2005 West Senior Hurling Final

Match report courtesy of TipperaryStudies.ie (Match reports on Tipperarystudies.ie are reproduced with the kind permission of The Nationalist, The Nenagh Guardian and The Tipperary Star)

2005 West Senior Hurling Final (Sunday 7th August 2005)

Cappawhite 2-20 (26)

Cashel 1-9 (12)

And so it has come to pass, the sleeping giants of Cappawhite have awoken from their slumber and scaled the heights of West Championship hurling once again.

This victory was every much as convincing as the one-sided scoreline suggests. From first whistle to last, Cappawhite were dominant in almost every sector of play, as they secured their eighth title in all and first since 2001.

They were faster to the breaking ball, they pressurised the opposition throughout, applied a more direct route to the attack and hammered home the win with exquisiten scores, once Cashel’s frailties became evident.

Cashel for their part had their game plan torn to shreds in the second period and were therefore forced to make drastic changes and switches in their failed efforts to retrieve the situation.

Cappa and Cashel swapped point for point in the opening twenty minutes. A momentary three poiint lead gave Cappa some daylight but this slender lead was wiped clean with a Cashel goal to level proceedings.

Disappointingly from a neutral viewpoint it proved Cashel’s only respite, as Cappawhite decorated the remainder of this tie with a flawless display that simply suffocated Cashel’s resolve. The 13-point win meant that the outcome was decided long before the games conclusion.

A large attendance made the trip to sunny Golden on last Sunday evening for the 75th edition of the Tipperary Super Valu sponsored final.

The quality of the ground conditions laid out by the Golden staff made for an ideal setting. Cappawhite were first on the board through the accuracy of wing forward Alan O’ Neill after Ciarán Ryan (P) was challenged illegally. Cashel’s free-taker Mickey Coleman replied in the third minute after the in-rushing Ryan O’ Dwyer was fouled.

By the fourth minute, a wonderful grab and run from Pat O’ Neill found Seanie Ryan and he despatched between the uprights to edge Cappa ahead once again. Raymie and Alan O’ Neill swapped pointed frees, before Mickey Coleman was on hand to add Cashel’s first from open play to stay in touch.

Cappa were now enjoying the possession stakes and territorially the game was mostly played in the Cashel defensive area. Pat O’ Neill was causing David Delahunty endless problems on the forty, and his darting runs created openings for the inside attack. One such penetrating run released Seanie Ryan and he added the necessary score to dampen Cashel’s spirits.

At this juncture, Cappa might have been further ahead. Seanie Ryan’s goal was cancelled because he took too many steps. while Ciarán Ryan (P)’s shot was easily dealt with by Jason Connolly in the Cashel goal.

Shane McDermott and Pat O’ Neill added two more crucial scores to send Cappa into a three point lead, 0-8 to 0-5. However, Cashel levelled in the 27th minute. Ryan O’ Dwyer seemed to weave his way accross the goalmouth, before feeding the unmarked Willie Fitzell who finished to the net.

In concluding minutes of the half, Cappa showed bundles of heart and spirit, coupled with intelligent distribution to ease into a five-point advantage.

A long delivery from Johnny Ryan (P) troubled Jason Connolly before oppurtunist Eugene O’ Neill flicked to the empty net to leave Cappa comfortably leading 1-10 to 1-5 at the interval.

Cashel by now introduced Kevin O’ Sullivan for the ineffective David Delahunty and reverted Raymie Ryan to centre-back in an effort to halt Pat O’ Neill’s progress. The second half saw little alteration as Cappa resumed normal service and in turn stretched their lead at every oppurtunity. Ciarán Ryan (P) got his name on the scoresheet in the 32nd minute with a delightful score. Alan O’ Neill then punished some indiscipline with a further pointed free in the 34th minute. From the very next attack, Shane McDermott sent a long ball into the small parallelogram and Eugene O’ Neill was again in the appropriate position to the net to utterly deflate the Cashel challenge.

