Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup Senior A Hurling Semi-Final – Kilkenny CBS 2-9 Scoil na Trinóide Naofa, Doon (Limerick) 0-10

Kilkenny CBS defeated Scoil na Trinóide Naofa, Doon (Limerick) by 2-9 to 0-10 in the Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup Senior A Hurling Semi-Final on Saturday March 22nd at Templemore.

Gaffney inspires Kilkenny

By Conor Kane for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Two first-half Andrew Gaffney goals in Templemore secured Kilkenny CBS’s passage to the Masita All-Ireland Colleges Senior A hurling championship final.

After Gaffney’s second strike in the 12th minute, the victors were never less than four points ahead and, despite the heroic efforts of Colin Ryan, the Doon lads never looked like getting the goals they needed. The fact that Doon only scored two points from play during the hour, along with a series of missed chances, proved costly in their bid to make the decider.

The Limerick side took the lead through Dean Coleman in the first minute but Gaffney got the first of his goals within a minute and his second confirmed Kilkenny CBS’s superiority in attack. Those goals followed another incident-packed passage of play in which the Leinster champions twice hit the post with similar efforts which looked score-bound.

Coleman and Ryan were a handful up front in the early stages but Kilkenny’s full-back line grew in confidence and they rarely afforded the duo much space in the second half. Cathal McGrath from the John Lockes club was particularly effective snuffing out any Doon half-chances near the goal but, in truth, it was a collective effort to keep their net intact.

The likes of Gaffney, Luke Scanlon, Robbie Buckley and JP Treacy kept the scoreboard ticking over as the game drew near its end and CBS’s place in the final never looked in danger. Having won the Leinster competition, the CBS are likely to be favourites in the final but won’t be complacent as they prepare to meet their neighbours St Kieran’s in a first all-Kilkenny final .

Scorers for Kilkenny CBS: A Gaffney 2-2 (2F), R Buckley 0-2, JP Treacy 0-2 (1F), H Lawlor 0-1, L Scanlon 0-1, M McWey 0-1.

Scorers for Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa: C Ryan 0-9 (8F), D Coleman 0-1.

KILKENNY CBS: D Holohan, K Galvin, C McGrath, C Doheny, G Bryan, E Cody, P Deegan, N Mullins, JP Treacy, H Lawlor, L Scanlon, A Gaffney, R Buckley, J Byrne, R Murphy.
Subs: D Bolger for E Cody, J Lenehan for R Murphy, M McWey for H Lawlor.

SCOIL NA TRÍONÓIDE NAOFA: S Stapleton, B McPartland, T Hayes, D Roche, B McCarthy, S Ryan, S O’Connell, M Dean, P Cummins, B Murphy, D Buckley, C Ryan, M Coleman, D Coleman, J Lonergan.
Subs: A Coleman for M Coleman, M Feehan for S. Ryan

Referee: C Browne (Galway)

Doon 0-10 Kilkenny CBS 2-9

Round-up by Jerome O’Connell for the Limerick Leader newspaper

Two goals in the first 10-minutes set Leinster champions Kilkenny CBS on their way to this victory. Both were scored by Andrew Gaffney and had Kilkenny 2-1 to 0-2 up after 10-minutes. By half time it was 2-3 to 0-4 with Doon to have the wind in the second half.

But the east Limerick secondary school were overly reliant on free-taker Colin Ryan. He was to finish with 8-points from frees. Indeed Ryan and Dean Coleman were the only two to score for Doon. They needed a second half goal but it never came.

SCORERS: Doon: Colin Ryan 0-9 (8frees), Dean Coleman 0-1. Kilkenny CBS: Andrew Gaffney 2-2 (0-2frees), Robbie Buckley, JP Treacy (1free) 0-2 each, Huw Lawlor, Luke Scanlon, Matthew McWey 0-1 each.

DOON: Shane Stapleton (Sean Treacys); Brian McPartland (Doon), Thomas Hayes (Doon), Darren Roche (Pallasgreen); Shane O’Connell (Doon), Stephen Ryan (Doon), Brian McCarthy (Pallasgreen); Patrick Cummins (Doon), Mike Dee (Murroe-Boher); David Buckley (Cappawhite), Barry Murphy (Doon), Colin Ryan (Pallasgreen); Mark Coleman (Doon), Dean Coleman (Doon), Joe Lonergan (Cappamore)
Subs: Adam Coleman (Cappamore) for Mark Coleman (47mins), Matt Feehan (Sean Treacys) for Stephen Ryan, inj (63mins).

KILKENNY CBS: Darragh Holohan; Kevin Galvin, Cathal McGrath, Conor Doheny; Gary Byran, Evan Cody, Paddy Deegan; JP Treacy, Niall Mullins; Huw Lawlor, Luke Scanlon, Andrew Gaffney; Robbie Buckley, James Byrne, Robbie Murphy
Subs: James Lenehan for Robbie Murphy (21mins), Danny Bolger for Evan Cody (47mins), Matthew Mcwey for Huw Lawlor (54mins).

REFEREE: Christopher Browne (Galway).