Hobbs hits fine hat-trick

TARA ROCKS 4-22 OUR LADY’S ISLAND 3-10

A SECOND-HALF hat-trick from the returning Brendan Hobbs propelled Tara Rocks to their first win in Group A of the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship when defeating Our Lady’s Island by 4-22 to 3-10 in bank holiday Monday’s high-scoring third round tie at Monageer.

Hobbs’ intervention came at a time when the south county side were really putting it up to the Gorey District crew, who had some rather stern words ringing in their ears when they emerged from the dressing-room at half-time.

The sides were level at 0-10 to 1-7 by that stage, with Dean Maloney cutting in along the end line before dispatching to the net for Our Lady’s Island at the end of the first quarter.

But two goals three minutes into the new half set the tone for Tara Rocks to register a crucial victory and give them a decent chance of advancing to the quarter-finals with games to come against Duffry Rovers and St. Patrick’s.

Hobbs got the ball rolling with an acrobatic catch and neat finish on 31 minutes, but Dean O’Toole’s goal two minutes later was rather scruffy as it deflected off an Island hurl before wrong-footing Alan Kinsella.

Quinn Saunders utilised his searing pace before placing a low shot to the net to help cut the Island’s deficit to 2-14 to 2-8 after 37 minutes, but some excellent stick-work from Patrick Fortune laid the ball on a plate for Hobbs to goal from close-range three minutes later.

O’Toole added three points from play, and Niall Breen tagged on a brace (one free) before Hobbs capped an encouraging display when goaling under duress two minutes from time.

Maloney was an able and willing presence at full-forward for Our Lady’s Island throughout, and he crashed home a consolation penalty just before Tara Rocks’ fourth green flag, but the 15-point margin at the end represented their heaviest defeat of the campaign so far.

Tara Rocks: Tom Hughes; Rhys Owley, Edward Hughes, Aidan Jones (capt.); Mark Boland, Conor Devitt, Jim Hughes; Paudie Hughes (0-1), Niall Breen (0-4, 1 free); Lee Owley (0-1), Stephen Hughes (0-2), Peter Hughes (0-1); Dean O’Toole (1-10, 0-4 frees), Brendan Hobbs (3-2), Patrick Fortune. Subs. - Ben O’Connor (0-1) for J. Hughes (HT), Seán Forde for Peter Hughes (54), Martin Sheehan for S. Hughes (51), Bobby Hughes for Hobbs (59).

Our Lady’s Island: Alan Kinsella; Brian Moore, Colm Kinsella, Rory Reville; Davy Corish, Noel Dempsey, Aaron Corish; Liam Kinsella (0-2, 1 free), Joey Murphy; Quinn Saunders (1-1), Fintan Mullins, Nicky Keane (01); Cian Meyler (0-1), Dean Maloney (2-4, 0-4 frees, 1-0 pen.), Darragh Sinnott (0-1). Subs. - Robbie Reville for C. Kinsella, inj. (11), David Pettit for Sinnott (44), Dean Corish for Meyler (48).

Referee: garrett). Shane Quinn (Bally-