At 2-12 to 1-5, the game was heading for only one outcome. Cashel introduced further substitutes in an attempt to rearrange their game plan and reduce Cappa’s already healthy scoreline. Ryan O’ Dwyer and Raymie Ryan pegged on further points that proved mere consolation, as Cappa galvanised victory with Alan O’ Neill, Paddy Julian and Pat O’ Neill making further contributions.

Alan O’ Neill added his twelfth score in the final moments to enhance his personal contribution, before Ciarán Ryan (P) closed out the game with his second to give Cappa a hugely convincing thirteen point win.

The victors have now secured a county quarter final berth in five weeks time. Their opponents will be determined later via the qualifiers (Nenagh Éire Óg). Over the course of this championship, Cappa have shone through in many respects and last Sunday’s final was no different.

Declan Costello had little to do between the posts. The full-back line of Willie O’ Neill, Thomas Costello and Stevie Grisewood were solid for long periods, as Cashel’s late onslaught on goal yielded little return.

The half-back line was prominent throughout and Ross Dunne, Matthew Kennedy and Paul Fitzgerald performed admirably. The midfielders continued to gain momentum. Both Shane McDermott and Paddy Julian’s work rate was colossal, while the attack maintained a high level of performance throughout.

Sharpshooter, Alan O’ Neill and game breaker, Pat O’ Neill both vied for the man of the match award. In the inside line, Seanie Ryan and goal poacher, Eugene O’ Neill were equally dangerous. Cousins, Johnny Ryan and Ciarán Ryan also worked tirelessly.

For the vanquished, the match reports wont make for easy reading and it’s back to the drawing board ahead of their next outing in the qualifiers. One would question their build-up to the final ans definitely the three month lay-off between games didnt help their preparation.

The Cashel defensive sextet was under enormous pressure, but Brian Minogue and Ronan O’ Donoghue held firm. Raymie Ryan worked extremely hard for long periods in the middle of the park, while only Ryan O’ Dwyer and Mickey Coleman offered ample resistance to the Cappa defemce.

Cappawhite: Declan Costello, William O’ Neill, Thomas Costello, Stevie Grisewood, Ross Dunne, Matthew Kennedy, Paul Fitgerald, Paddy Julian (Captain) (0-1), Shane McDermott (0-1), Johnny Ryan (P), Pat O’ Neill (0-2), Alan O’ Neill (0-12), Sean Ryan (0-2), Eugene O’ Neill (2-0), Ciarán Ryan (P) (0-2).

Subs: Donal Ryan for William O’ Neill, Cian Creedon for Pat O’ Neill, Dessie Ryan (P) for Seanie Ryan.

Cashel: Jason Connolly, Brian Minogue, Michael Quinlan, Christopher Ryan, John Simon O’ Dwyer, David Delahunty, Ronan O’ Donoghue, Raymie Ryan (0-3), Thomas O’ Dwyer, Ross Doyle, Michael Butler, Philip Taylor, Mickey Coleman (0-4), Ryan O’ Dwyer (0-2), William Fitzelle.

Subs: Kevin O’ Sullivan for David Delehunty, Eamon Morrissey for Ross Doyle, Joe O’ Leary for John Simon O’ Dwyer, Timmy Moloney for Willie Fitzelle.

Referee: Willie Barrett (Ardfinnan)

Click below to view the 2005 West Senior Hurling Programme (courtesy of Tipperary Studies Digital Archive)

2005 West Senior Hurling Final Programme

(Back L-R): Michael O’ Neill, Daniel Kelly, John Fitzgerald, Dessie Ryan (P), Matthew Kennedy, Patrick Fahey, Declan Costello, Kevin O’ Keeffe, Ross Dunne, Johnny Ryan (P), Tommy Julian, John Paul, Julian. (Front L-R): Cian Creedon, Sean Ryan, Ciarán Ryan (P), Paul Fitzgerald, Shane McDermott, Denis Kelly, Ger Ryan (P), Alan O’ Neill, Brian O’ Neill, Stevie Grisewood, Thomas Costello, (Foreground L-R): Paddy Julian (Captain), Pat O’ Neill.