Resilient Rocks shine in lively tie

TARA ROCKS 1-19 FETHARD 0-18

A RESILIENT Tara Rocks managed to see off a gallant Fethard challenge in this hugely entertaining Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship Group B game in Oylegate on Saturday.

After gaining a handsome halftime advantage, the eventual winners were put to the pin of their collar as Fethard made a commendable comeback, getting to within three points of the victors on two separate occasions.

To their credit, the men from the Rock stood firm, and after some dogged defending they held on for a deserved win.

Tara Rocks looked very comfortable in the opening half and, after trading early scores, they began to pull away from Fethard thanks to some confident and convincing play, with the midfield pairing of Mark Boland and Niall Breen looking impressive, taking some tidy scores.

Mark Wallace was deadly accurate from placed balls and kept his side within four points ten minutes before the break.

But after Breen struck with a well-taken goal, he then set up Boland for a point to give his side a nine-point lead at half-time.

Fethard still looked they hadn’t found their stride and that did indeed prove to be the case in the second-half, as they found themselves only five points behind within ten minutes, with Wallace continuing his deadly form from frees.

The Rocks kept the scoreboard ticking over but after Wallace hit a hat-trick of frees, they found themselves a man down when Edward Hughes received a second yellow, with only three points between the sides and ten minutes remaining.

It was a test that they passed however, as some tenacious defending and points from Boland, Breen and Dean O’Toole saw them hold on for their second win of the campaign.

Tara Rocks: Tom Hughes; Aidan Jones, Edward Hughes, Cillian O’Toole; Niall Hughes, Brendan Hobbs, Mossy Owley; Niall Breen (14, 0-1 free), Mark Boland (0-3); Peter Hughes (0-4), Tommy Boland, Richard Hughes (0-1); Dean O’Toole (0-4 frees), Joe Bolger (0-1), Fionn Doyle (0-1). Subs. - Bobby Hughes (0-1) for P. Hughes, Colin Breen for R. Hughes.

Fethard: Seán Foley; Chris Molloy, Kevin Rowe, Daniel Mullan; Daire Barden, Garrett Foley (0-1), John Tubritt (0-1); Mark Wallace (0-12, 9 frees, 1 ‘ 65, 1 line ball), Graham O’Grady (0-1); Ciarán Dwyer (0-1), Eddie Power, Brian Donohoe; Mikie Dwyer (0-2), Jessie Foley, Joe Sutton. Subs. - Rúairí Tubrid for Power, Richard Waters for J. Foley.

Referee: John O’ Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).