. Even to have family, while there was a small number of them here three years ago, the full parish was here today and it’s just brilliant for them.” 

To lose a final in which they had 20 scoring opportunities go abegging is something O’Meara can smile about now but he never felt like Kiladangan were under pressure.

Even though they didn’t go ahead for the first time until the second half, he felt they were playing the game more on their terms than in the drawn game. “We were at the pitch of it whereas I’d have felt two weeks ago we weren’t, we were chasing the game. We were level on 14 occasions and we only led twice so we equalised with them 10 times.

“When we went four points down with about 10 to go, we did need a score or two at that stage just not let it go five. Was I worried or panicky? I wasn’t but we did need a score and the next we rolled off two or three straight off, there’s only a point in it.

“We got it level and then up stepped Seán (Hayes’ goal). We had the free over here to put us three up again which we missed. We did make life difficult for ourselves and when I saw Ronan (Maher) going up the field, I said this could be Roy of the Rovers stuff but thankfully it wasn’t.” Needless to say, O’Meara wasn’t happy with his side’s shooting accuracy in the first half when they recorded 10 wides. “It was 10-2 compared to Thurles and we probably left two goals behind us, maybe a third. They got a good start with the goal and that but even when we were the five points down, I wasn’t overly worried because we were at the pitch of it. They were going either side of the post but at least we were getting them off.

“We spoke about it at half-time and just sharpening up a small bit with the hurling but we then gave up a couple of good scoring opportunities from play and from frees in the second half. We did make life difficult for ourselves coming down the home straight possibly.” 

Kiladangan will rightly enjoy this success but O’Meara has already thrown an eye over Clonlara. “From early out this year, they would’ve been the marked team in Clare as the team that was going to go on and win it. I saw them a few times in the early rounds and even against Sixmilebridge the day they played, there was just something different about them this year. They won a great championship, they beat a lot of good teams along the way to win it, and they were excellent (v Crusheen) last Sunday.”