By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 1
Tullamore: 2-24
Shinrone: 3-19
It will go down as the biggest win of the weekend as Tullamore powered by a scoring exhibition from Shane Dooley took the all-important points against a shell-shocked Shinrone side on Sunday last in the opening round of the Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling championship.
Played in the sun in O’Brien Park, this was a great game to watch. It was end to end stuff from start to finish and certainly while it looks quite close on the final scoreboard, it was a lot clearer than that really with Tullamore controlling the game in the second half and really the final score line certainly flatters Shinrone somewhat.
This is a massive win for Tullamore and nothing more than they deserved. They played with a lovely flow from the throw in and with their dual players playing particularly well they left life very difficult for last year’s county finalist, who at times had no answer for the Blues.
Their work rate was second to none throughout the game. They attacked every single play and while Shinrone did have plenty of ball, they were never allowed to settle on it.
It was the evergreen Shane Dooley who led the scoring charge for Tullamore. He was exemplary from frees and general play and he really was the poacher in around the goals for them.
Tullamore had some brilliant performance throughout the field. Cormac Egan and Mike Fox lorded it in the middle of the field, while Niall Furlong, Luke Egan and Martin Keogh all produced some brilliant hurling and they never really allowed Shinrone to pull away from them too far.
Once Tullamore took the lead back in the second half, they were always going to be hard beaten and with fifty three minutes on the clock they looked to be in a comfortable five point lead, 1-21 to 0-19.
But this game had more and more twists to come. Eamonn Cleary gave Shinrone a lifeline with a superbly struck free than landed to the net and whittled the lead down to two.
It looked to be enough for Tullamore but for the remainder of the seven minutes that followed, the scoring was frantic on both sides.
We had time for two three more goals in that time and in the end it was Tullamore who held on for a two point win and it was nothing more than they deserved.
Conditions were brilliant for hurling and while it certainly was very hot, it didn’t stop a big crowd not only from the two clubs but from a lot of others too flocking to Tullamore and for the neutral it certainly did disappoint.
With a nice breeze blowing down the field it favoured the visitors, but it was Tullamore who started well and thanks to early scores from Shane Dooley and Cormac Egan, they were 0-2 to no score to the good by the 2nd minute.
DJ McLoughlin got Shinrone off the mark soon after and with a fine score from Adam Landy the sides were deadlocked by the 3rd minute, but Tullamore had more to come and with Shane Dooley on the mark twice, one from play, Tullamore were back in front 0-4 to 0-2 seven minutes in.
But that is when Shinrone started to play and for the next five minutes they finally got into their groove.
Donal Morkan pointed two frees in that spell and along with scores from Dan Doughan, Paul Cleary and Ciaran Cleary they brought the scores to 0-7 to 0-4 with twelve played.
Shinrone in reality should have pushed on from there and they gave Tullamore more and more opportunities to stick to them and by the 15th minute one separated the sides as Shane Dooley and Niall Furlong scored, 0-7 to 0-6.
Adam Landy and Donal Morkan restored matters for Shinrone, before DJ McLoughlin landed a fine score and in the blink of an eye the gap was four 0-10 to 0-6 with eighteen played.
Tullamore once again made it very difficult indeed and with a brace of scores from Shane Dooley, he had it back to a two point game, just before Donal Morkan kept up his end of the free taking bargain to leave the scores reading 0-11 to 0-8 with twenty one on the clock.
Luke Egan who did a massive job in the half back line for Tullamore linked up brilliantly with Martin Keogh who landed his opening score of the game.
Donal Morkan and Martin Keogh traded scores, before Mike Fox hit over a brilliant score to leave one between the sides 0-12 to 0-11 with three minutes to go to half time.
Killian Sampson hit over a sweet score on the 28th minute and with a follow up point from Sean Cleary putting three between the sides, 0-14 to 0-11 as half time loomed.
