St Kieran’s win most dramatic Final
St Kieran’s College retained their Corn Uí Dhúill title after a pulsating battle with local rivals Kilkenny CBS at UPMC Nowlan Park. In a contest that had everything—goals, twists, and late drama—it ultimately took a penalty shootout to separate the sides.
With the tension at its peak, Cian Phelan stepped up to fire home the decisive penalty for St Kieran’s, adding to earlier successful strikes from Noah Manogue and Jake Mullen. While on the other side, CBS were unlucky from the spot, as Donnchadh Hennessy and Ollie O’Donovan sent their efforts over the bar, while Patrick Lacey saw his attempt well saved by Luke Lawlor.
It was a game in which both teams had delivered a breathtaking display of hurling. Twice, Kieran’s looked to have clinched victory—first at the end of normal time and again in extra-time—only for CBS to claw their way back with last-gasp goals from Patrick Lacey and Anthony Clifford.
CBS had started brightly, with O’Donovan and Lacey in particular causing havoc early on. However, somewhat against the run of play, John Fitzpatrick flicked in a crucial goal for St Kieran’s, ensuring the sides were level at the break on a scoreline of 1-09 to 0-12.
The second half saw Kieran’s hit the ground running, opening with three unanswered points through the impressive Noah Manogue and Ed Lauhoff. CBS, however, responded in style, with Lacey nailing five consecutive frees to push his side ahead.
As the game edged towards its conclusion, Jake Mullen, Manogue, and Ruairi Murphy pushed Kieran’s into what seemed to be a winning position, but Lacey, capping off a phenomenal individual performance, struck for a dramatic equalizing goal at the death.
Extra-time followed a similar pattern to the second half, with Kieran’s once again edging ahead by three points, only for CBS to strike back yet again. This time through a stunning goal from Anthony Clifford.
With time ticking away, Mullen and Lauhoff nudged Kieran’s back in front and looked to have secured victory. However, CBS once again refused to go quietly, forcing penalties after late scores from Clifford and an excellent individual effort from substitute Zak O’Halloran.
In the end, it was St Kieran’s who held their nerve in the shootout, finally breaking CBS’s resistance to claim yet another Corn Uí Dhúill crown in the most dramatic of fashions.
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.
S O’Shea for Drenna, Z O’Halloran for K.Barcoe, James Cleere for Purcell.
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.
E Cahill for McDermott, R Murphy for Brennan, D Coverdale for Raggett, C Phelan for Fitzpatrick.
P Lacey (1-12, 7F, 1 ’65), A Clifford (1-02), O O’Donovan (0-04), C Byrne, Z O’Halloran, J Dowling, P O’Brien (0-01 each).
N Manogue (0-13, 10F); E Lauhoff (0-04); J Mullen (0-04, 2F), J Fitzpatrick (1-00), S Deely, L Raggett, S Hayes, R Murphy (0-01 each).
