CHAMPIONS: Tipperary crowned All-Ireland U20 champions after defeat of Kilkenny!

O’Neill’s.com All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship Final

Tipperary 3-19

Kilkenny 1-16

Tipperary are All-Ireland U20 Hurling champions for the first time since 2019 after a clinical and routine victory over a disappointing Kilkenny side in a packed out UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday afternoon.

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Two second-half goals from Paddy McCormack in the 39th and 51st minutes helped ease the Premier to a 12th national hurling title at this grade, and deservedly so, as they were by far the better drilled and more clinical team on the day.

Playing against a stiff gust in the first half, Tipperary were measured in their play and with a good defensive effort, they managed to take a two-point lead in at half-time with Oisin O’Donoghue the main man in that half, winning frees and scoring two points in the Premier effort.

From here, Tipperary started the second half with a Conor Martin point within 15 seconds and it was the impressive Cappawhite man who capped off a dominant second half performance with the breeze at their backs, finishing a low strike to the net after Darragh McCarthy set him free with three minutes remaining, and in doing so, banished the demons of the defeat in last year’s final at the same venue to Offaly.

Kilkenny came into the game having coasted their way to a Leinster title over the last few months, and with home advantage in their favour, it was expected that Tipperary’s highly heralded young guns would have it all to do to come out of Kilkenny with the James Nowlan Cup.

However, what transpired was something unexpected, with a conservative Kilkenny setup in the first half baffling and frustrating the home supporters.

Tipperary won the toss and opted to play against the breeze in the first half but despite that, they used Jeff Neary as a deep-lying sweeper - wary of Tipp’s inside threat - and inexplicably, they went short with their puckouts, and conceded the puckout to Tipp to boot that played into Tipp’s hands no end.

As it was, Tipp still had to produce their performance and they were very professional in their first half efforts, with the sides close in the scoring stakes in the opening quarter with eight points shared evenly between the sides by the 15th minutes.

The second quarter was dominated by Tipp as they hit four points in succession through Darragh McCarthy, Oisin O’Donghue, Cathal English and Paddy McCormack, all on the scoresheet in that time, with Cashel man O’Donoghue causing wreck every time the ball was delviered into him.

Frees were the main currency of the Kilkenny effort as Michael Brennan must be credited with some fine striking throughout, and he added three points before half-time, along with Jeff Neary’s lumped effort from play. But Tipp still held the lead by the half-time whistle as English and Adam Daly struck to give Brendan Cummins’ side a 0-10 to 0-8 lead.

Tipp were in a winning position with the substantial breeze at their backs and they wasted no time in making hay with that aid as Conor Martin slotted over a point in jig time after the restart.

The third quarter is where the game was made safe from a Tipperary perspective with the middle third effort from the Premier completely smothering Kilkenny, and with opportunities to shoot from deep now available, they did so to effect with Sam O’Farrell, and a sublime Oisin O’Donoghue sideline cut pushing Tipp three clear.

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The big moment came in the 39th minute from Paddy McCormac, with a goal all of his own making, gathering the ball some 40 yards out before taking on the Kilkenny defence, selling a dummy, before going in and finishing a class goal to the back of the net. Tipperary in control now.

Adam Daly and the elusive Conor Martin made it a five-point goal by slotting the next two scores for Tipp, and by the time Kilkenny got their next score from play in the 50th minute, Tipperary were in full control, leading 1-17 to 0-14 with the clock in their favour.

In fairness, Tipp didn’t rest on their laurels and looked to push home by attacking, and when McCormack buried his second goal in the 51st minute after class play by Oisin O’Donoghue set him loose, it was all she wrote as the result was confirmed with that major.

Kilkenny were a busted flush now, but they came in search of goals to bring them back into it in the final ten minutes, as Tipperary invited pressure by dropping deep to hold onto what they had. 

However, it gave up space for Tipperary to exploit, and when Darragh McCarthy turned down an easy point to feed Conor Martin inside, the cherry was placed on the top of the cake for Tipperary, who rejoiced as the net bellowed after Martin’s strike.

To Kilkenny’s credit, they never gave up, and they had a classy consolation goal to show for their efforts when Marty Murphy clawed a big delivery out of the sky and turned toward goal and lashed his strike to the top corner past Eoin Horgan.

However, it was not to be for the Cats as Tipperary held out a few more hairy moments in front of goal but it wasn’t long before captain Sam O’Farrell climbed the steps of the Ardan Breathnach to lift the James Nowlan Cup and become the first Tipperary player to captain All-Ireland winning teams at minor and U20/U21 level.

Scorers: Tipperary: Conor Martin 1-4, Paddy McCormack 2-1, Darragh McCarthy 0-5f, Oisin O’Donoghue (0-3, 0-1 sl-cut), Cathal English, Adam Daly, Sam O’Farrell all 0-2 each.

Kilkenny: Michael Brennan (0-11, 0-8f), Marty Murphy 1-2, Jeff Neary, Ed McDermott, Greg Kelly all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Kickhams); Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), Aaron O’Halloran (Carrick Swans), Podge O’Dwyer (Killenaule); Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Jim Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg); Joe Egan (Moycarkey Borris), Adam Daly (Knockavilla Kickhams); Cathal English (Father Sheehy’s), Conor Martin (Cappawhite), David Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), Paddy McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs).

Subs used: Cormac Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch) for Costigan (51); Mason Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg) for Egan (54); Jamie Ormond (JK Brackens) for Martin (57); Senan Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash) for McCormack (59); Paddy Phelan (Upperchurch Drombane) for Daly (60).

Kilkenny: Stephen Manogue (James Stephens); Ivan Bolger (Graiguenamanagh), Rory Garrett (Fenians), Darragh Vereker (Glenmore); Timmy Kelly (Bennettsbridge), Eoghan Lyng (Rower Inistioge), Cathal Hickey (St Lachtain’s); Tom McPhillips (Dicksboro), Jeff Neary (Graigue Ballycallan); Ed Lauhoff (James Stephens), Aaron McEvoy (Graigue Ballycallan), Michael Brennan (Erin’s Own); Ed McDermott (James Stephens), Marty Murphy (Tullogher Rosbercon), Rory Glynn (Clara).

Subs used: Jack Dollard (Glenmore) for McPhillips (14, blood sub); Anthony Ireland Wall (Danesfort) for McEvoy (40); Jack Dollard for McPhillips (50); Greg Kelly (O’Louglin Gaels) for Hickey (52); Séan Hunt (St Martin’s) for McDermott (54); James Hughes (Bennettsbridge) for Glynn (59).

Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)