Knockaderry stun Bruree to secure back-to-back county titles

LATE points from Kieran Storin and the outstanding Mike Molloy saw Knockaderry collect the Nick Grene Sportsgrounds Intermediate Hurling Championship title for the first time in their history, as they wrestled ahead of Bruree for a 1-16 to 0-17 win at Mick Neville Park on Saturday evening.

Coming into the game as underdogs in the eyes of many, Knockaderry have now added intermediate honours to the Premier Junior crown won 12 months ago, and with it, return to the Premier Intermediate grade.

For Bruree, it is a gut-wrenching third final loss in a row, an unwanted record, which was also the fate of Glenroe (1975-1977) and Croagh-Kilfinny (2021-2023). Simply put, they failed to build enough of an interval lead, backed by a gale force breeze at Mick Neville Park.

The winners crucially grabbed a first half goal from Storin, and only trailed four points, 0-10 to 1-3, having been under serious pressure for much of the half.

Such was the breeze in the west Limerick venue, both goalkeepers rarely found their own 65, when attempting long-puckouts facing into the wind, with the sliotar carrying backwards on a number of occasions.

With the game entering stoppage time, first Storin and then Molloy, from range, split the posts. In an almighty trio of goalmouth scrambles at the end, Bruree failed to find a championship-winning goal, and were left heartbroken.

But the day belonged to Knockaderry, manager Brendan Hayes has instilled a belief in his side, with joint-captains Enda Moran and Liam Molyneaux collecting the silverware on behalf of a very proud village.

Bruree set the early tempo, and scored six points inside 12 minutes. Sam Williams, Conor Frawley, Paddy Lynch and impressive Sam Cronnolly all on target. They were winning the 50-50 battles and were accurate when shooting chances arrived.

Mark Danaher landed a close-range free to kickstart the hard-working Knockaderry attack. Cronnolly and Danaher traded the next pair of points, before Cronnolly’s 24th minute free put seven between the sides.

However, after impressive work from Mike Molloy and then Storin, Fionn O’Brien was forced into a close range stop. However, Bruree couldn’t clear and Storin pulled to the top corner to breathe life into their challenge.

Danaher and the lively Conor Frawley traded points to close the half, to have the gap at four, but Knockaderry were the happier side.

Bruree, to their credit, found scores from Patrick Deady and Paddy Lynch to start the new half but they would score just four more points in the final 27 minutes of action. Six of the next seven were scored by those in green.

Danaher, including a first from play got two, as did Mike Molloy. In among the scores too, was Tom Condon, who moved from centre-back to full-forward, while Moran also landed a point.

Conor Frawley and Cronnolly pushed the gap back to three but the sides were soon level.

Danaher landed three frees, all of different tariff. Then, Enda Moran cut over his first sideline of the season from the stand-sideline and Knockaderry could smell the victory.

Kieran O’Dea and then Frawley both had points to answer Knockaderry scores, but the final moments went to the west Limerick outfit.

Storin and then Molloy, landing the winning moments. It was heart in the mouth stuff at the finale, but elation soon won over, as Knockaderry gained a fourth ever hurling title, and a first outside of the junior grades.

SCORERS - KNOCKADERRY: Mark Danaher 0-9 (7f); Kieran Storin 1-1; Mike Molloy 0-3; Enda Moran 0-2 (1 s/l); Tom Condon 0-1.

BRUREE: Sam Cronnolly 0-6 (3f);Conor Frawley 0-4; Paddy Lynch 0-3; Kieran O’Dea 0-2; Sam Williams and Patrick Deady 0-1 each.

KNOCKADERRY: Micheál O’Sullivan; Eoghan McMahon, Eddie Foley, Darragh Lyons; Jack Molloy, Liam Molyneaux (JC), Colm O’Connor; Gearoid Fenniman, Mike Molloy; Kieran Storin, Rob Egan, Cillian Moloney; Enda Moran (JC), Mark Danaher, Tom Condon.

Subs: Ronan Keating for Egan (47 mins); Cormac Lyons for Moloney (47 mins); Paudie Dore for McMahon (61 mins).

BRUREE: Fionn O’Brien; Jimmy Leslie Madigan, Kieran O’Rourke, Kevin Hayden; Sam Williams, Tommy Cronnolly (Capt), Patrick Carey; Patrick Deady, Darragh McDonagh; Conor Frawley, Kieran O’Dea, Sam Cronnolly; Paddy Lynch, Michael Lane, Brian Sexton.

Subs: Cian McDonagh for Deady (41 mins); Frankie Barrington for Sexton (53 mins); John O’Connell for Carey (55 mins); Owen Barrington for D McDonagh (58 mins).

Referee: Jonathan Hayes (St. Senan’s).