Yet another Croke Cup title for St Kieran’s College

Thurles CBS (Tipperary) 1-12 St Kieran's College (Kilkenny) 1-15

The wall of fame at St Kieran’s will have a new addition in the coming days.

Kilkenny's Croke Cup specialists collected a 20th title at Semple Stadium on Saturday to cement their status as standard bearers in post-primary schools A hurling.

St Kieran’s retained their crown with a three-point victory over Thurles CBS and manager Liam Smith admitted that the number 20 has a lovely ring to it.

Smith smiled: “To be honest with you, in Kieran’s you’re judged by what’s up on the board and some of the boys are up there again.

“Some of them have two and it’s unreal. Any time I mention the wall the boys look at me and say, sir, you used to have hair back then!

“Everyone that comes in looks at that wall. They’re up on it again.”

They were off to a flier and leading by 0-4 to 0-1 before a goalkeeping error handed Thurles forward Michael Connors a 14th-minute goal.

But the St Kieran’s response was excellent as they replied in kind four minutes later, top scorer Ray Lahart with the goal following Billy Ryan’s defence-splitting pass.

At the break, St Kieran’s were 1-10 to 1-7 clear in front of 3,852 spectators in Thurles, before points from Jack Skehan and Niall Heffernan (free) reduced the Thurles deficit after the break.

But St Kieran’s came again with four unanswered points, including two from Lahart placed balls, and while the winners registered six bad wides in the second half, they still had more than enough in the tank.

Thurles rallied again but at three points down, Heffernan missed a free and St Kieran’s captain Seán Morrissey, playing with a broken finger, made Thurles pay at the other end with his team’s final point.

Robbie Long whipped a ground-stroke narrowly over the crossbar in stoppage time but the clock was against Thurles as St Kieran’s reigned supreme yet again.

Thurles CBS: W Tierney; J Derby, E Heffernan, D Quirke; T Hayes, J Skehan (0-1), C McCullagh; R Heffernan (0-1), C Moloney; B McCarthy (0-1), K Duggan (0-1), N Heffernan (0-5, 4f); M Connors (1-2), R Long (0-1), R Teehan.

Subs: P Kennedy for Moloney (39), B Kelly for Duggan (59), J Butler for R Heffernan (60+4)

St Kieran’s: A Mullen; M Cody, T Walsh, J Keoghan; J Barron, J Cleere, E Walsh; J Byrne (0-1), R Leahy (0-2); S Morrissey (0-2), L Blanchfield (0-1), J Connolly; R Lahart (1-5, 0-4f, 0-1 65), B Ryan (0-3), T O’Dwyer (0-1).

Subs: E Egan for Barron (47), Niall Walsh for Connolly (48), E Kearney for T Walsh (inj, 57), M Keoghan for E Walsh (60+2)

Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow)