Watching back the match from yesterday. Why did Paddy Deegan give John Donnelly the freedom of Nowlan Park ? He has the best full back in the country behind him, why the need to sit in front of him and John Donnelly giving one of the best performances seen in a county final at centre forward. Huh Lawlor does not need that protection especially with Butler beside him. Lawlor has gone toe to toe with some of the best full forwards in the game in Croke Park with 50 yards of space in front of him and was never caught out, brain dead stuff, they invited Thomastown onto them
Thomastown set the tempo yesterday with 15 players all well able to hurl and fully play to their game plan. OLG had a nightmare day and not fair to highlight one over the other. I have suggested before McDonald is our greatest prospect going forward. Stephen Donnelly, Brian Staunton and Zach Bay also worth a serious look. Delighted for them and good for hurling in the county. Luke Hogan was a huge loss to OLG.
You are only as good as your last game for you so ?
Congrats to Thomastown on their superb victory yesterday and the emphatic manner of their win. They set the marker early with some huge hits and were so determined from the off. I have been most impressed with the brand of hurling they have played all year and their skill execution is top class, and was particularly so with the greasy ball yesterday. All are so comfortable in possession and they are a fine hurling team. Top class performance and none more so than John Donnelly, I'm delighted for him to be captain next year, fully deserved and is a gent. I have been well impressed all year with Diarmaid Galway, J Burke, N Kirwan, B Staunton, Eddie Donnelly, JJ Farrell, Zach Bay, Peter McDonald, Stephen Donnelly and Colin Treacy- what a job he did on the best full back in Ireland and one so young. Hard to believe he wasn't deemed good enough for county minor panel. Not sure how many of them will make step up to county senior panel but surely worth looking at a number of them. It's brilliant for Thomastown to have been knocking on the door for so long at intermediate level and now to be crowned champions at senior level. It will benefit Kilkenny too to have big rural town like Thomastown competing and hopefully so at all grades underage too.
Not from the town schools so not relevant
Well done Thomastown. The fact Colm Treacy never even made the 2023 Kilkenny minor panel, says alot.
I think Mac Donald was probaly unlucky in lyngs first year I think he did his collar bone in a walsh cup game and last year was wiped off before half time against Offaly probaly only regaining some form over the last few months
someone mentioned earlier about perseverance with players which is right but managers are under pressure for a quick fix and so are the supporters.
Peter Mcdonald is streets ahead 15 lads i can name on the Kilkenny Panel, the physicality of Mcdonald and Zach bay was incredible, the same v Shamrocks, Mcdonald hit Mullen early with a shoulder and wasn't seen for the remainder of the match. Molloy had a a poor day yesterday, few Thomastown players way ahead of him. Stephen Donnelly has to be drafted into that team straight away also, a class act. What is the story with the older lads, they need to go, make room for some of the younger players. Why are they still hanging around ???, not good enough the last 10 years and certainly not good enough going into 2025 older again.
What a day yesterday was for Thomastown, never enjoyed a hangover like this before. Thought Thomastown pressured OLG all over the field, with the weather it looked like it would suit OLG but Thomastown won all the physical exchanges. Paddy Deegan was getting hit from all sides and couldn't settle.
Huge move to put a minor in on Huw Lawlor and fair play to Colm Treacy he was wonderful. What can you say about John Donnelly the man is just inspirational and we are so happy he is a Thomastown man, lead from the front yesterday and his points were all a touch of class.
OLG definitely took Thomastown a bit lightly and not starting Mikey Butler on John Donnolly was a massive mistake. There touch wasn't what it should of been but our hunger and pressure that we applied was serious.
I thought OLG were justifiably favourites but thought we had a right chance but looking forward to seeing that spoofer Scally on the Kclr podcast take on the match after he went way over the top last week. It was like Thomastown shouldn't even show up.
If Peter Mcdonald doesn't get more game time with KK after yesterday I will be amazed. Himself and Jonjo Farrell were outstanding.
Everyone turned up for Ttown, no one turned up for O’loughlins.
Think Owen Wall might make a step up this year, but otherwise it certainly seems like you're right about the forwards at the moment. But look, you never know who might shine at senior level if they're given a chance and persevered with, Cody unearthed many diamonds in his time that we were all crying out for to be dropped.
Well done to thomastown, sadly wasn't able to watch it, unbelievable to be senior champions so soon after going up. How they have a good crack at the club all Ireland now, although between doon's performance today, na fianna yesterday, and gunner in the wings, it's a very tough path.
It has been said before, but the only club consistently producing inter county standard forwards are Ballyhale.
It’s no doubt harder to produce a quality forward than a quality back but it’s worrying that for 2025 Lyng will nearly be picking the same 6 forwards again for championship.
