Relieved Birr squeeze into quarter-finals as Kinnitty end great year with heads held high

BIRR'S muted, subdued response on the final whistle told its own story as they had to dig deep but did just enough to squeeze out Kinnitty for a quarter-final place in the Senior Hurling Championship at wind swept Crinkle on Sunday afternoon.

Molloy Precast Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 4

Birr 0-16

Kinnitty 0-12

On icy ground after a bad defeat to Shinrone the previous week, Birr would have been gone with a defeat but an excellent defensive display and an almost routine shooting exhibition from Eoghan Cahill got them home.

It was a case of a job done for Birr, a solid, hard working efficient display but the fact that considerable improvement is necessary if they are to end their long famine will not have been lost on anyone present.

The defeat brings an end to a great year for Kinnitty and they have moved well beyond patronising platitudes about bravery and punching above their weight. They have done terrifically well this year and their main aim at the start would have been to secure senior status. They achieved this but they played much better than that and this was a bitterly disappointing defeat for them. They were not far away from the win and they certainly had their chances.

Kinnitty had to get a goal to win and the best chances of this game fell to them. Their tale of woe included a third minute penalty that Sean Thompson saved superbly from Shane Kinsella. Kinsella was the unluckiest player on the field. He was superb in the first half, scoring three points but on a different day he would have matched that hat-trick of points with a hat-trick of goals.

He hit the side netting with a decent chance in the 16^th minute and was very unfortunate not to find the net a minute from time when his intuitive flick almost found the net but was just scrambled out for a '65' by a frantic Birr defence. Birr were four points up at that stage and a goal would have brought a Kinnitty snatch and grab raid onto the table as a possibility.

It was a fiercely fought dog eat dog encounter. It made for very entertaining viewing with a swirling wind making things tricky, no matter who it favoured.

Birr's defence scarcely put a foot wrong while Eoghan Cahill once again delivered the goods. He got nine of their points and with the wind on his back in the second half, he got some fantastic long range ones. His shooting was flawless and distance was no obstacle – he didn't mind one bit when asked to bring the ball back for one well into the second half and could have got away with stealing a few metres that time as the linesman was uncertain about where the referee intended it to be struck from. That one was only a few metres into his own half and with Cahill having converted a couple from much further out earlier on, it was as close to a dead cert as you could get.

He didn't reach double figures on this occasion and full marks to Kinnitty for that. As a unit, they knew the penalty for fouling and were very disciplined in their tackling, working hard not to cough up soft frees – this responsibility fell to forwards as much as defenders and their discipline was very admirable.

Apart from Cahill and Emmet Nolan who floated over three delightful points, the Birr attack struggled again but their work ethic was there in spades and that was important. Players such as Ailbe Watkins and Ian Kerin fought tigerishly for everything and as a unit, Birr's work ethic was present.

With the first use of the breeze, Kinnitty started well and were 0-3 to 0-1 up after eight minutes. A Colm Mulrooney point and Cahill free levelled it up by the 12^th minute and the remainder of the first half was remarkably even. The teams were level three more times with Cahill's only point from play, a quality strike, sending them in at 0-7 each at the break.

We were uncertain of how much the wind was worth but Birr were definite favourites with it on their backs in the second half and so it proved. It was 0-8 each after 32 minutes but Birr hit their best form to strike five of the next six points for a 0-13 to 0-9 lead with nine minutes to go.

With every score so hard earned, a four point lead was a huge one at this stage but Kinnitty showed real character to hang in there. Two James Dempsey points brought the gap back to two but Birr got the next two, a Lochlann Quinn strike from play after a sloppy James Hardiman ball, and a Cahill free to restore their four point lead with two minutes left.

Kinnitty got some dangerous ball in late on and it almost paid off when Kinsella created that chance out of nothing. James Hardiman got the '65' but the losers never threatened a goal again and Emmet Nolan's third point helped Birr across the line.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ben Miller (Birr): Ben Miller gave a master class of defensive play at full back for Birr. The Offaly U-20 hero was rock solid. He made crucial interceptions, won hard ball and cleared very well. His unseen work was as important, the hooks and flicks, the blocks, the tackles that stopped raiding forwards in their tracks. He was on James Dempsey for a good bit of it and while Kinnitty threatened danger in around the goalmouth early on, Miller's excellence ensured that it became a no go zone.

Brendan Murphy and Barry Harding also starred in the Birr defence, doing their best work when the pressure was on in the first half. Emmet Nolan was Birr's best forward while Eoghan Cahill's unerring shooting was pivotal to the win.

Paddy Delaney had a fantastic game in the Kinnitty defence, showing great leadership in the second half. James Hardiman also did very well at the back while Danny Flanagan, Conor Meaney and Shane Kinsella also impressed for them.

It was a pity to see a Kinnitty mentor having angry words with a player after the game. It was impossible to know what the issue was but the words were exchanged and this was not a day for that type of recrimination.

THE SCORERS

Birr: Eoghan Cahill 0-9 (7f and 1 sideline), Emmet Nolan 0-3, Colm Mulrooney, Luke Nolan, Ailbe Watkins, Lochlann Quinn 0-1 each.

Kinnitty: James Dempsey 0-5 (5f), Shane Kinsella 0-3, James Hardiman 0-2 (2 '65s'), Danny Flanagan and Conor Hardiman 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BIRR: Sean Thompson; Cian Nolan, Ben Miller, Padraic Watkins; Barry Harding, Brendan Murphy, Joe Ryan; Colm Mulrooney, Lochlann Quinn; Eoghan Cahill, Luke Nolan, Morgan Watkins; Ailbe Watkins, Ian Kerin, Emmet Nolan. Sub – Jimmy Irwin for Luke Nolan (60m).

KINNITTY: Niall Corrigan; Willie Molloy, Paddy Rigney, Patrick Dooley; James Hardiman, Paddy Delaney, Brian Coughlan; Danny Flanagan, James Dempsey; Conor Meaney, Peadar Robinson, Aodhan Kealey; Shane Kinsella, Conor Hardiman, Eoghan Callaghan.. Subs – Odhran Kealey for Callaghan (HT), Cathal Robinson for Aodhan Kealey (HT), Shane Ryan for Robinson (54m).

Referee – Declan Cooke (Crinkill).

REFEREE WATCH

Declan Cooke had a very good game. He explained decisions clearly, was in control and was very fair.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Sean Thompson's third minute penalty save from Shane Kinsella was a big moment. A goal at that stage would have made things very interesting and enhanced Kinnitty's victory chances by a good 10%.

VENUE WATCH

The Crinkle pitch was in very good condition and top marks to the host club for the way they hosted it and the volume of personnel they had on duty. Their pitch was very exposed with no covered accommodation for spectators but fortunately, it wasn't needed as the only rain was a light drizzle.

WHAT'S NEXT

Kinnitty's year is over while Birr meet St Rynagh's in the quarter-finals.

STATISTICS

Wides: Birr – 5 (2 in first half); Kinnitty – 7 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Birr – 1 (Morgan Watkins); Kinnitty – 0.

Red cards: 0.