Senior
In the first round of the County League MacDonaghs played out a draw with Burgess in Kilcolman. Final Score: MacDonaghs 1-18 Burgess 0-21. The home side had the aid of the diagonal breeze in the first half but it was the visitors who opened up better and led by 0-6 to 0-3 after fourteen minutes. It could have been healthier for MacDonaghs but Niall McGrath made a brilliant save from Shane Quinlan. Burgess improved in the second quarter and at the break the teams were level on 0-11 each. On the resumption Burgess were quickly out of the blocks and hit four unanswered points in the first four minutes. White flags from Ray McLoughney and Justin Cahill got the scoreboard moving again for the Magpies. With 44 mins gone on the clock Burgess had a two-point advantage. Corner-back Eoin Hogan drifted up field, collected a well-placed diagonal ball, rounded a defender and buried the sliotar in the net to put MacDonaghs a point ahead. With normal time up Burgess had edged two in front but points from Ray McLoughney and Kieran Cahill (free) left it honours even. It had been a very useful workout for both teams. The MacDonaghs management experimented with some players in new positions as championship preparations move up a notch. The Magpies hit 1-16 from open play whereas Burgess scored 0-9 from frees, a point from a 65 and another from a lineball. Informed sources say that the free count was 13 to 3 in favour of the home side in the second half. The next round is away to Newport on this Sunday, 18th March at 12.00. Team: Thomas Williams, Eoin Hogan (1-0), Stephen Cleary, James Cleary, Tomás Hogan, Darragh Peters, Jack Peters, Seamus Hennessy (0-1), Craig Morgan, Justin Cahill (0-5), Ray McLoughney (0-3), Conor Cleary (0-1), Thomas Cleary (0-1), Kieran Cahill (0-7, 0-5 from frees) and Shane Quinlan. Subs: Conor Austin, Pat Conway, Sean McAdams and Mark O’Neill.
Minor
MacDonaghs qualified for the minor ‘A’ football final for the first time since 2006 with a narrow but well-deserved 3-6 to 2-7 victory over Kiladangan in MacDonagh Park. Kiladangan were quickly into their stride in the opening minute with the first white flag of the game. Eleven scoreless minutes followed before the visitors struck again, this time finding the net. MacDonaghs were playing well, moving the ball smartly, but were failing to take their chances. In the 14th minute they got off the mark when Páidí Williams struck for an opportunist goal. He got his hand to a Matthew Spain free to steer the ball into the onion bag. Páidí found the net again in the 29th minute to help the Magpies into a 2-3 to 1-3 lead at the interval. MacDonaghs dominated the third quarter of the game but failed to put the visitors away. The full-forward line of Aaron Morgan, Páidí Williams and Matthew Spain were completely on top but there was a baffling reluctance to feed them with direct ball. When Kiladangan scored 1-2 without reply inside a four-minute spell it looked like the game was slipping away from the home side. Eventually, the players realised that over elaboration wasn’t paying dividends. With four minutes to go Kian O’Kelly floated a long ball into the danger area. Páidí Williams peeled inside his marker, collected the breaking ball and finished to the net with aplomb to complete his hat trick. Matthew Spain added a point in injury time and victory had been snatched from the jaws of defeat. The team has dug out a good victory when the tide seemed to have turned against them. Team: Eoghan Tinkler, Sean McAdams (0-1), Ben Chadwick, Fionnan Minogue, Owen Usman, Mark O’Neill, David O’Sullivan, Devlin Courtney (0-1 from a 45), Kian O’Kelly, Nathan Lynch, Luke Morkan (0-1), Patrick Hayes, Aaron Morgan, Páidí Williams (3-0) and Matthew Spain (0-2). Sub: Barry Shanahan. Inane Rovers will provide the opposition in the final which will take place this weekend. Check fixtures or Twitter @KilruaneGAA.
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Juvenile
There were mixed fortunes for our teams at the weekend. MacDonaghs (Bán) overcame Borrisokane in the U12 football while the U14 footballers lost out to Moneygall in the Féile Peil.
Inter Firms
Congratulations to Thomas Cleary and Justin Cahill who were on the Atlantic Aviation/Molex team that defeated Creagh Concrete in the All-Ireland Inter-Firms Junior hurling final in Sixmilemilebridge.
County Draw
Congratulations to Luke and Zack Dervan who won €200 in the Tipperary Draw.
Sympathy
Sympathy is extended to the Casey family, Knocknacree on the death of Maura Kennedy (née Casey), Ballymona, Ballingarry and to Ollie Moroney, Ardcroney on the death of his brother Sean, Ballintotty, Nenagh.
