Next up in the Kiladangan YouTube series is the 2004/5 All Ireland Intermediate Hurling Final where Kiladangan claimed a famous 2-13 to 1-13 win over Carrickshock from Kilkenny. One of the greatest days in the clubs history.
Youtube link to the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHpbKqVhZk
Match Programme: https://www.facebook.com/KiladanganGAA/posts/1582879558541685
Match Photo's: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.108883019210406&type=3
Match Report:
Kildangan 2-13; Carrickshock 1-13
Tipperary, Munster and now All-Ireland Intermediate champions, Kildangan, snatched the All-Ireland crown from right under Carrickshock’s noses in what will forever be remembered in Puckane and surrounding areas as the day the men in blue and gold brought home the All-Ireland intermediate title following a titanic battle at Semple Stadium, Thurles, on Easter Monday last.
Kildangan, for all intensive purposes, seemed dead and buried as sixty minutes elapsed on referee, Michael Haverty’s watch but somehow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The fact that Dan Hackett was stretchered off the field with a badly-broken leg coupled with a three-point lead for the Kilkenny champions and you have what anyone would describe as a recipe for defeat.
However, defeat is a word that does not exist in Kildangan’s vocabulary and they fought their way back from a seemingly hopeless situation to land the All-Ireland crown.
As if by magic, the men in blue and gold were energised by the departure of the unfortunate Dan Hackett on a stretcher after a tangle with Carrickshock’s John Tennyson on the stroke of full-time.
Straight from the restart the ball flew towards the Carrickshock goal and Semple Stadium erupted after Conor Hayes shot was parried in the direction of the advancing Darragh Egan. With Egan monstering in on goal, Brendan Hoyne’s parried save rebounded off a Carrickshock defender’s shoulder and into his own net to give Kildangan a lifeline when all seemed lost.
It got better for Kildangan when Tommy Connors pointed with aplomb from the resultant puckout and, despite a shell-shocked Carrickshock attempting to get back into contention, their chance of All-Ireland glory was deftly snatched from their grasp when Conor Hayes — back on the pitch for Hackett after being earlier substituted — smashed the sliotar first-time to the back of the Carrickshock net and necessitate a quick change of ribbon colour on the All-Ireland intermediate trophy.
To say Kildangan pulled off the impossible is true. They really took the game to Carrickshock in the opening half and despite losing their way mid-way through the second half they never lost faith and the belief that they could overcome what was an impressive Carrickshock outfit.
Kildangan hit the ground running from the throw-in and although Pat Farrell opened Carrickshock’s account after three minutes Kildangan dominated the opening quarter with points from Hugh Flannery, Darragh Egan (free) and Patrick Lynch establishing an early lead for the men in blue and gold.
James Power kept Carrickshock in touch when he arrowed over in the sixth minute and full-forward Michael Rice brought the sides level at three points apiece in eighth minute. Another long-range effort from Patrick Lynch and a second Egan free saw Kildangan pull clear but two glaring wides from Tommy Connors and Lynch scuppered Kildangan’s chances of building a healthy lead.
Carrickshock sensed the threat of Dan Hackett at centre-back and moved Richie Power to centre-forward in a bid to curb his dominance. Indeed both defences were on top with man-of-the-match John Tennyson at full-back thwarting the best Kildangan threw at his side.
Both sides traded point’s mid-way through the half with Carrickshock also guilty of being wasteful in front of goal.
Kildangan were then rocked back on their heels when a moment of madness from Kildangan midfielder, Brian Kelly led to Carrickshock’s only goal. Kelly lashed out following a tangle and was immediately yellow carded. John Dalton floated in the resultant free and Richie Power pounced to fire past Dermot Hogan in the Kildangan goal.
Prior to the goal, Carrickshock introduced James Moran for centre-forward, Pat Cleary in a bid to spice up their attack, a move that paid dividends for the Leinster champions.
As the half drew to a close Kildangan also re-jigged their attack and introduced Liam Karl Flannery for John Maher with the rangy attacker slotting in at right half forward.
Flannery’s impact was immediate and when he was dragged down he created the chance for Darragh Egan to knock over Kildangan‚s seventh point. Flannery was again fouled in the 28th minute and Egan duly obliged again to bring Kildangan to within just one point and trail by 1-6 to 0-8 at the interval.
Kildangan switched Darragh Egan to centre-forward and introduced Brian McLoughlin at top of the left in a bid to rejuvenate their forward line for the second half with Enda Nolan making way after getting very little change from the outstanding John Tennyson.
With the game teetering on a knife-edge Darragh Egan bagged his only point from play in the 35th minute but his effort was cancelled out by James Moran almost immediatedly. Liam Karl Flannery put Kildangan back in front with a fine long-range score from a tight angle in the 38th minute.
