Wily O’Loughlin poaches winner

MONAGEER-B’VOGUE 3-17 ST. MARTIN’S 2-16

COLM O’LOUGHLIN was in the right place at the right time as he poached the winning goal for Monageer-Boolavogue after they fought back to topple St. Martin’s in this entertaining Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group B game in Hollymount on Sunday.

St. Martin’s looked the stronger side for lengthy periods of the game, taking the lead from the off and boasting a convincing seven-point advantage early in the second-half.

But they never seemed to be able to put Monageer-Boolavogue away, and the boys in red contin- uously clawed their way back into things before eventually hitting the front late on.

St. Martin’s pulled level with minutes remaining, only to be ousted once more when O’Loughlin hit the net in the closing minutes.

The Piercestown-based side started brightest, with Seán Stafford hitting 1-3 inside the opening ten minutes including some excellently-taken scores.

Peter Mernagh and Stephen Lacey kept Monageer-Boolavogue close as Stafford, Darren Jordan and Sam Audsley continued to find the mark for the Martin’s.

But the reds managed to make it a four-point game with four on the trot leading up to half-time, with Colm O’Loughlin and James Sweeney helping Mernagh and Leacy.

Mernagh and Brian O’Loughlin pulled Monageer-Boolavogue two closer on the resumption, but when Philip Waters struck the second St. Martin’s goal and Stafford added two more points, it looked like they might begin to pull away from their opponents.

Amazingly, Monageer-Boolavogue struck two goals in as many minutes as Ger Daly fielded and set up James Sweeney and Colm O’Loughlin in two almost identical patterns of play.

Monageer-Boolavogue’s tails were now up and they pulled in front thanks to four beauties from the ever-accurate Brian O’Loughlin.

St. Martin’s didn’t lie down, and Audsley and Adam Cantwell had them level going into the final minutes.

But the experienced Colm O’Loughlin had the final say when he hit the net from close range, re- sulting in Monageer-Boolavogue’s second win of the campaign and St. Martin’s first loss.

Monageer-Boolavogue: Niall Finn; Seán O’Leary, Ray O’Brien, Lee McHale; Shane Kehoe, Paddy Breen, James Donohoe; Stephen Lacey (0-3), Ger Daly; Mark Walsh, Brian O’Loughlin (0-5, 1 free), Pádraig Walsh; Peter Mernagh (0-5 frees), Colm O’Loughlin (2-1), James Sweeney (1-1). Subs. - James Gahan for P. Walsh, Dean Fenlon (0-2) for O’Brien, Arran Breslin for Sweeney, Robbie Donnelly for Daly, Ciarán Rochford for C. O’Loughlin.

St. Martin’s: Dylan Byrne; Johnny Hamilton, Philip Dempsey, Sam Audsley (0-2); Eoin O’Leary, Donal Kelly, Pádraig Rossiter; Adam Cantwell (0-2), Ben Stafford; Darren Jordan (0-2), Philip Waters (1-0), Nicky Greene; Kyle Firman (0-2), Seán Stafford (1-8, 0-3 frees), Liam Ó Lionáin.

Referee: Mick Lanigan (Shelmaliers).