*Inagh/Kilnamona players celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
SWELTERING CONDITIONS proved no obstacle for Inagh/Kilnamona when they claimed the inaugural U19A hurling championship.
Inagh/Kilnamona 5-22
Sixmilebridge 4-15
Venue: Cusack Park
Temperatures in excess of 25 degrees put matters at fever pitch in a gripping finale which saw Inamona take the spoils by a margin of ten points.
Full-forward Dara Casey goaled to settle any nerves and shove Sixmilebridge into a 1-01 0-02 advantage with four minutes on the clock.
Inagh/Kilnamona would take the front when Clare U20 attacker, Josh Guyler raided for their first goal on eleven minutes. Further green flags from Jack Lyons and Ronan Mescall put them in a healthy half-time position with the score standing at 3-13 1-07.
Fresh from the reprieve, they struck for another major, Jack Mecall this time doing the honours. Sixmilebridge as ever, were never going to lie down and produced a remarkable rally which included three goals in the space of ten minutes, two from Luke O’Halloran and one from David Kennedy.
They had split the gap in half but former county minor Sean Rynne would secure the insurance score with the last of the decider’s nine goals to provide a timely lift for Inamona as they prepare to commence campaigns in the Clare SHC and IHC.
Newmarket-on-Fergus and Kilmaley will face off in the U19B decider with the Blues carrying the favourites tag despite Kilmaley overcoming them when they faced off last week.
