AIB All-Ireland Club IHC: Impressive Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry advance

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AIB All-Ireland Club IHC Semi-Final

Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry 2-19 Rathnure 2-11

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

Red cards at the start of each half for Rathnure men left them with just too much to do against a capable and balanced Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry side at Glenisk O’Connor Park, where Mattie Kenny’s side kicked on with second half goals from Paul Killeen and Pádraig Breheny to become the first Galway club to reach the AIB All-Ireland IHC final since Oranmore-Maree’s win in February 2019.

Right from the throw in, the Wexford champions were put on the back foot when Ciarán O’Connor was sent off following an altercation.

With AJ Redmond persisting in his usual role as sweeper in front of the Rathnure full back line, that left Seán O’Connor as the only Rathnure inside forward, and Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry started well, gobbling up a lot of loose possessions in that sector.

David Jordan potted a fine strike from distance as the Connacht champions took the first two scores of the game, but Rory Higgins and Jack Redmond were lively and creative in the Rathnure half-forward line and with ten minutes played, it was 0-3 each and finely poised.

The Wexford club, five-time senior finalists and shock victims of relegation from senior hurling in 2023, looked strong in one-on-one battles and when Jack Redmond broke a tackle and set up Eamonn Wickham, it took an excellent hit from Niall Moloney to prevent the Rathnure midfielder from getting a clean shot on goal just ten metres out.

There was no such reprieve when Higgins did brilliantly to set up Shane Lawler on the run, and a combination of his electric turn of pace and Seán O’Connor’s fine run to pull away the last defender gave him the chance to whip a superb shot inside Brendan Lynch’s near post for a goal.

Jack Redmond pounced on a sloppy line ball to make it 1-4 to 0-4 but the second quarter was dominated by Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, who outscored their opponents by 0-8 to 0-2 in the second quarter.

Galway senior panellist Pádraig Breheny came to the fore with some excellent points and he could have had a goal but for a crucial and well-timed tackle by Stephen Martin, while Killeen and Shane Moloney were hurling a lot of ball through the middle, no doubt in part because of the availability of an extra man consistently.

Rory Higgins opened the second half with a bang, winning the throw ball and splitting the uprights to cut the gap to two points, but within five minutes Rathnure were in deep trouble. Seán O’Connor became the second man to see a straight red card, following a clash in front of the dugouts.

Almost immediately, gaps began to open up and Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry took full advantage. Conor Jordan used the extra space to pick off some nice points, Ben Moran found Paul Killeen in an acre of space and with time to wind up and strike at full power, his rocket from just outside the 13m line fizzed past Kyle Martin for a game-clinching goal.

There was never a question of Rathnure accepting their fate but they were shooting under immense pressure and always outnumbered. A late penalty from Jack Redmond reduced the gap to five points, and at this stage the numerical gap was just one man with Thomas Murphy dismissed, but their frantic chase of another goal cost them instead. Confusion from a line ball meant that Breheny picked up possession with just the keeper to beat and he duly did so, crowning a memorable afternoon for the Galway side.

Scorers for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry: Shane Moloney 0-6 (5fs), Pádraig Breheny 1-4, Conor Jordan 0-4, Paul Killeen 1-1, Johnny Conroy 0-2, David Jordan 0-2.

Scorers for Rathnure: Jack Redmond 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2fs), Shane Lawler 1-1, AJ Redmond 0-2 (1f, 1 65), Rory Higgins 0-2, Eamonn Wickham 0-1

Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry: Brendan Lynch; John Whelan, Garry McHugo, Micheál Power; Kevin Moloney, David Jordan, Shane Fitzpatrick; Paul Killeen, Shane Moloney; Ben Moran, John Dervan, Niall Moloney; Conor Jordan, Johnny Conroy, Pádraig Breheny.

Subs: Thomas Murphy for Fitzpatrick (49), Patrick McHugo for Whelan (53), Shane Farrell for Dervan (60)

Rathnure: Kyle Martin; Stephen Martin, Brian Quigley, Ciarán Doyle Maher; Michael O’Connor, Pádraig Doyle, Donal Wickham; Ciarán O’Connor, Eamonn Wickham; Rory Higgins, Jack Redmond, Mick Redmond; AJ Redmond, Seán O’Connor, Shane Lawler.

Subs: Luke Codd for Doyle Maher (38), James Tobin for M Redmond (43), Michael Martin for Lawler (47), Mick Redmond for E Wickham (48-49, blood), Mick Somers for Doyle (58).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary).