Jerome Cahill lights up Tipperary final with two goals, one as good as the next

Niall McIntyre

Kilruane McDonaghs 2-18 Kiladangan 1-21

What a finish.

The Tipperary senior hurling final was a slow burner but then, out of nowhere and just in time, it sparked into life and that man Jerome Cahill lit the flame.

The dynamic Kilruane McDonaghs’ forward scored two goals, one as good as the next, as he kept his club alive and, once more, waived his genius all over Semple Stadium.

His namesake Liam will be doing everything he can to get him into the Tipperary panel this year because, without putting too fine a point on it, they just wouldn’t be the same team without him. There is hardly a better hurler in the county at the moment.

Cahill’s first goal was pure class.

Niall ‘Bill’ O’Meara was on one of his trademark bursts up the field when he spotted Cahill, isolated and dangerous with his man-marker Alan Flynn. The point was on but O’Meara took the chance and even though he almost lost his footing, Cahill was still able to leave Flynn rooted before rocketing the sliotar past Barry Hogan.

The Kiladangan ‘keeper barely even saw it that was how quick Cahill got the shot off.

16 nóim @KiladanganGAA 0-04@MacDonaghsGAA 1-05

Cúl den scoth ó Jerome Cahill do Chill Ruán! 🤩

Kilruane find the net following a superb piece of play! 👌#GAABEO @GAA_BEO | @officialgaa | @TipperaryGAA

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/ZQm1VuyYxJ

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 23, 2022

The Magpies were on top at that stage, four points up and in the ascendency but that’s the thing about Kiladangan. They just never go away. They’re too clever on the ball and too economical in their use of it that they’re always able to hang in there.

It’s a case of if they miss one chance, it’ll only be a matter of time before they create another.

In this sense, Joe Gallagher is their key man. The centre forward is a stalwart of the team at this stage and you can see that in his every play. Gallagher rarely if ever makes a mistake in possession and lays on so many scores for the likes of Willie Connors, who can be tremendous at times, and Bryan McLougheny, who doesn’t know how to miss.

Decky McGrath was also on song for The Dang, while Alan Flynn hurled his customary mountain of ball. On the other side, the tigerish James Cleary did a brilliant job of quietening the dangerous Sean Hayes while Willie Cleary is cool as ice. He never looked like missing that late free.

On the whole, as is often the case with draws, both teams will have their regrets. Aaron Morgan will rue that dropped ball which gave Paul Flynn the chance that he finished expertly.

Kilruane will also think back on Bryan McLoughney’s ‘ghost point’ which, on reflection, was a good foot or two wide but Kiladangan will be thinking that when they went two up, they should have closed it out.

But that was when Niall O’Meara took the game by the scruff like the leader that he is, the Kilruane centre back scoring two late, great points in a row.

Either way, they’ll be back for more next Sunday and as for this one, we’ll always have those two brilliant Jerome Cahill goals. The second one, as you’ll see below, was even better.