Seir Kieran miss out on quarter-finals but retain senior status as Tullamore head to relegation play off

Seir Kieran turned in a huge second half performance out scoring their opponents 0-12 to 0-4 in the second half to ensure senior A hurling status for 2025.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 5

Seir Kieran 1-16

Tullamore 3-8

This clash between a Seir Kieran team who avoided relegation last year due to Kilcormac/Killoughy winning the Senior B and a Tullamore side who defeated Kinnity on the final day in the 2024 campaign to avoid a playoff was expected to be an entertaining and lively affair right down to Banagher on Sunday evening, and that it was.

There was disappointment for Seir Kieran as Kilcormac-Killoughey's win over Coolderry ended their quarter-final ambitions but staying up was their primary goal this season and they have sent Tullamore into the relegation play off with Belmont.

It took a while for both sides to settle into this clash and it was the Tullamore men who opened proceedings when Jay Sheerin pointed from under the stand, the blues could have easily tagged on 4 more scores in the following six minutes but poor shot efficiency saw their lead remain the minimum before Luke Carey pointed a close range free to level up matters.

Shane Dooley pointed a well hit free on the thirteen minute mark before Seir Kieran’s ace attacker Carey latched onto a breaking ball before finishing low into the back of Paul Kelly’s net, quickly followed by an Adrian Hynes point.

Veteran Dooley once again had the sides all square when he raised his first green flag of the evening after a Mike Fox shot short was spilled by Joseph Connors and pulled on by Dooley into the back of the net.

Fox raised a green flag of his own for for the Blues three minutes later after Cormac Egan sent Niall Furlong through the heart of the Clareen defence before laying the ball to Fox who batted into the back of Connors’ net from close range. 

Carey added another free to his tally before Furlong and Egan, aided by the tip of Joseph Connor’s hurl added points to the score board for the Tullamore men after twenty seven minutes of action.

Dooley completed the opening half’s scoring   when a long range free from Ger Crowe was batted to the ground on a plate for the Tullamore full forward to finish into the back of the net leaving his side seven points to the good at the half way mark having being aided by a strong breeze, 3-4 to 1-3. With nine opening half wides on their tally Tullamore will have been disappointed to have not had at least a double digits lead heading in.

Within a minute of the second half starting the Seir Kieran men had two scores on the board through the sticks of Kevin Dunne and Luke Carey, showing their intent on getting a foothold quickly in this half.

Carey added another free before former county panelist Kevin Dunne got his first of the afternoon and the Clareen mens' fourth on the trot to cut the gap back to three after five minutes of second half action.

Niall Furlong got a badly needed score for his side to help break the momentum a minute later before Carey pointed his sixth of the day, making up for two wides he had in the moments previous. 

Darragh Guinan added a very well taken score to the Seir Kieran tally as the forty minute mark appeared before both sides exchanged two wides a piece, one a gilt edge goal opportunity for Tullamore and had Mike Fox seen the run of Niall Furlong he could have sent him through one on one with Joseph Connors.

Shane Dooley got a much needed score from a placed ball moments later quickly crossed out by another well struck Carey free leaving the Tullamore men two to the good heading into the final quarter.

Darragh Guinan raised his third white flag of the afternoon with a fantastic score out near the sideline to reduce the gap to the minimum as we entered the last twelve minutes of action.

The scoreboard was reading all square two minutes later when wing back John Coughlan's long range effort sailed over Paul Kelly’s crossbar, this was soon followed by another Carey free to put Seir Kieran a point to the good inside the final five minutes.

Dooley levelled things at the opposite end of the park for Tullamore giving his side a glimmer of hope once again, that glimmer washed away minutes later when another Carey sixty five sailed over the bar. 

The Blues youngest player on the field, Offaly underage dual star Cillian Bourke showed he belongs up at senior hurling when he powered through before pointing excellently to once again equalise.

With Tullamore knowing that nothing less than a victory would do here they pushed up high on the Seir Kieran men in the final moments but to no reward as man of the match Carey pointed well from play before tapping over a close range free in injury time to seal a two point victory and most importantly Seir Kieran’s senior A hurling status.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Luke Carey (Seir Kieran): Dermot Mooney, Eanna Murphy, Adrian Hynes and Darragh Guinan all had solid games for the Clareen men.

Aaron Leavy and Cillian Bourke had very solid games in the Tullamore defence while Shane Dooley led from the front up front with Niall Furlong assisting very well at times. 

Luke Carey gets the nod here as he hit some lovely scores both from play and frees and caused the Tullamore team a lot of problems and led his team to victory by getting the last few scores of the game. 

THE TEAMS

Seir Kieran: Joseph Connors; Stephen Gilligan, Pat Gilligan, Dermot Mooney; Conor Dooley, Eanna Murphy, John Coughlan; Michael Gilligan, Kevin Dunne; Joseph Bergin, Luke Carey, Barry Kealy; Tom Connors, Darragh Guinan, Adrian Hynes. Subs: Thomas Connors for Gilligan, Billy Connors for Tom Dooley.

Tullamore: Paul Kelly; Kevin Water, Niall Houlihan, Dylan Hensey; Cillian Bourke, Ger Crowe, Aaron Leavy; James Houlihan, Mike Feeney; Niall Furlong, Cormac Egan, Jay Sheerin; Mike Fox, Shane Dooley, Dan Fox. Subs: Jack Dooley for Sheerin, Jack Daly for Feeney, Brian Hogan for Egan. 

Referee Kieran Dooley (Drumcullen).

VENUE WATCH

Once again the St Rynagh's club hosted this game with serious professionalism. Very well organiSed and plenty of stewards on duty who were all, as always, very welcoming and proud hosts

REFEREE WATCH

Kieran Dooley handled this game well. Neither sides can have many complaints and while both sides questioned a few of his calls over all he wasn’t a factor in the result.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tullamore now face Belmont in a relegation playoff in two weeks in what will be a massive game for both clubs. 

For Seir Kieran their season comes to a close and they can look forward to Senior A hurling next year.

STATISTICS

Wides: Seir Kieran 10   (5 in first half); Tullamore 16 (9 in first half)

Yellow cards: Seir Kieran: Kevin Dunne; Tullamore: Dan Fox

Red cards: 0

THE SCORERS

Seir Kieran: Luke Carey 1-10 (5f, 2 65’), Darragh Guinan 0-3, Adrian Hynes, Kevin Dunne, John Coughlan 0-1 each

Tullamore: Shane Dooley 2-3 (3f), Mike Fox 1-0, Niall Furlong 0-2, Cormac Egan, Jay Sheerin, Cillian Bourke 0-1 each.