10. Tom Phelan 11. John Donnelly
12. Adrian Mullen 13. Mossy Keoghan/Billy Ryan
14. TJ Reid 15. Eoin Cody
Derek Lyng will be scratching his head after that. 7/8 OLG players involved with KK seniors . The disappointing thing is from the 3 city clubs we are getting very little. Village relegated, Boro 5 in a row minors and we will be lucky to get one hurler from it . Lot of OLG players showed today they are way off, Paddy Deegan and Butler need a good look at themselves, any sign of contact they were rolling around the ground like they were shot, it was embarrassing, the "Kerryman" is not a Kilkenny hurler . Kilkenny hurling is in a bad place at the minute
The combined team thing they did on the KCLR podcast might have been another thing to fuel motivation for Thomastown, it's not a good idea they did it here for a football final in Wexford 2 years ago and every Castletown player interviewed after that game referenced it.
Why the feck are posting here if your in a pub with the Thomastown team😅
As a neutral, I couldn't get over the Gael's persistence with the short handpassing game in those conditions and Thomastown playing with a sub keeper in goals. Surely, you'd rain ball down on top of him for the first ten minutes and see if he's jittery. He'll never have an easier game.
O'Loughlins must have been reading the comments here and looking at Paddy Power odds. They never turned up and weren't let hurl. Their prematch mini game was the worst intensity and standard that I've seen in their 3 matches- Fumbles and lacksa-day-sal. They carried this into the match. Thomastown could easily have won by more only for two last gasp saves.
Maybe Lyng won't be building a team around mackessy (insert wink emoji)
H'on the town!
Didn't realize you were fan of misplaced passes, simple catches dropped, players struggling to rise the ball, erratic referring that lead to lots of niggly tackles on and off the ball, players staying down for ages after been fouled that somehow led to only one minute of injury time in the 1st half and just generally aimless play and bad shooting from O'Loughlins. At least Thomastown had some sort of plan and were able to implement it and were well deserving of the win with the Donnelly's in particularly John and Eddie. But that was a really poor match and while I have no doubt there was worse matches in the park for a county final that was dreadful.
Well done thomastown..not many would have predicted such a one sided game..Donnelly will be an excellent captain.
only one team in it having a few drinks in Eganswith the Thomastown team. **** Roy Keane on the telly wearing a poppy he’s some **** rebel.
Didn't fancy a forward line with Sean Bolger, Conor Kelly, Mark Bergin and Owen Wall on a day like today. Conor Heary is never going to shoot the lights out. Fionan Mackessey did nothing right today like a lot of OLG players. If Thomastown had to take their goal chances, it would have been a bigger hiding. Fancy Thomastown to go a long way in the club AI and will be favourites for Kilkenny next year. John Donnelly to be KK captain
Kudos to Thomastown, much the better team and played well considering the conditions. O'Loughlins never got going, dropping passes, failing in the basics whereas the touch from Thomastown was impressive given the ball was like a bar of soap. Huw Lawlor isn't used to being second best but he certainly was today.
Worthy champions, comhghairdeas.
I really enjoyed the 1st half of that game. Nice bit of bite in it. Ref let plenty go in the conditions, an exhibition by Donnelly, the tackling throughout the game by Thomastown. The off the ball running by Treacy to pull Lawlor from sideline to sideline. A brilliant performance by Thomastown, a great crowd. Conditions were obviously horrendous but I've watched far worse games than that in the Park.
Congrats to Thomastown
Fantastic performance by thomastown great to see new champions again and a country team aswell
They controlled the game from start to finish
Had there homework done went after the olg half back line stopped them from dictating the game and getting forward to score
Olg old failing of not getting enough from there forward line came back to haunt them
They looked like a tired team out of ideas today which is strange as they only made the break through last year and have a few newer players starting this year
Congrats to Thomastown. What a fantastic achievement. A superb team who played extremely well in awful conditions. They'll have a right cut at the club all ireland
Hard to know what to say about OLG. Lucky to get over the Boro if truth be told. Bennettsbridge were poor in the semi. Seem to have peaked way to early. The basics were poor today and to be honest their bench isn't one that will make a difference when behind.
Ttown went for OLG weak link Paddy Deegan with great success . Well done Ttown
Dreadful match so far. If you missed the 1st half I certainly wouldnt recommend trying to find it as there's very little to recommend from it. Lots of bad play from both sides and while Thomastown haven't been brilliant exactly they've deserved their 5 point lead at halftime because O'loughlins have been septic attacking. Only Owen Wall has done anything positive really and even then that's been rare. Thomastown have at least John Donnelly who has had a good game so far and Rory Connellan looks quick and threatening.
Paddy Deegan got a nasty knock in the first minute and hasn't been right since. Mackessy has done nothing and none of the rest of their forwards look up to much. Now I think the wind favoured Thomastown in the 1st half but O'loughlins seriously need to improve if they're going to win this.
Just watched it, good game and thanks for the heads up 👍
The weather could have an impact on the game today..its after getting windy in the last while and id say the rain is not far away. I think im like a lot of lads on here.. id like to see thomastown win but feel o loughlins will come out marginally on top..
