Munster Club IHC: Watergrasshill see off Wolfe Tones to reach provincial final

Watergrasshill 2-20 

Wolfe Tones na Sionna (Clare) 2-13 

Watergrasshill overcame a slow start to overcome Clare’s Wolfe Tones na Sionna on Saturday and earn a place in the AIB Munster Club IHC final.

Having a conceded a goal inside ten seconds, the Hill – playing just six days after their Cork Premier IHC final win over Carrigaline – responded well and led by 1-11 to 1-6 at half-time, despite shooting 11 wides in the opening period.

The visitors closed to within two points on a couple of occasions in the second half and the turning point of the game came in the 44th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Aaron Cunningham was fouled Dylan Roche. However, following some retaliation and a long debate between the referee and a linesman, the penalty was overturned and both Roche and Cunningham were shown red cards.

Though Wolfe Tones’ Aron Shanagher had the next point after that, the Hill solidified their position through Shane O’Regan and first-half goalscorer Brendan Lehane before captain Desmond got the second goal, poking home after goalkeeper Oisín O’Rourke had first denied him.

That left it 2-17 to 1-12 with six minutes left and they were not going to be denied from there, moving forward to a meeting with Tipperary’s Cashel King Cormacs or Abbeydorney of Kerry.

They had to earn the win, though. Wolfe Tones struck an early blow as John Guilfoyle claimed possession from the throw-in and fed Aaron Cunningham, who fired a low shot to the net.

While the Hill had a response with an Adam Murphy point, scores from Evan O’Gorman and Cian O’Rourke had the Clare side leading by 1-2 to 0-1 after six minutes. Thankfull for the Hill, that was as perilous as their plight became.

Murphy’s frees had brought them to within a point, 1-3 to 0-5, by the 15th minute, when they hit the front as Lehane seized upon a break from a long delivery and carried the ball well before shooting past Oisín O’Rourke.

From there, they pushed on Murphy’s fifth made it 1-7 to 1-3 before Guilfoyle and Aron Shanagher had good points in reply for Wolfe Tones. However, another Hill surge – with Dáire O’Leary on song at centre-back – yielded four points, with goalkeeper Aiden Foley among the scorers with a huge free, and Liam Foley made it 1-11 to 1-5 in injury time before O’Rourke had the last score of the half in the 35th minute.

O’Rourke followed that by scoring in the 31st minute – immediately after the restart and another free from him, after a Shanagher’s second, left just two in it. Once more, the Hill remained composed, with a brace from Murphy giving them breathing space again.

It was the same after Shanagher and Dean Devaney left Tones 1-13 to 1-11 behind by the 39th minute – Murphy’s tally moved to ten points with another free and the Hill might have had another goal as Lehane drew a good save from Oisín O’Rourke but sub Ian O’Callaghan was on hand to ensure that they at least got a point from that passage of play.

Then came the pivotal penalty moment, just after Aaron Cunningham had gone close with a goal chance – only their second wide. Having negotiated that threat to their supremacy, the Hill saw the game out. Though Devaney did have a goal for Wolfe Tones as the game moved into injury time, even that only cut the deficit to seven, the same difference that pertained at the end after Murphy got his 12th point of the day.

Scorers for Watergrasshill: A Murphy 0-12 (0-8f 0-1 65), S Desmond 1-2, B Lehane 1-1, S O’Regan 0-2, A Foley (0-1f), L Foley, I O’Callaghan 0-1 each.

Wolfe Tones: A Shanagher (0-1f), C O’Rourke (0-3f), D Devaney 1-1, A Cunningham 1-0, J Guilfoyle, E O’Gorman 0-1 each.

WATERGRASSHILL: A Foley; S Field, D McCarthy, D Roche; M O’Driscoll, D O’Leary, K O’Neill; S O’Regan, A Spriggs; C O’Leary, A Murphy, L Foley; B Lehane, S Desmond, P O’Leary.

Subs: I O’Callaghan for Desmon (39-42), O’Callaghan for Field, A Cronin for Spriggs (44), P Cronin for Foley, C Healy for P O’Leary (both 51).

WOLFE TONES NA SIONNA: O O’Rourke; D Lohan, R Hayes, L Murphy; D Frawley, D Lohan, S Meaney; J Guilfoyle, D Devaney; S Donnellan, E O’Gorman, C Riordan; C O’Rourke, A Cunningham, A Shanagher.

Subs: G Carrig for Guilfoyle (injured), D O’Connell for Frawley (both half-time), M Hayes for C O’Rourke (51, injured), S Costelloe for O’Gorman (57), C Carrig for Meaney (60).

Referee: A Tierney (Tipperary).