Castlemagner 1-16

St Oliver Plunkett’s 0-14

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

WINNERS in 2023, St Oliver Plunkett’s bid to regain the confined county junior B hurling championship crown was brought to an end by Castlemagner in a gripping semi-final at Coachford on Sunday.

Never more than two points separated the protagonists and the prospect of extra-time loomed large until the Duhallow side bagged the game’s only goal, courtesy of centre-forward Danny Linehan, in the 59th minute.

That made it 1-14 to 0-14, prompting the winners to produce the stronger finish and leaving Plunkett’s to reflect ruefully on the profligacy that saw them accumulate 14 wides.

‘The wides probably cost us in the end, as well as the goal they got with about five minutes to play, but I’d be very proud of the lads, because they came from two points down to get back level against the wind in the last quarter,’ Plunkett’s coach Conor O’Driscoll agreed.

‘I thought we played well overall, and I know we can recover from this disappointment to give it our best shot in the inter-divisional county championship later in the year.’

Plunketts began brightly, with free-taker Darragh Murphy, Roy O’Driscoll and Michael Keohane sharing a hat-trick of points inside six minutes after Conor Jones had opened the scoring for Castlemagner.

While Jones was an obvious thorn in Plunkett's defence before the break, Castlemagner never threatened a goal, whereas the Ahiohill men went close to bagging a brace.

With the teams tied at 0-4 apiece, impressive full-forward Roy O’Driscoll did find the net in the 15th minute, but the score was disallowed after he was deemed to have fouled his marker in winning possession on the left wing.

It was a marginal call, and Plunkett’s endured further frustration three minutes later when Conor McCarthy was narrowly off-target with a goal chance.

The Carbery side enjoyed the better of matters territorially when backed by the wind in the first half, but they promised more than they achieved up front where Darragh Murphy’s accuracy from placed balls provided their main source of penetration.

Roy O’Driscoll and Conor McCarthy did make their presence felt intermittently, with the latter, after plucking a clearance by full-back Gary McCarthy from the clouds, posting a spectacular point from out near the touchline to nudge them back in front, 0-5 to 0-4, in the 21st minute.

An O’Driscoll point in the 28th minute was another one of the highlights in the first half.

After Conor Jones had the last word for Castlemagner to make it 0-8 apiece at the interval, it seemed as if Plunkett’s would have their work cut out to survive against the wind in the second half.

They showed no signs of wilting, however, as a ding-dong battle for supremacy unfolded during the third quarter.

Plunkett’s resolve was put to the test after Castlemagner midfielder Cian Cronin landed his fifth point from play to make it 0-14 to 0-12 in the 52nd minute.

They responded admirably, with points from Conor McCarthy and Darragh Murphy bringing them back on terms before Danny Linehan’s late goal sealed their fate.

OUR STAR: Gary McCarthy hardly put a foot astray at full back for Plunkett’s, Roy O’Driscoll was their leading light up front, but Cian Cronin, in shooting five points from play, was a key player at midfield for the winners.

Scorers 

Castlemagner: C Jones 0-7 (3f); C Cronin 0-5; D Linehan 1-1; M O’Sullivan, S Tobin, J Carver 0-1 each.

St Oliver Plunkett’s: D Murphy 0-6 (5f); R O’Driscoll 0-3; C McCarthy 0-2; M Keohane, A Lehane, M Crowley 0-1 each.

Castlemagner: E Aherne; C O’Keeffe, D Murphy, C Taylor; J Rahilly, C Murphy, D Lucey; C Cronin, J Carver; S Tobin, D Linehan, C O’Sullivan; C Jones, E O’Sullivan, M O’Sullivan.

St Oliver Plunkett’s: C Lyons; E McCarthy, G McCarthy, J O’Neill; C Dullea, B Walsh, S White; M Crowley, N O’Driscoll; C McCarthy, D Murphy, M Collins; M Keohane, R O’Driscoll, A Lehane.

Subs: B Dowling for O’Neill (ht), E McKennedy for Collins (40), E Donegan for E McCarthy (53), S Gazdar for Lehane (62).

Referee: John Horgan (Gleann na Laoi).