Dominant Durlas Óg far too strong for battling Toomevara in U17A county semi-final

County Under 17A Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Durlas Og 4-20 

Toomevara 2-10

By Liam Hogan 

Tipperary Minor hurling winner Euan Murray led hot favourites Durlas Óg to an emphatic win over Toomevara in a one-side FBD County U17A semi-final played at Borrisoleigh at noon last Sunday. 

The excellent 16-year-old scored 1-8 with all bar two points from play as Durlas led from start to finish in a repeat of their 2022 county U15A hurling final over the same opposition two years ago.

The Durlas Og centre forward had plenty of help in a team with no apparent weak links that included fellow Tipp All-Ireland winners in Cillian Minogue who scored 1-2 from midfield as well as the trio on the Tipp Celtic team Kyle O’Dowd, Bill Fogarty in defence plus Leelan Donoghue in attack. 

The winner's defence showed no weakness where Kieran Rossiter starred as an effective sweeper. Evan Nolan did well at six while Keelan Dunne was prominent at midfield as five of the front six made the scoresheet helping Durlas to a 1-8 to 0-5 half-time lead. 

Durlas set out their stall with a 0-5 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute with Murray and Eoghan Webb scoring two points apiece (each had one from play) with Cillian Minogue picking up the remainder. 

Kieran Rossiter continued to rule in the heart of the Durlas defence and in the 13th minute Euan Murray’s effort for a point deceived Toome netminder Darragh Hayes as the ball slipped from his grasp and into the net. 

By the 26th minute, the lead had stretched to eight at 1-8 to 0-3 before Toomevara, who had All-Ireland medal winner Austin Duff trying everything at wing forward but the attack found the Durlas defence unbreakable until KJ Dunne, just on as a substitute and  Michael Ryan point back to back points to bring the north runners up closer on a half-time scoreline of Durlas Og 1-8 Toomevara 0-5. 

The second half began with Durlas Óg wasting no time in increasing their lead with Eoghan Webb scoring twice inside the opening two minutes. Patrick Hackett, who scored Toome’s first in the opening 30seconds, replied with a close-in free but Durlas increase their lead starting with a Euan Murray point from play closely followed by another Webb free with full forward Aaron Darmody adding a point.  

Another Murray free in the 38th minute made it an eleven-point lead; a lead that would stretch ever further after centre forward Cillian Minogue scored a goal in the 42nd minute after good work by Murray and Darragh O’Dwyer. 

Toome would not roll over and Tony Dunne, Cormac Frend, Seamus Farrell, and Jack Ryan did their best to stem the tide. Up front, Liam Hackett managed to score a point as his overhead connection to Patrick Hackett’s high delivery, went over the bar in the 43rd minute. 

However, there was another setback two minutes later, when Alex Coppinger’s run provided ball possession for Leelan Donoghue to fire home to the net. 

An angle point by Eoin Webb had the margin out to seventeen, 3-15 to 0-7, but Toome responded with a mini-comeback in the shape of a goal by Patrick Hackett from a close-in free. 

Durlas increased their margin with three quick points through Murray and Minogue from the wing with Darragh O’Dwyer picking up a point as five of the starting six forwards had now scored.

Six minutes remained and true to form the Greyhounds continued to battle and in the 54th minute KJ Dunne won possession and raced past two or three defenders before firing low to the Durlas net. However, the mid champions displayed no mercy and from the resulting puckout, they had goal number four as Aaron Darmody gave Darragh Hayes no chance. Game over. 

Durlas Óg: Jamie Stapleton; Andy Rossiter, Kyle O’Dowd, Jamie Lloyd; Bill Fogarty, Evan Nolan, Kieran Rossiter; Cillian Minogue (1-2), Keelan Dunne (Capt); Alex Coppinger, Euan Murray (1-8, 0-2f), Leelan Donoghue (1-0); Eoin Webb (0-8, 0-4f), Aaron Darmody (1-1), Darragh O’Dwyer (0-1). 

Subs: Ronan O’Dwyer for O’Dowd (21, inj); Ben Moroney for Coppinger (55); James Mockler for Nolan 56); Cillian Ryan for Fogarty 27)

Toomevara: Darragh Hayes; Cormac Frend, Tony Dunne, Evan Doyle; Seamus Farrell, Jack Ryan (0-1), Cody Quirke; Adam Whyte, Ciaran Troy; Jack Hogan, Patrick Hackett (1-4, 1-3f), Austin Duff (0-1); Liam Hackett (0-1), Michael Ryan (0-1), Jack Carroll. 

Subs: KJ Dunne (1-2) for Carroll (21); Dylan Delaney for M Ryan (45); Jack McCormack for Troy (55); Darragh Hartnett for L Hackett (50). 

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)