Fitz hits vital winning goal
Duffry dismiss Tara Rocks
DUFFRY ROVERS TARA ROCKS
DUFFRY ROVERS conjured up some late drama when a goal from emerging star Cian Fitzhenry stunned Tara Rocks, as the Coolroe-based men won through to the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship decider after a thrilling 1-18 to 0-17 semi-final victory at an unseasonably warm Bellefield on Sunday.
The lead had oscillated between the two sides throughout a highly-competitive game, but when the Breen brothers, Colin and Niall, landed a point each to bring Tara Rocks level at 0-17 apiece just as the game ticked onto the hour, a replay looked odds-on.
However, Duffry Rovers immediately embarked on the counter-initiative as Robert Frayne’s effort at a point came down off the upright, and Fitzhenry was in on the rebound like a flash to open up a three-point cushion, while Cathal Clince steered over his fifth free for the insurance point the Duffry needed to advance to the decider against Fethard.
Tara Rocks hardly put a foot wrong in the early running, with Mark Boland opening the scoring after only ten seconds.
Niall Breen, Brendan Hobbs and Fionn Doyle followed with clever efforts from play, and Dean O’Toole converted two frees to build a 0-6 to 0-2 advantage after eleven minutes.
But that fizz went out of the Gorey District side thereafter, with the Duffry restoring parity by the 25th minute, and things remained finely poised at 0-9 apiece at the interval despite the victors hitting ten wides by that stage.
Frayne’s second point edged the Duffry ahead by 0-13 to 0-11 by the 39th minute, although substitute Colin Breen scored from his first touch to restore parity soon after (0-14 each).
O’Toole (free) gave Rocks their final taste of the lead on 49 minutes, while three placed balls in succession from Liam Pender and Clince (twice) looked to be swinging the tie back towards the Duffry.
Then came that last moment of defiance from Tara Rocks that was ultimately made futile by the Duffry’s injury time sting in the tail.
Duffry Rovers: Stephen Watchorn; Thomas Dunne, Donie Doyle, Aidan Byrne (0-2); Cathal Clince (0-5 frees), Paul Nolan, James Nolan; Johnny Flynn-O’Connor (0-1), Liam Pender (0-1 free); Alan O’Neill (capt.), Eamonn Doyle, Robert Frayne (0-2); Cian Fitzhenry (1-5, 0-3 frees), Donie O’Connor (0-1), Gavin Rafter. Subs. - Gavin Watchorn (0-1) for O’Neill, inj. (26), Matty Flynn-O’Connor for Rafter (48).
Tara Rocks: Tom Hughes; Cillian O’Toole, Edward Hughes, Aidan Jones; Mossy Owley, Niall Hughes, Jim Hughes; Niall Breen (capt., 0-3), Mark Boland (0-2); Fionn Doyle (0-1), Tommy Boland (0-1), Richard Hughes (0-1); Brendan Hobbs (0-1), Peter Hughes (0-1), Dean O’Toole (0-5, 4 frees). Sub. - Colin Breen (0-2) for Doyle (43).
Referee: Shane Quinn (Ballygarrett). A SPARKLING Fethard finish eventually set up a four-point victory and a place in the final as they cast aside a stubborn Oulart-The Ballagh challenge in this excellent Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship semi-final in Hollymount on Saturday.
While Fethard’s championship bid remains very much on track, Oulart-The Ballagh’s challenge was somewhat derailed before the game when centre-back Dennis Morton was withdrawn from the side, being held for Senior duty 24 hours later.
But this should not take from the Fethard finish as, after a battling opening half into the wind, at the end of which they managed to remain very much in contention, they turned in a quality second-half performance, with their late flourish of scores giving them a hugely impressive victory and a place in the final against Duffry Rovers.
Fethard, despite playing into the strong wind in the first-half, signalled their intent of staying in the game with a goal in the eighth minute.
Ben O’Connor and Mark Wallace (free) had exchanged opening points before a Pad Mythen pointed free had Oulart-The Ballagh in front.
Then came what turned out to be the game’s only goal. Mark Wallace dropped a free from midfield onto the edge of the small square where Graham O’Grady pounced quickly on the breaking ball to send a ground shot to the net, giving his side a 1-1 to 0-2 lead.
It didn’t look that bad for Fethard when playing into the strong wind as they defended resolutely for the remainder of the half, with Rúairí Tubrid and Kevin Rowe being particularly prominent, while both Garrett Foley and John Tubritt were winning their share of midfield possession.
Oulart-The Ballagh, in stark contrast, were failing to utilise their possession, being mainly reliant on Mythen placed balls for their scores, coupled with efforts from Ben O’Connor and a long Darren Nolan strike off the sideline.
Their interval lead of 0-11 to 1-3 did not look sufficient though given the gale-force wind blowing directly down the pitch, which they had to face into on the resumption.
After Garett Foley and Mythen (‘65) had exchanged opening points, it must be said that Oulart-The Ballagh put up a staunch defence, and it wasn’t until the introduction of substitute Ciarán Dwyer to the attack that Fethard began to make inroads into the lead.
Dwyer marked his arrival with two excellent points, while Wallace had two pointed frees in between to leave the minimum (0-12 to 1-8) separating the sides at the end of the third quarter.
Fethard had by now put themselves in a good position as when Wallace pointed the sides level with ten minutes to play the result was wide open.
But Fethard had stepped up the gears, hitting over three unanswered points through a Richie Waters sideline cut, Dwyer and John Tubritt to stretch into a threepoint lead (1-12 to 0-12) with three minutes remaining.
While a Mythen pointed free lifted the Oulart-The Ballagh challenge, Fethard stormed through in the finish, adding points through a fine Mikie Dwyer effort off the sideline, and Brian O’Donoghue, to run out hugely impressive fourpoint winners.
Fethard: Seán Foley; Daniel Mullan, Rúairí Tubrid, Martin Power; Richard Waters (0-1 line ball), Kevin Rowe, Brian O’Donoghue (0-1); Garrett Foley (0-1), John Tubritt (0-1); Jesse Foley, Mark Wallace (0-6 frees), Daire Barden; Mikie Dwyer (0-1), Graham O’Grady (1-0), Eddie Power. Subs. - Ciarán Dwyer (0-3) for Foley (36), Joe Sutton for E. Power (44), Darren Foley for O’Grady (60).
Oulart-The Ballagh: James O’Toole; Seán Murphy, Nicholas Cullen, Ian Storey; Kevin Nimmo, Eamonn Murphy (0-1), Niall Redmond; Pad Mythen (0-9, 7 frees, 2 ‘65s), Darren Nolan (0-1); Ben O’Connor (0-2), Adam Nolan, Peter Sutton; Cormac Finn, Tomás Dunne, Gary Murphy. Subs. - Daryl Gray for Finn (48), Cathal Kenny for G. Murphy (52).
Referee: Mick Lanigan (Shelmaliers).