Caherline crowned Junior A Hurling champions after 14-year wait

Caherline will ply their trade in the Intermediate ranks in 2022 after beating St Kierans in the Junior A decider in Kilmallock.

Caherline were crowned Junior A Hurling Champions for the first time since 2007 after outlasting St Kierans 1-13 to 0-10 in the final.

A brilliant third quarter turned the tide for the blue side who now look forward to the Munster club championship.

Paraic Wixted opened the scoring right from the throw in before Ian Mackessey levelled with a free. Andrew Brennan then got off the mark, his first of ten, to restore Caherline’s lead.

Brennan and Mackessey exchanged scores but soon Caherline were 0-5 to 0-2 to the good.

But a pair of Mackassey frees had just one between the sides at the first waterbreak.

Mackessey levelled and Kierans had their first lead of the day after 30 minutes, with Mackessey’s placed ball giving them a slender 0-7 to 0-6 lead at the half.

Brennan levelled for the East side but Johnny McCarthy pulled Kierans ahead shortly after. But Brennan soon began to dominate the puck out battle and a brace from the centre forward gave Caherline the lead, which they would not concede for the remainder of the contest.

He followed up with two more, one a monster free from inside his own 65′ before Wixted added a second to give them a 0-12 to 0-8 lead heading into the final quarter.

Kierans brought it back to three but again Brennan replied with another free from inside his own 65′. Mackassey brought it back to a one score game but then Jack Enright flicked the sliotar into the Kierans net to seal the win.