Kilcormac-Killoughey show feet of clay as huge Shinrone draw shakes up race for Robbins Cup

THE whole race for the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship was thrown up in the air as a fired up, finely tuned Shinrone team snatched a fully deserved point from Kilcormac-Killoughey in the final group game in Birr on Sunday evening.

Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 5

Shinrone 0-19

Kilkcormac-Killoughey 1-16

The immediate impact of the draw was that it denied Kilcormac-Killoughey direct passage into the semi-finals and they will instead face Ballinamere in a repeat of last year's county final in the quarter-final. This is a pairing that will capture the imagination of the entire county and it won't be for the faint hearted – there will be no hiding place for anyone and it will certainly shake Ballinamere out of their slumber as they have fallen into the quarter-finals.

It gave Belmont a direct passage to the semi-finals that they were certainly not expecting – a win for the holders and favourites would have put them into the last four.

It was a real statement of intent by Shinrone, who now face Coolderry in the quarter-finals. They have been moving very well for most of the campaign but needed a performance after losing to Belmont in their last game. Even though a semi-final berth was out of reach for them, they certainly gave that performance with a terrific, whole hearted display, fighting every inch of the way and taking the game to their opponents for extended periods.

The real big focus and takeaway, however, will be on Kilcormac-Killoughey's display. Hot favourites to retain their title, they displayed feet of clay here in a very stuttering display, blowing hot and cold with very little in that all important middle ground. They had begun to look unbeatable but this performance will give hope to everyone else left in the campaign.

In particular, their attack misfired on the day, hitting 17 wides compared to 8 for Shinrone. K-K remain favourites and they would have won here had their shooting not been uncharacteristically poor. They hit some dreadful wides, some of them under pressure but a good few down to their eye not being in – the positive they will take from this is that this won't happen every day and if they had been more clinical here, they would have won by three to four points.

In the wind up, it was a very good draw for Shinrone, a poor one for K-K but it is one that may well serve the holders very well in the long run.

K-K looked vulnerable from the throw in, trailing by 0-5 to 0-1 after eight minutes with Shinrone converting every chance. Adam Screeney had three unusually poor wides for K-K before finally getting his tally going with a 14^th minute free and they were level at 0-5 each after 15 minutes.

K-K got four in a row, three from Screeney frees and a James Gorman point from play, to lead by 0-9 to 0-6 after 26 minutes. Shinrone did very well to recover from this, scoring the final five points for a 0-11 to 0-9 interval lead in a great sustained spell of pressure.

Shinrone added two quick points from Adam Landy at the start of the second half to extend their lead out to four and K-K looked stunning but finally began to sharpen up. Their key forwards, Charlie Mitchell and Adam Screeney stood up to be counted when they were in bother. Mitchell cut in for a brilliant 37^th minute goal to make it 1-10 to 0-14. Crucially Eoin Bailey-O'Brien got the next point for Shinrone but it looked like K-K might take control for a brief while.

Screeney floated over two beautiful points as K-K took a 1-14 to 0-16 lead with nine minutes left. Again Shinrone responded magnificently, showing terrific character. Goalkeeper Eamon Cleary levelled it up with a huge free. K-K grabbed the lead twice more but each time Shinrone equalised in a frantic, thrilling closing few minutes.

Shinrone had Ciaran Cleary red carded for a blow into Jack Screeney's stomach with three minutes left but it was too late to have a huge impact on the game. Conor Slevin edged K-K ahead with the resultant free and there was loads of drama after this.

The final Shinrone equaliser from a Donal Morkan free in the 61^st minute was an extraordinary, almost surreal one. Damien Kilmartin over cooked a cross field pass to his goalkeeper Conor Slevin on his own full back line and it crept out for a sideline. Slevin held onto the ball, denying Shinrone a quick sideline and referee Kieran Dooley awarded a free – it was no give-me but when K-K contested it, Dooley brought it into can't miss territory and Morkan would have pointed it with his eyes closed.

Both sides had late chances to snatch the win. Cillian Kiely sent a great goal chance wide in the 62^nd minute, though he probably should have tapped over the bar instead of giving Shinrone a chance to get back. Shinrone had one last chance when Jason Sampson got the ball into his hand 21 metres out on the left but K-K got back to make a great block and in the wind up, a draw was a fair result – one that changes the whole trajectory of the campaign for every team left in it.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey): Plenty of contenders on both sides but my choice is K-K centre back Brecon Kavanagh, who was brilliant almost from start to finish. His reading of the game, distribution and general composure was of a very high order. Jack Screeney was also superb beside him in a game where a lot of players played well in spells but not consistently for K-K – Tom Spain, Damien Kilmartin, Adam Screeney and Charlie Mitchell all had excellent patches.

Shinrone had more players who played well for more sustained spells. Luke Watkins was brilliant in the first half while Killian Sampson was immense in the heart of their defence and Eamon Cleary, Dara Maher and Adrian Cleary also caught the eye.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Adam Screeney 0-9 (6f), Charlie Mitchell 1-2, Conor Slevin (f0, Damien Kilmartin, Colin Spain, James Gorman, Peter Geraghty 0-1 each.

Shinrone: Donal Morkan 0-4 (3f), Eamon Cleary (2f), Adam Landy, Luke Watkins, Paul Cleary, Jason Sampson 0-2 each, Eoin Bailey-O'Brien, Killian Sampson, Dara Maher, DJ McLoughlin and Declan Cleary 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC/KILLOUGHEY: Conor Slevin; Mark Mulrooney, James Mahon; Jordan Quinn, Brecon Kavanagh., Jack Screeney; Damien Kilmartin, Colin Spain; Daniel Hand, Conor Mahon, Charlie Mitchell; Alex Kavanagh, James Gorman, Adam Screeney. Subs – Cillian Kiely for Alex Kavanagh (38m), Peter Geraghty for Gorman (44m), Thomas Geraghty for Conor Mahon (58m),

SHINRONE: Eamon Cleary; Darren Crean, Michael Cleary, Darragh Cleary; Dan Doughan, Killian Sampson, Dara Maher; Adrian Cleary, Adam Landy; Luke Watkins , Donal Morkan, DJ McLoughlin; Paul Cleary, Jason Sampson, Eoin Bailey-O'Brien. Subs – Ciaran Cleary for McLoughlin (44m), Declan Cleary for Doughan (44m), Fionn Carney for Paul Cleary (51m), Gearoid Maher for Landy (51m), Peter Cleary for Crean (55m),

Referee – Kieran Dooley, Drumcullen.

REFEREE WATCH

Kieran Dooley had a solid game. He was fully focused and communicated well with his officials. Linesman Adam Kinahan called him about an Adam Screeney free that was waved wide in the first half. He then went in to talk to his umpires before letting the wide stand – and that appeared to be the right call from the stand anyway. Ciaran Cleary had no complaints at his late red card and knew he was in trouble the minute Jack Screeney went down. The late free to Shinrone was a huge, controversial call but Conor Slevin did hold onto the ball when it went over the sideline and K-K did argue the toss over it.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

That last gasp free was a huge moment and has massive repercussions for the whole championship.

VENUE WATCH

Fortunately the heavy rain that was forecast didn't come and the pitch held up very well. Birr is in great condition at the moment and the game was well hosted.

WHAT'S NEXT

Kilcormac-Killoughey play Ballinamere and Shinrone meet Coolderry in the quarter-finals.

STATISTICS

Wides: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 17 (7 in first half); Shinrone - 8 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 1 (Jack Screeney); Shinrone – 1 (Donal Morkan).

Red cards: K-K – 0; Shinrone – 1 (Ciaran Cleary).