Late Cleary free caps Kilruane’s comeback against Borris-Ileigh
DRIVING ON: Thomas Cleary of Kilruane MacDonaghs. Pic: Eóin Noonan, Sportsfile
A late Willie Cleary free was the winning score as Kilruane MacDonaghs defeated Borris-Ileigh in the second round of the Tipperary senior hurling championship on Friday evening.
It’s two wins on the bounce for the Magpies who scored six of the game’s last seven points to secure the victory.
The strong Dolla breeze helped Thomas Williams’ side in those closing stages but eventual man-of-the-match Thomas Cleary was just as influential as the elements with two fine late scores from play.
Borris-Ileigh had gone into the break leading by five points on a score-line of 0-11 to 0-6 but that cushion was wiped out immediately after half-time when Niall O’Meara scored a goal reminiscent of his strike in the 2019 All-Ireland senior hurling final for Tipperary.
It came straight from the throw-in with cornerback James Cleary the provider but O’Meara had it all to do, dummying and finishing brilliantly.
Kieran Maher was Borris-Ileigh’s best performer in a first half where a number of Kilruane’s efforts tailed wide in the wind, including frees from the usually metronomic Cleary.
Eddie Ryan hardly missed down the other end with corner back Colm Boyle and the sweeping Brendan Maher scoring rakers from distance.
O’Meara’s solo goal gave Kilruane hope on the resumption but it was immediately cancelled out with the concession of a cheap penalty which Eddie Ryan buried low and hard.
Ryan and Cleary exchanged frees before James Cleary raided forward for a score of his own.
Craig Morgan used the wind to his benefit scoring a point from distance before a tour-de-force from long-time Tipperary team-mates Dan McCormack and the brilliant Brendan Maher helped John Connors’ side back into a four-point lead with ten minutes to go.
Conor Austin kickstarted the Kilruane revival with an effort from play before Cleary came into his own with two quickfire scores, one as good as the next. By now, his brother Willie Cleary was nailing the frees while the lively Cian Darcy notched his second.
Borris-Ileigh had a penalty shout waved away but Eddie Ryan levelled the game up with the resulting 21.
Kilruane won a free in the far corner as the game ticked into injury-time and while the angle was difficult, Willie Cleary had the eye in at this stage.
He nailed it, sending them flying high to the top of the group. Borris-Ileigh protested to the ref for blowing the game up before the conclusion of their last attack, but he'd made his decision and Kilruane had the points.
W Cleary (0-8, 7f), N O’Meara (1-0), T Cleary (0-3), C Darcy (0-2), C Austin (0-1), C Morgan (0-1), J Cleary (0-1), J Cahill (0-1), S McAdams (0-1)
E Ryan (1-9, 1-0 pen, 8f, 165), C Kenny (0-2), Kieran Maher (0-2), D McCormack (0-2), B Maher (0-1), C Boyle (0-1)
P Williams; E Hogan, K Cahill, J Cleary; P Ryan, C Morgan, A Morgan; J Cahill, C Austin; W Cleary, N O’Meara, K O’Kelly; S McAdams, T Cleary, C Darcy.
J Williams for P Ryan (43)
J McCormack, C Boyle, S Burke, J McGrath; R McCormack, D McCormack, L Ryan; T Ryan, Kieran Maher; P McCormack, E Ryan, C Kenny; Kevin Maher, B Maher, T Delaney.
S McCormack for Kevin Maher (24)
John Dooley (Thurles Gaels)
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