By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 2
Tullamore: 2-21
Lusmagh: 0-21
The goals proved to be vital in the end as Tullamore despite lording the game at stages held off a very gusty Lusmagh side on Saturday evening last in the fourth round of the Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems sponsored Senior Hurling Championship in Banagher.
This was a very strange game in the fact that Tullamore appeared to be coasting but in the end they had to dig extremely deep as a battling Lusmagh side asked a lot of questions of them, but they got over the line in the end and as a result have kept their hopes for a quarter final placing alive.
With all their games in the group finished, Tullamore will have to wait to see how other games go in the group before they can be guaranteed a quarter final place and on Saturday evening they done their part in winning and after that it out of their hands.
The final score line to be fair doesn’t do justice to just how close Lusmagh were and once they got a run on Tullamore at all, they were extremely unlucky not to come away with something from the tie and for Brian Mullins charges their hopes of qualifying to the knockout stages has come to an end even with a game to play.
At times on Saturday evening, Tullamore looked like a well oiled and extremely well drilled team and with twenty minutes played they were in cruise control leading by nine points 0-11 to 0-2 and it was all looking like it plain sailing for the Blues.
But Lusmagh soon started to find their groove and rhythm and by the half time break they were back to within five and they certainly had Tullamore on the back foot.
It was Lusmagh who started well and with a mere sixty seconds on the clock Paul Kinsella had them on the board, but it wasn’t too long until the lead was gone with Shane Dooley hitting over after a foul on the every busy Niall Furlong.
Ger Crowe who played an exceptional game for Tullamore hit the Blues in front on the third minute and with follow up scores from Martin Keogh, Diarmuid Egan, Shane Dooley again and a another fabulous score from Martin Keogh, Tullamore were suddenly five clear 0-6 to 0-1 nine minutes in.
Lusmagh were struggling to gain much possession but with ten minutes on the clock, it looked like they had got a break when Luke Bowe fed a nine pass to the income Fionn O’Meara. There was certainly a goal on, but out of nowhere Aaron Leavy came across and cut out the danger.
Aaron Kelly did recorded Lusmagh’s second score by the 11th minute, but with five on the bounce thanks to Diarmuid Egan, Aaron Leavy, Niall Furlong and two from Shane Dooley, Tullamore were nine clear 0-11 to 0-2 and it was all looking very worrying indeed for Lusmagh.
But that’s when the game shifted and Lusmagh started to play some very good hurling. Paul Kinsella with a nice score started the comeback and with three more from Eoin Quinlan, Eibheann Kelly and Daire Temple, the Tullamore lead was back to five 0-11 to 0-6 with twenty six played.
Ger Crowe broke the Lusmagh momentum with a much needed score for Tullamore and with Shane Dooley following up with a free, they were back to seven clear, 0-13 to 0-6 a minute from the break.
Lusmagh, however had more to come. Lorcan Troy added a fine score and with another from Paul Kinsella, they had themselves right back into the game, leaving five between the sides at the interval, 0-13 to 0-8.
Shane Dooley pointed within twenty seconds of the restart and it looked like Tullamore were going to take over again, but Lusmagh weren’t reading that script and with three scores thanks to Paul Kinsella with a superb sideline cut, Graham Lynch and Aaron Kelly, the Tullamore lead was suddenly back to three, 0-14 to 0-11.
Lusmagh had chances to get closer but they went astray and it opened the opportunity for Tullamore again and thanks to Mike Fox and Aaron Leavy they were five clear again 0-16 to 0-11 thirty eight minutes in.
We had a three point game again by the 42nd after scores from Paul Kinsella and Eoin Quinlan, but Tullamore responded again and this time they found the net.
Cormac Martin who made a welcome returned set it up with a sideline cut to Shane Dooley who in turn fed Ger Crowe and with a rasping shot he drilled the sliothar to the back of the net and Tullamore were 1-16 to 0-13 clear with forty four played.
Shane Dooley followed up with another score, but a massive score from Eimhin Kelly gave Lusmagh a lifeline again.
Niall Furlong and Paul Kinsella swapped scores and then with a second for the half, Eimhin Kelly left five between the sides 1-18 to 0-16 on the 51st minute.
Cormac Egan added another Tullamore score and just before Lusmagh were awarded a 21 metre free. With seven on the line for Tullamore it was always going to be hard to get the goal, but Paul Kinsella had to go for it, but Tullamore and Niall Houlihan had his match to clear for Tullamore.
Eoin Quinlan hit over Lusmagh’s seventeenth point and this game was far from over, but it was the next score that proved to be the sealing of the game for Tullamore.
With a brilliant run Diarmuid Egan paved the way and with Shane Dooley on hand the Tullamore stalwart rattled the net and with that Tullamore led 2-19 to 0-17 fifty six minutes in.
To be fair to Lusmagh they never threw in the towel and they did hot over four more scores for the remainder of the game thanks to Eoin Quinlan, Paul Kinsella (2) and Eimhin Kelly.
But it was Tullamore who had two more scores to come before the end with Diarmuid Egan and Shane Dooley pointing to bring the full time scores to 2-21 to 0-21.
The Scorers
Tullamore: Shane Dooley 1-8 (0-7 Frees), Ger Crowe 1-3, Martin Keogh 0-2, Aaron Leavy 0-2, Niall Furlong 0-2, Diarmuid Egan 0-2, Mike Fox 0-1, Cormac Egan, 0-1.
Lusmagh: Paul Kinsella 0-9 (0-4 Frees, 0-1 sideline), Eoin Quinlan 0-4, Eimhin Kelly 0-3, Aaron Kelly 0-2, Eibheann Kelly 0-1, Daire Temple 0-1, Graham Lynch 0-1.
The Teams
Tullamore: Arron Hensey; Michael Feeney, Dylan Hensey, Kevin Waters; Luke Egan, Niall Houlihan, Aaron Leavy; Mike Fox, Cormac Egan; Peter Fox, Diarmuid Egan, Martin Keogh; Niall Furlong, Shane Dooley, Ger Crowe.
Subs: Cillian Martin for Peter Fox (40 mins), James Houlihan for Martin Keogh (56 mins).
Lusmagh: Alan Kelly; Rory Quinlan, Andy Flynn, Ruairi Kelly; Lorcan Troy, Eimhin Kelly, Eibheann Kelly; Daire Temple, Graham Lynch; Eoin Quinlan, Darren Healy, Fionn O’Meara; Luke Bowe, Paul Kinsella, Aaron Kelly.
Subs: James Kelly for Fionn O’Meara (29 mins), Morgan Glynn for Rory Quinlan (Half Time), Shane Healy for Luke Bowe (43 mins).
Referee: Kieran Dooley (Drumcullen)
By Offaly Secretary Sun 23rd Aug