Shane Dooley who started the scoring ended the half with another score to leave two between the sides 0-14 to 0-12 at the break and the feeling that only two point lead with the breeze was not going to be enough for Shinrone was starting to creep in.
The scoring was end to end on the resumption. It was Shane Dooley who started the scoring again with a free from his on ’65 but Donal Morkan was hot on his heels with another free.
The same two players exchanged frees again by the 37th minute before Martin Keogh hit over this third score of the game to bring the scores to one, 0-16 to 0-15, Shinrone just about edging it.
DJ McLoughlin added another, but that’s when Tullamore started to take over again.
Mike Fox and a brace from Shane Dooley gave them the lead, 0-18 to 0-17 with forty two played, but there as more yet to come from the home side when a pass from Niall Houlihan fell into the path of Shane Dooley and making no mistake he hit the net. Tullamore 1-18 to 0-17 clear.
She Dooley was on point again by the 46th minute and it was Shinrone who now needed to do something and fast, and with two fine scores from Jason Sampson and DJ McLoughlin had it back at a three point game, 1-19 to 0-19 with forty nine played.
Yet again Shane Dooley had more to offer and with a follow up score from James Houlihan the gap was five 1-21 to 0-19 with fifty three played.
From there it was frantic to say the least. The game looked to be slipping from Shinrone, but with Eamonn Cleary stepping up from goals to take a free, he blasted it the Tullamore net and suddenly two separated the sides, 1-21 to 1-19.
An own goal from Peter Cleary handed the incentive back to Tullamore 2-21 to 1-19 a minute from full time and the momentum was back with Tullamore.
Mike Fox and Shane Dooley hit over scores and further steadied the ship, 2-23 to 1-19, but yet we still had more action to come.
A second goal from an Eamonn Cleary free brought the game back to four, 2-23 to 2-19, but time was really starting to run out for Shinrone to turn the game back in their favour.
Luke Egan hit over a spectacular score to bring the gap back to five and while the game was out of their reach credit has to be given to Shinrone, who battled right to the end.
DJ McLoughlin found the net at the death and while it brought the score difference down, it was Tullamore who took home the well deserved two points. The final scores reading 2-24 to 3-19.
The Scorers
Tullamore: Shane Dooley 1-14 (0-10 Frees), Martin Keogh 0-3, Mike Fox 0-3, Peter Cleary 1-0 (02n goal), Cormac Egan 0-1, Niall Furlong 0-1, James Houlihan 0-1, Luke Egan 0-1.
Shinrone: Donal Morkan 0-7 (All Frees), Eamonn Cleary 2-0 (Both Frees), DJ McLoughlin 1-4, Adam Landy 0-2, Dan Doughan 0-1, Paul Cleary 0-1, Ciaran Cleary 0-1, Killian Sampson 0-1, Sean Cleary 0-1, Jason Sampson 0-1,
The Teams
Tullamore: Arron Hensey; Jack Daly, Dylan Hensey, Kevin Waters; Luke Egan, Niall Houlihan (Capt.), Peter Fox; Mike Fox, Cormac Egan; Ger Crowe, Diarmuid Egan , Martin Keogh; Niall Furlong, Shane Dooley, James Houlihan.
Sub: Killian Wynne for Jack Daly (inj. 36 mins).
Shinrone: Eamonn Cleary; Gearoid Maher, Michael Cleary, Darragh Landy; Dan Doughan, Killian Sampson, Dara Maher; Adrian Cleary, Luke Watkins; Adam Landy, Donal Morkan, DJ McLoughlin; Jason Sampson, Ciaran Cleary, Paul Cleary.
Subs: Sean Cleary for Adrian Cleary (inj. 28 mins), Eoin Bailey O’Brien for Donal Morkan (48 mins), Peter Cleary for Michael Cleary (51 mins), James O’Sullivan for Dara Maher (51 mins), Conor Doughan for Paul Cleary (53 mins).
Referee: Adam Kinahan (Clodiagh Gaels).
By Offaly Secretary Sun 12th Jul
