The Dwyers winning run continues!
MICHAEL DWYER’S added another underage title to their bulging trophy cabinet with a big victory over Luke O’Toole’s on Saturday evening in Arklow. They were just that little bit better all over the field and Luke O’Toole’s couldn’t live with them.
Tom Moran was stationed at full-forward and helped himself to 3-01 and the Man of the Match award. Hollywood’s Brian Keogh was in midfield in his place and also put in a very good performance, much to the delight of Pat Dunne of Coiste na nOg who kept tabs on his younger club mate throughout the sixty minutes.
For Luke O’Toole’s it was a difficult day at the office but it’s great to see hurling returning to Aughrim and Tinahely. They’ve been exporting players to the likes of Carnew and Michael Dwyer’s over the past few years but it’s only when these players have an adult team in their clubs that they’ll continue playing when they are finished with the juvenile club.
The same can be said of Michael Dwyer’s and all of the western clubs that make up the team. It could be frightening to think of the number of hurlers who won underage medals with Michael Dwyer’s in the past twenty years who never played senior hurling because there wasn’t a team in their club and have been lost to the game.
All of this however won’t trouble the current Michael Dwyer’s team who went about their business in a skilful way. Tom Moran probably touched the ball seven times and scored 3-01 out of it. His point was brilliantly taken over his right shoulder.
Alan Miley opened the scoring when the Luke O’Toole’s defence was caught napping and Brian Keogh took a 65 short to him and Miley did the rest. A few minutes later Keogh showed he could knock it over from 65 metres too when Moran’s shot was deflected wide by an O’Toole’s hurl.
Michael Dwyer’s had mostly dominated the early exchanges but Matthew Ging reminded them there was a match to be played with a goal. Smart interplay between Bradley Hickey and Jake O’Kelly sent the ball in and Ging finished the ball to the net. Eoin Byrne and O’Kelly traded points for either team and Luke O’Toole’s led by 1-01 to three points after 15 minutes.
That was as good as it would get for Luke O’Toole’s though and when Tom Moran got his first goal of the evening Dwyer’s took a lead they would never relinquish. They would spurn another couple of chances before Moran scored his second goal six minutes later and they would close out the half with another three points, Keogh’s free, a well taken Rory Martin score and Moran solitary point. They led by 2-06 to 1-01 at half time.
They started the second half well and again Alan Miley got the first score of the half. Eoin Byrne added another and while Jake O’Kelly’s goal from a long distance free that deceived Micheal Cleary in the Michael Dwyer’s goal briefly stopped that momentum it didn’t stop for long.
Keogh’s next two frees yielded 1-01, the goal, like O’Kelly’s, dropped in under the cross bar from a long way out. Brandon Ryan also got on the scoresheet thanks to Darren Bermingham’s good run. The teams traded a few more scores towards the end as Michael Dwyer’s planned their celebrations.
Scorers – Michael Dwyer’s: Tom Moran 3-01; Brian Keogh (100f, 1 65, 3f) 1-04; Eoin Byrne 0-03; Alan Miley 0-02; Brandon Ryan, Rory Martin 0-01 each.
Luke O’Toole’s: Jake O’Kelly (100f, 1f) 1-01; Matthew Ging 1-00; Bradley Hickey, Adam Keegan 0-01 each.
Michael Dwyer’s: Micheal Cleary; John Keogh, Oisin Brogan, Daniel Van Alpen; jack Reid, Brian Keogh, Ben Burke; Tom Moran, Darren Bermingham; Brandon Ryan, Jack Grace, Alan Miley; Eoin Byrne, Brian Keogh, Rory Martin. Subs: Oisin Traynor for Daniel Van Alpen, Willie Eager for Jack Reid, Matthew Byrne for Eoin Byrne (all 55 mins); Dean Davis for Brandon Ryan, Mikey Byrne for Rory Martin (both 56 mins).
Luke O’Toole’s: Oisin Dillon; Shane Arthur, Oisin Dunne, Sean Campbell; Jake Murphy, Dylan Byrne, Thomas Hayden; Jake O’Kelly, Cillian McDonald; Bradley Hickey, Diarmuid Lambert, Adam Keegan; Philip Toomey, Matthew Ging, Dara O’Shea. Subs: Rory O’Dare for Philip Toomey (41 mins); Eddie Ennis for Adam Keegan, Patrick Faye for Diarmuid Lambert (both 50 mins); Adam Keegan for Cillian McDonald (54 mins).
Referee: Ciaran Manley