1999 County U21A Hurling Semi-Final & Replay
1999 West U21A Hurling Semi-Final
ALL SQUARE AS CAPPA AND BURGESS DEFY ELEMENTS
Tipperary Star 25/12/1999
Cappawhite 1-9
Burgess 1-9
By Michael Dundon
In appalling conditions that made a mockery of hurling, Cappawhite and Burgess combined to defy the elements by delivering a cracking county under-21 ‘A’ hurling semi-final at The Ragg on Saturday that ended all square.
Many questioned the wisdom of playing at all. The pitch had shallow pools of water all over the place and with rain falling right through the game, the playing surface was in a sorry mess at the finish.
At the end of the day it was an acceptable result as it would have been very hard on either side to be eliminated in such circumstances. If the outcome was to be judged on territorial advantage, Burgess would have triumphed as they enjoyed more of the play but Cappawhite had Eugene O’ Neill in their side and his ability to pick off a score provided the backbone for their challenge.
While Burgess looked the sharper, Cappawhite had been without a game for two months and they will be expecting to benefit greatly from his outing. They also started without Damien O’ Neill but Burgess were missing Garret Howard. What it boils down to basically, is that it will be all to play for when next they meet to decide who faces Mullinahone in the final.
Burgess were the quicker to settle and after John Gleeson pointed, Fergal Hanrahan netted in the 5th minute after Keelan Howard set up the chance. Eugene O’ Neill’s good work for Cappa at midfield yielded two points as the contest settled down but the West champions got a vital break in the 18th minute when Thomas Costello’s 80 yard free skidded into the net in a crowded goalmouth to put them ahead 1-3 to 1-2.
Shane Maher and Eugene O’ Neill exchanged points from frees but as the game went into injury time, O’ Neill shot a marvellous point following an excellent five-man hand-passing movement by Cappawhite to give them an interval lead of 1-5 to 1-3.
With conditions deteriorating by the minute, Burgess resumed in a higher gear. They camped in the Cappa half but stout defending kept them out. Shane Maher pointed a 5th minute free but Eugene O’ Neill showed his class with an opportunist point in Cappa’s raid after eight minutes.
Fergal McDonnell pointed for Burgess but once more O’ Neill restored Cappa’s two point advantage. The relentless Burgess pressure, however, yielded points from Shane Maher and Keelan Howard to draw level at the end of the third quarter.
Burgess looked the more likely winners now but found scores hard to come by whereas Cappa had Eugene O’ Neill and he restored their lead in the 20th minute. Burgess got a penalty two minutes later but Shane Maher opted for a point. O’ Neill again put Cappawhite ahead on 25 minutes but two minutes from the end Shane Maher tied it up once more and that’s how it stayed.
Full marks to both sides for a great hour’s entertainment and to referee Seamus Roche whose firm, sensible and decisive handling contributed greatly to the joust.
Burgess may feel a trifle disappointed at not winning as they had more of the play but the return of Garret Howard should help them in the replay. With a county junior title under their belts the club is going very well and confidence is high. This was easily discernible on Saturday when the displays of Timmy Hogan, Brian Hogan, Shane Maher, Keelan Howard and Paul Hogan were worthy of note.
Cappawhite, too, will expect to be better next time out. They needed a game and this encounter will sharpen them. While Eugene O’ Neill was their star turn, he was not alone with Shane McDermott, Thomas Costello, Paddy Julian, Seanie Ryan others to catch the eye.
Scorers for Burgess:
S. Maher 0-5; F Hanrahan 1-0; J. Gleeson, K. Howard, T. McDonnell and B. Duggan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cappawhite:
E. O’ Neill 0-8; T. Costello 1-0; S. Ryan 0.1
Cappawhite:
R. Barry, W. O’ Neill, S. McDermott, G. Furlong, J.P Bourke, T. Costello, S. Grisewood, E. O’ Neill, P. Julian, S. Ryan, N. Riall, J. Coyle, R. Fitzgerald, J. McCarthy, J. Ryan.
Substitutes: P. Fahey for Coyle; C. Creedon for Fitzgerald.
Burgess:
N. McGrath, P. McDonnell, P. Carroll, P. Hogan, K. McDonnell, T. Hogan, L. Hogan, S. Maher, P. Ryan, J. Gleeson, K. Howard, F. McDonnell, B. Hogan, B. Duggan, F. Hanrahan.
Substitutes:
D. O’ Brien for Gleeson; S. Healy for Howard.
Referee: S. Roche (Kilsheelan)
PRO’s CRITICISM
At County Convention in Thurles on Sunday, Liz Howard, Co. PRO, hit out strongly at the playing of the game in such conditions.
She said that the county chairman was refused the use of Semple Stadium for the game.
“I thought Semple Stadium was for the people of Tipperary and for the use of our own players as well as those of other counties. There was no respect yesterday for the players of Cappawhite and Burgess who had to play in mud and water or for the Drom-Inch club whose pitch was used,” she said.