Darragh Egan pointed a close-range free after Paul Barron was adjudged to have picked the sliotar off the ground but again Carrickshock restored parity with Jamie Power firing over a sublime effort.
Kildangan kept the pressure on though, with Tommy Connors in the right place for Patrick Lynch’s quick free and Connors floated the sliotar between the posts for his side’s twelfth point.
Carrickshock were beginning to dominate in crucial areas of the field with 15 minutes remaining and it appeared that the Kildangan challenge was beginning to wane when Darragh Egan missed a scorable free and Tommy Connors fired wide. Carrickshock piled on the pressure with Dermot Hogan called on to deny the Kilkenny side two points, keeping the sliotar from creeping over his crossbar with the top of his hurl.
But the tide was turning in the favour of Carrickshock and when John Dalton surged upfield to bisect the uprights and Richie Power pointed a close-range free after he was fouled by Liam Kelly it seemed as if the game was slipping from Kildangan’s grasp.
Things got worse when Darragh Egan missed again from a scorable position but Carrickshock were dealt a bodyblow when John Tennyson suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to relinquish his full-back berth in a switch with right-half back, John Murphy.
Indeed, the forced switch augured well for Kildangan and Carrickshock will wonder if Kildangan would have netted twice in injury time if Tennyson had been marshalling the edge of the square.
With Darragh Egan now operating and full-forward and Dan Hackett switched into attack it was clear the Tipperary men had to throw everything at Carrickshock in a bid to peg them back but when James Moran put three between the sides in the 57th minute the game looked up for Kildangan.
Then the unthinkable for Kildangan! Dan Hackett tangled with John Tennyson and the immediate reaction of the stout centre-back and players from both sides informed the crowd of the serious nature of the injury.
However, what followed will forever linger in the minds if Kildangan men, women and children for decades to come. Lazarus-like they emerged from the throes of defeat to conquer Carrickshock and signal scenes of wild delight on the hallowed turf of Semple Stadium.
While both sides served up a contest worthy of an All-Ireland final there was some outstanding performances on both sides. It‚s a mark of John Tennyson‚s outstanding display at full-back that sees a hurler on the losing side take the man-of-the-match accolade.
Kildangan had their heroes too with Michael Ryan at right corner-back outstanding for a man who was a fringe player until last year, while the half-back line of Karl Hogan, Dan Hackett and captain Gerry Slattery were impenetrable at times.
Midfielders Tommy Connors and Brian Kelly popped up in dangerous positions and although they drifted in and out of the game they kept plugging away right to the finish with Connors getting his just rewards with a late point in injury time to give Kildangan the lead.
Patrick Lynch was outstanding in the opening half and was ably abetted by Hugh Flannery but the introduction of Liam Karl Flannery to the half-forward line and his dominating display really aided Kildangan’s efforts.
In attack, Darragh Egan was not his usual potent self but still came away with a haul of six points with five coming from placed balls. Conor Hayes caused mayhem when he was re-introduced and deservedly he bagged the goal to send the Kildangan faithful into raptures. The late introduction of the nippy Sean Gleeson also contributed to Kildangan’s late surge.
Carrickshock were not without their stars either with John Dalton, Richie Power, Pat Farrell, Jamie Power and substitutes James Moran and Michael Rohan impressing.
Scorers Kildangan: D. Egan 1-6 (0-5 frees); P. Lynch 0-3; C. Hayes 1-0; T. Connors 0-2; H. Flannery, L.K. Flannery, 0-1 each.
KILDANGAN: D. Hogan; B. Lawlor, L. Kelly, M. Ryan; K. Hogan, D. Hackett, G. Slattery (c); B. Kelly, T. Connors; P. Lynch, H. Flannery, J. Maher; D. Egan, E. Nolan, C. Hayes. Subs: L.K. Flannery (Maher 25); B. McLoughlin (Nolan 30); J. Slattery (Hayes 42); S. Gleeson (McLoughlin 56); C. Hayes (Hackett, inj. 62).
Scorers for Carrickshock — R. Power 1-3 (0-1f); J. Power and J. Moran 0-3 each; P. Farrell 0-2; J. Dalton and M. Rice 0-1 each.
Carrickshock — B. Hoyne, M. Rohan, J. Tennyson, P. Barron, P. Dalton, J. Murphy, S. Power, P. Tennyson, R. Power, P. Cleary, P. Farrell, J. Power, M. Rice, S. Gibbons. Substitutes — J Moran for Cleary; M. Rohan for S. Power; R. Frisby for P. Dalton; D. Millea for P. Tennyson.
Many thanks to all those that have lent their videos and DVD’s so far. If you have any videos of Kiladangan games, be it juvenile or adult, then please contact Michael Quinn on 0872548583 and we can upload them to the channel.
Thanks to the Gallaghers for providing a copy of the above game
