St Kieran’s College retain Leinster PPS Senior Hurling title with penalty shoot-out win over Kilkenny CBS

CHAMPIONS AGAIN: St Kieran’s College are back-to-back Leinster PPS Senior Hurling Champions after coming through a titanic struggle with near neighbours Kilkenny CBS in UPMC Nowlan Park. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

St Kieran’s College 1-25 Kilkenny CBS 2-22 (After Extra Time)

St Kieran’s win 3-0 on penalties

St Kieran’s College are back-to-back Leinster PPS Senior Hurling Champions after coming through a titanic struggle with near neighbours Kilkenny CBS in UPMC Nowlan Park.

The game which was played in front of a big attendance was an end-to-end thriller with penalties eventually needed to see Brian Dowling’s side over the line.

Cian Phelan netted the winning penalty for Kieran’s with Noah Manogue and Jake Mullen also hitting the target. That was in great contrast to the Kilkenny CBS effort as Donnchadh Hennessy and Ollie O’Donovan fired over the bar while Patrick Lacey saw his strike well saved by Luke Lawlor.

In many ways it was the most unfortunate way to decide the game as both teams produced an exhibition of hurling with the result always in doubt.

Twice Kierans looked like they had done enough when leading in stoppage time at the end of both normal and extra-time but CBS showed huge resolve to bounce back as Patrick Lacey and Anthony Clifford fired in last gasp goals.

The defeated side looked the better team early on with Lacey and Ollie O’Donovan both tormenting Kierans until John Fitzpatrick flicked in a goal against the run of play to ensure the sides went into the break on level terms (1-9 to 0-12).

Kierans then hit the opening three points of the second half with the James Stephens pair of Noah Manogue and Ed Lauhoff starring before CBS bounced back by hitting the next five points with Patrick Lacey getting them all via frees.

With Jake Mullen moving further forward and Manogue and Ruairi Murphy adding to the Kierans tally, the side in black and white looked like they did enough but Lacey had other ideas as he crowned an incredible individual display when netting the equalising goal with time just about up.

Extra-time proved to be tight and tactical but Kierans' strength in depth appeared to be coming to the fore when they again retook a three-point lead. But history repeated itself when Kilkenny minor star Anthony Clifford scored CBS’s second goal of the day.

The game still wasn’t over at that stage though with Jake Mullen and Ed Lauhoff edging Kierans back in front but CBS remained defiant until the end with efforts from Clifford and Zak O’Halloran forcing the game to penalties and it was only then that St Kieran’s College found a way home.

Scorers for St Kieran's College: N Manogue (0-13, 10fs); E Lauhoff (0-4); J Mullen (0-4, 2fs); J Fitzpatrick (1-0); S Deely, L Raggett, S Hayes, R Murphy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilkenny CBS: P Lacey (1-12, 7fs, 1 '65); A Clifford (1-2); O O'Donovan (0-4); C Byrne, Z O'Halloran, J Dowling, P O'Brien (0-1 each).

St Kieran's College: L Lawlor; M Rohan, E Murphy, C Brophy; S Hayes, J Mullen, D Barcoe; E Lauhoff, L Raggett; J Conlon, S Deely, N Manogue; B McDermott, C Brennan, J Fitzpatrick.

Subs: E Cahill for McDermott (41); R Murphy for Brennan (41); D Coverdale for Raggett (47); C Phelan for Fitzpatrick (51).

Kilkenny CBS: D McCormack; M Bolger, O Henderson, C Barcoe; K Barcoe, J Dowling, P Purcell; D Hennessy, P O'Brien; C Byrne, P Lacey, N Drennan; Z Scanlon, A Clifford, O O'Donovan.

Subs: S O'Shea for Drennan (33); Z O'Halloran for K.Barcoe (54); James Cleere for Purcell (59).

Referee: Michael Cleere (Laois).