Gortnahoe Glengoole the more clinical team in win over Moyne Templetuohy

Mid Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Gortnahoe Glengoole 1-20

Moyne Templetuohy 0-18

Moyne Templetuohy severely missed the presence of county man Gearoid O’Connor in the semi-final of the Doran Oil Mid Tipperary Premier Intermediate championship at Littleton on Sunday evening with an under-performing attack unable to out-shoot neighbours Gortnahoe Glengoole who were full value for their five-point victory.

A competitive encounter, it took until the 18th minute of the second half before the Moyne Templetuohy lads managed only their second score of the game from play – their first coming in the 3rd minute from their other county man, the highly influential Conor Bowe. By that stage, they had also racked up 0-11 from placed balls from centre-forward Jack Taylor and these scores kept them in the game all the way through, though Gortnahoe Glengoole’s Keane Hayes was equally as effective from placed balls at the other end of the field.

The victors had the aid of a strong breeze in the first half and they made the most of it once they settled down. It was the Moyne Templetuohy lads who leaped from the blocks though with points from Taylor and Bowe giving them a great start – Keane Hayes and Fionn Cleary cancelling those scores before Taylor and Hayes traded pointed frees. The Gortnahoe Glengoole lads found their flow and five in succession from Adrian Maher, Colm Guilfoyle, Kevin Slattery and Hayes (2) gave them a cushion, only to see Taylor cut that gap by two more.

However, by the interval the Gortnahoe Glengoole man had created a 0-12 to 0-8 advantage – Conor Gleeson, Kevin Slattery, Adrian Maher and Hayes again (2) coming good for them, while Taylor had three further Moyne Templetuohy scores from placed balls to bring his personal tally to seven for the first half.

Would four points be enough of a gap? – possibly not if the breeze had remained as strong as it had been in the first half. But, a touch of fortune for the winners saw it die down considerably when it came to Moyne Templetuohy’s turn to benefit from its assistance.

The decisive score of the match came in the 10th minute, just after the Moyne Templetuohy lads had cancelled and then trumped a Keane Hayes point with Jack Taylor efforts. 

Wing forward Adrian Maher, who bagged 1-3 from play on the evening, turned over possession, and raced through to fire a fine goal past keeper Paul Maher from a tight angle.

The goal was a big setback to Moyne Templetuohy but in fairness to them, they had its effect wiped out within a three minute spell when Taylor had 0-3 from placed balls. They were back to within two points when Ben Ryan and Diarmuid Fogarty hit two scores from play - Fogarty would hit two more before the end as well, but the problem from a Moyne Templetuohy viewpoint was that Gortnahoe Glengoole continued to tag on points at the other end as well. Keane Hayes (2) and Fionn Cleary added to an Aidan Guilfoyle score to create a six point deficit with normal time almost up. And, it was a gap which Moyne Templetuohy never looked like bridging with no goal opportunities coming their way.

A solid win then for a well drilled Gortnahoe Glengoole side which had seven scores as opposed to just four for their rivals. The showings of Kevin Slattery, Keane Hayes, Adrian Maher, Davy Nolan and Brian Maher were noteworthy and to their credit they made most of the running in the game. For a disappointed Moyne Templetuohy outfit that did not push on in the second half, Conor Bowe, Diarmuid Fogarty, Ciaran Lloyd, Eoin Gorman and Shane Lowe were prominent with Jack Taylor unerring from placed balls.  But, without doubt they missed Gearoid O’Connor’s presence in the side.

Gortnahoe Glengoole: Timmy Dunne; Liam Hayes, Davy Nolan, Conor Gleeson 0-1; Martin Barneville, Kevin Slattery 0-2, Brian Maher; Karl Campion, Jack Moore; Adrian Maher 1-3, Fionn Cleary (0-2, 0-1f), Darragh Maher; Damien Corbett, Colm Guilfoyle 0-1, Keane Hayes (0-10, 0-8f). 

Subs used: Gearoid Fahey for Darragh Maher; Aidan Guilfoyle 0-1 for Colm Guilfoyle.

Moyne Templetuohy: Paul Maher; Kieran Larkin, Eoin Gorman, Tommy Hassett; Tossy Hamill, Ciaran Lloyd, Shane Lowe; Conor Bowe 0-1, Paudie Gleeson; Tom Meade, Jack Taylor 0-13f, Eanna Guilfoyle; Ben Ryan 0-1, Pierce Meade, Diarmuid Fogarty 0-3. 

Subs used: Sean Hayes for Meade; Mark Ryan for Hamill.

Referee: John Lillis (Thurles Sarsfields)