THE NATIONALIST
Saturday 1st November 2003

Larkin goal sets up Kilsheelan/ Kilcash for title

South Tipperary intermediate Football Championship

Kilsheelan/ Kilcash 2- 9, Killenaule 1-7

• An impressive Kilsheelan/Kilcash won the South Tipperary intermediate foot ball championship for the first time since 1994 when they scored a convincing win over a battling Killenaule in this highly, competitive divisional final at Clonmel Sportsfield on Sunday.
  
  Having squandered a chance of a goal in the opening minute the winners took an early lead with points from full-forward Martin Ryan and left half-forward Edward Sweeney but were hit for six when Killenaule struck with a well-taken goal by centre forward Johnny Grace to lead 1-0 to 0-2 after eight minutes.
  
  After twenty minutes Killenaule led 1-2 to 0-4 and six minutes later after Kilsheelan's Michael McHugh and Adrian Walsh and Killenaule's Conor O'Donnell had exchanged points the game was squared 0-6 to 1-3.
  
  An impressive Kilsheelan then broke through for crucial 29th minute goal when Pakie Larkin finished off a slick passing movement to give the winners a tremendous boost and a three-point advantage facing into the second-halt. It was a great time to grab a goal and their tails were up.
  
  When play resumed they stretched their lead with points from Pierce Larkin and Adrian Walsh (free) and it was 1-8 to 1-3 when the influential Tony Doyle with a pointed free opened Killenaule's second-half account with a 43rd minute free, their first score for twenty minutes.
  
  Between the 52nd and 58th minutes he pointed three more frees to leave the game delicately balanced I 9 to 1-7. Kilsheelan I Kilcash were then awarded penalty when Pierce Larkin was brought down in the square having got inside the Killenaule cover in the 61st minute.
  
  He still managed to plant the ball in the net before the recall for the spot kick and there was joy in the Kilsheelan / Kilcash camp when a confident Adrian Walsh sealed victory when he crashed the ball to the Killenaule net leaving five points separating the teams at the final whistle.
  
  Kilsheelan/Kilcash were the sharper side in the early stages but were stung by the opening goal from a Killenaule side that went on to create a number of great scoring chances but were wayward with their shooting.
  
  All Killenaule traffic was directed towards the talented Tony Doyle but William Larkin and company did a fine job in policing Killenaule's danger man who was held scoreless in the opening thirty minutes.
  
  He moved to centre-forward at the start of the second-half and ended up as Killenaule's top scorer with four pointed frees. Apart from Willie Larkin who did trojan work other Kilsheelan defenders to impress were Roger Doyle, Jim Doyle and their influential centre-back William Ryan who played a stormer.
  
  Midfielders John Roche and Tom Shiels had a batik royal with their opponents T. J. Maher and Philip Blake while up front they had key performers in the Larkins, Pakie and Pierce, Adrian Walsh. Edward Sweeney, Michael McHugh and Michael Ryan.
  
  Best for a Killenaule side that were in this game with every chance up to the dying minutes were Michael Bolger, Joe Caesar, Tony Shelley, Declan Fanning, Jonathan Gleeson, Johnny Grace, Tony Doyle, Eddie O'Brien and Noel O'Grady.
  
  Kilsheelan / Kilcash had the opening score when an Adrian Walsh free reached full-forward Michael Ryan when he pointed in the fifth minute and it was 0-2 to no score when Edward Hahessy was on target a minute later.
  
  Killenaule hit back with a well-taken Johnny Grace goal in the eight minute and they were two points clear when Tony Doyle's neat pass put Eddie O'Brien through for an 11th minute point.
  
  Good work between Edward Sweeney and Tom Shiels ended with Shields pointing for Kilsheelan
  
  Kilcash and when Noel (O’Grady struck back for Killenaule it was 1-2 to 0-3 after twenty minutes.
  
  An Adrian Walsh pointed free left the minimum between the sides until full forward Conor O'Donnell's 21st minute point stretched Killenaule's lead. Points from Michael McHugh (23rd minute) and Adrian Walsh (26th minute free) left it 1-3 to 0-6 and then Pakie Larkin rocked Killenaule with the 29th minute goal that set the winners up nicely facing into the second-half on 1-6 to 1-3.
  
  The second-half scoring opened with a Pierce Larkin point in the 36th minute and they went five points clear when Adrian Walsh kicked another fine free in the 41st minute.
  
  A foul on Eddie O'Brien gave Tony Doyle his open score of the game when he pointed a 43rd minute free and after Adrian Walsh had his first point from play for the winners in the 45th minute Doyle punished the winners for three fouls with points in the 52nd, 55th and 58th minutes, leaving it 1-9 to 1-7.
  
  Kilsheelan / Kilcash then had the last word when leading scorer Adrian McHugh drilled home the last minute penalty awarded for a foul on Pierce Larkin in front of goal in the 61st minute.
  
  Kilsheelan / Kilcash: Adrian Walsh 1-4 (1-3 frees), Pakie Larkin 1-0 Michael Ryan. Edward Sweeney, Tom Shiels Michael McHugh, Pierce Larkin 0-1 each.
  
  Killenaule: Tony Doyle 0-4 (frees), Johnny Grace 1-0, Eddie O'Brien, Noel O'Grady, Conor O'Donnell 0-1 each.
  
  KILSHEELAN / KILCASH: Roger Doyle. Martin Larkin, Jim Ryan, WiI1iam -Larkin, Keith O'Brien, William Ryan, Aidan Slattery, John Roche Tom Shiels, Pakie Larkin• Adrian Walsh, Edward Sweeney, Michael McHugh, Michael Ryan and Pierce Larkin.
  
  KILLENAULE: Michael J. Bolger, Martin Shelley. Pakie Fennelly, Joe Caesar, Tony Shelley. Declan Fanning. Jonathan Gleeson, T. J. Maher, Philip Blake, Noel O'Grady, Johnny Grace, Keith Kennedy, Tony Doyle, Conor O'Donnell, Eddie O'Brien. Subs: Kenneth Cleary for C. O'Donnell. Michael Farrell for K. Kennedy, Jonathan O'Dwyer for T. J. Maher.
  
  Referee: Ger O'Riordan