Setanta outgunned and outclassed by ruthless Thomastown 

Donegal champions Setanta ran into a Thomastown juggernaut on Sunday as the Kilkenny champions swept to a most convincing win in Pairc Esler, Newry. 

Thomastown 6-26 Setanta 1-8 

Thomastown are arguably one the biggest club teams in the country and their physical height and strength alone would have been very difficult to deal with. 

But they also had superb fitness and supreme hurling craft, which made for a most uncomfortable afternoon for the men from the Cross. 

The powerful Donnelly clan were most prominent in this goal fest for the victors with Kilkenny star John Donnelly nailing 3-2, Stephen hitting 1-5 and marksman Robbie Donnelly landing 0-5. 

For Setanta, Gerard Gilmore top scored with 1-3-including a cracking goal after just five minutes and Ruairi Campbell hit two fine points.

But they were easily outgunned by a rampant Thomastown side who looked really impressive. 

Thomastown took off like a freight train and Luke Connellan swept the sliotar over the bar after just 20 seconds. 

And that set the pattern for a most one-sided first where the vastly superior winners repeatedly carved holes in the over stretched Setanta defence. 

Corner forward Stephen Donnelly struck the first of their five goals and he quickly followed this with a point which was added to by a fine strike from Thomas O’Hanrahan and full forward Jack Holden also pointed. 

Setanta full forward Gilmore gave his side a glimmer of hope when he struck a fine goal from an acute angle after a fine pass from Sean Ward to leave Thomastown leading by 1-4 to 1-0. 

But that was as close as Setanta were to get to their opponents  

John Donnelly struck for two goals in a minute as Josh Cronolly McGee pointed for Setanta. 

Ruair Campbell added another as Peter McDonald and Jack Holden made it 3-7 to 1-2 after just 12 minutes and all their scores came from play. 

The game dropped slightly in tempo in the second quarter-but a ruthless Thomastown continued to score relentlessly. 

Robbie Donnelly got his first point from play as Danny Cullen as Declan Coulter and Danny Cullen pointed for Setanta. 

But there was no stopping the power and panache of Thomastown whose clever use of the handpass and running off the shoulder had Setanta in all sorts of trouble. 

John Donnelly and Luke Connellan crashed home two more goals before half time as Donnelly and Zac Bay Hammond and Thomas O’Hanrahan pointed at their leisure in the run up to the break. 

Gilmore converted a free as the Kilkenny side cantered to a 5-14 to 1-6 lead at the break. 

The scoring rate for the winners dropped considerably in the second half as they hit a total of 1-12. 

But Setanta could only managed two points from a superb Campbell effort and Gilmore added a free. 

In the interim, another Kilkenny senior panellist, John Joe Farrell landed some fine points as they ran their considerable bench. 

Setanta were more defensive in this half and did not concede any more goals until the 56th minute when sub Alex Cass crashed a superb effort to the net. 

Thomastown took off a number of their key players in this half but the towering subs they took on looked just as formidable. Setanta ran their bench as well but the final whistle came as quite a relief. 

Thomastown scorers: John Donnelly 3-2; Stephen Donnelly 1-3; John Joe Farrell 0-4; Thomas O’Hanrahan 0-5; Jack Holden 1-2; Luke Connellan 0-3; Alex Cass 1-0; Robbie Donnelly 0-3,1f; Peter McDonald 0-2; Zac Bay Hammond 0-1; Naoise Dempsey 0-1. 

Setanta scorers: Gerard Gilmore 1-3; Ruairi Campbell 0-2; Declan Coulter 0-1; Danny Cullen 0-1; Josh Cronnolly McGee 0-1;   

Setanta: Kevin Campbell: Conor McGetigan; Steven McBride, Mark Callaghan; Michael Donaghue Bernard Lafferty, Niall Cleary; Declan Coulter, Dean Harvey; Sean Ward, Danny Cullen, Oisin Marley; Josh Cronnolly McGee, Gerard Gilmore, Ruairi Campbell. 

Subs; Conor Gallen for Conor McGettigan (h-time), Colm Melaugh for Oisin Marley (37), Simon McMenamin and Pauric Moss for Dean Harvey and Declan Coulter (59)  

Thomastown; Diarmuid Galway; Peter Connellan, Jay Burke, Ned Kirwan; Brian Staunton, Eddie Donnelly, Zach Bay Hammond; Peter McDonald, Jonjo Farrell; Robbie Donnelly, Luke Connellan , John Donnelly; Thomas O’Hanrahan, Jack Holden Stephen Donnelly. 

Subs; David Prendergast for Peter Connellan (37), Alex Cass for Peter McDonaldd (43) Dylan Waugh for Luke Connellan (51), Naoise Dempsey for John Donnelly (56), Luke McNena for Brian Staunton. 

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)