She added – There was a terrible abuse of people from the top table at The Ragg. I feel this game should go to the back end of January in the interests of all our young hurlers.
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1999 West U21A Hurling Semi-Final Replay
BATTLING CAPPA MAKE NO MISTAKE
Tipperary Star 5/2/2000
Cappawhite 1-12
Burgess 0-8
By Noel Dundon
West Champions Cappawhite made no mistake at the second attempt to win their way into the county under-21 hurling final when they defeated Burgess in a very keenly contested game at The Ragg on Sunday afternoon last. They meet Mullinahone in the final next Sunday.
This competition has been dogged by bad luck weather-wise and it seemed as though that spell would continue again on Sunday as the clouds gathered overhead. Fortunately, only one slight shower materialised but the pitch was quite heavy due to the rain of previous days and the conditions were tricky. Compared to the drawn game though the day was much better.
A strong breeze assisted Cappawhite from the start and although the wind did seem to die down a little midway through, the West men held a 0-9 to 0-4 interval lead – Eugene O’ Neill grabbing five of their scores. The sharpshooter had 0-3 up from frees after just three minutes, one of them a massive effort from 80 yards, before Burgess registered a score through a Shane Maher free.
Maher added two more for Burgess while Paddy Julian, a most influential figure for Cappawhite, hit two fine scores in succession to increase his sides lead. Burgess operated a three-man midfield in a bid to contain the Cappawhite men and it worked to an extent. Cappa were finding it hard to earn space and they managed to squander a number of chances.
By the interval John Paul Bourke, Thomas Costello and Eugene O’ Neill (2) had further scores while Shane Maher notched Burgess’ fourth and was their sole first half scorer.
The Burgess position could have been a lot better at the break had the crossbar not denied Brian Duggan who blazed goalwards following a pass from Fergal McDonnell. A goal would have jusy left one point in it at the break and Burgess would have been in great shape with the wind at their backs for the second half. As it was, with just four in it, Burgess were still sitting pretty enough.
When Fergal Hanrahan struck the first score of the second half for the North men, Burgess were lifted a great deal. Richard Barry was forced to save from Hanrahan moments later before Keelan Howard hit a fine score from long-range.
Cappawhite seemed to be struggling a little and it was their midfielder Sean Ryan who dragged them back into contention. Ryan had given a very sterling first half display and he capped it with a fine second half showing too. When Cappawhite backs were to the wall, Ryan played deep and won vital ball for them. Shane McDermott at full-back too was inspirational and he scuppered many a Burgess attack.
Eugene O’ Neill was finding it harder to get on the ball in the third quarter but when he did he was dangerous. He struck a pointed free in the 13th minute to ease Cappa nerves and then a brilliant burst through the Burgess defence a minute later saw him bury a fine goal into the bottom corner of the net to send his side into a clear position. Credit must go to the referee Seamus Roche for allowing advantage to O’ Neill who was fouled going through.
The rest was academic. O’ Neill and John Ryan traded scores with Shane Maher and Fergal McDonnell and in all fairness to Burgess they never stopped trying and were fighting hard to the very last.
As already stated, Sean Ryan had a fine game for Cappawhite followed closely by Eugene O’ Neill and Shane McDermott. The West men will take stopping and they certainly have the players in their side to land the title. Thomas Costello at centre back defends very strongly while Paddy Julian never stopped working through. Burgess will probably feel that the missed chances will cost them dearly. The goal chance in the first half was certainly vital and the fact they had just three scores from play illustrated their lack of fire power. Nevertheless, they battled extremely hard and Peter Carroll, Shane Maher, Timothy Hogan, Keelan Howard, Brian Hogan and Kevin McDonnell were best for them on the day.
Scorers for Cappawhite:
E. O’ Neill 1-7; P. Julian 0-2, J. Ryan (P), J.P Bourke, T. Costello 0-1 each.
Scorers for Burgess:
S.Maher 0-5; F. McDonnell, K. Howard, P. Hanrahan 0-1 each.
Cappawhite:
R. Barry, P. Fahey, S. McDermott, G. Furlong, W. O’ Neill, T. Costello, S. Grisewood, S. Ryan, N. Riall, E. O’ Neill, P. Julian, J.P Bourke, J. Ryan (P), J. McCarthy, R. Fitzgerald.
Substitutes: F. O’ Neill for R. Fitzgerald.
Burgess:
N. McGrath, P. McDonnell, P. Carroll, P. Hogan, L. Hogan, T. Hogan, K. McDonnell, S. Maher, P. Ryan, B. Hogan, K. Howard, J. Gleeson, F. McDonnell, B. Duggan, F. Hanrahan.
Substitutes: G. Howard for P. Ryan, D. O’ Brien for J. Gleeson.
Referee: S. Roche (Kilsheelan)
