Wasteful Alley win
More wides than scores in big victory
BUFFERS ALLEY fired more wides than scores but created so many chances that it didn’t really matter at the end of this Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group A game in Ferns.
With 39 minutes on the clock the Monamolin side had a massive 18 wides on the board but still held a 1-7 to 1-4 lead, such was their complete control. A tactical tweak, that saw them go shorter to the full-forward line, rather than swat away from all angles, paid dividends.
Suddenly they were a real threat. They scored 3-3 in the remaining 21 minutes and added just three more wides.
If they had shown that type of composure and clearness of thought earlier, it really could have been a massacre.
It actually started pretty well for the Alley. With barely 30 seconds on the clock, John Farrell picked out John Furlong and, with brute strength, the corner-forward forced his shot over the Tara Rocks goalline.
While the wides were mounting up, Buffers Alley were still able to build a 1-5 to 0-2 lead after 19 minutes.
Things changed a little when Patrick Fortune latched on to a breaking ball, soloed in and flipped it nonchalantly past Darren O’Brien between the sticks.
A long-range Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin point and a Declan Breen free narrowed the gap to just one at the interval (1-5 to 1-4).
Probably somewhat frustrated by being just up at the changearound, the Alley responded with shots from all angles after the re-start.
Eight of their total of misses came in the first nine minutes after the break. Their lead was just two, 1-7 to 1-5, at the end of the third quarter but Jim Hughes’ well-taken goal in the 46th minute broke the dam.
John Farrell and Walter Gahan added two more excellent majors as Tara Rocks tired in the sun and the Alley were able to enjoy the last few minutes with victory secure.
Buffers Alley: Darren O’Brien; Paudie Kinsella, Alan Doyle, Colm Og Doran (capt.); Conor Kenny, Keith Burke (0-2 frees), Matty Cardiff; Robert O’Leary (0-1), Jim Hughes (1-2, 0-1 free); Darragh Butler (0-2), Domhnall McArdle, John Farrell (1-0); Walter Gahan (1-1), Thomas Dempsey (0-1), John Furlong (1-1).
Tara Rocks: Michael Byrne; Damien Tobin (capt.), Enda O’Leary, Shane Tobin; Lorcan Clare, Edward Hughes, Shane O’Toole; Martin Sheehan, Rhys Owley; Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin (0-1), Richard Hughes, Declan Breen (0-5 frees); Lee Owley, Wayne Farrell, Patrick Fortune (1-0). Subs. - Luke Devitt for Farrell (52), Seán Bardon for S. Tobin (52).
Referee: Aiden O’Brien (Cloughbawn).