Galtee Rovers hit 4-7 in the second half to beat a sticky Lattin Cullen team

Francis Coughlan at Solohead 

A powerful second half from Galtee Rovers ensured victory over Lattin/Cullen in their Gleeson Concrete West Junior A Hurling Championship encounter at Solohead on Friday evening.

In a repeat of last year’s final, defending champions Lattin/Cullen led 0-11 to 0-6 at the interval but Galtee Rovers outscored their opponents 4-7 to 1-6 in the second thirty minutes. The result see Galtee Rovers remain unbeaten with three wins from three and a spot in the semi-finals secured.

Lattin/Cullen on the other hand are without a point at the midway stage of their round robin campaign with two games to play.

The first twenty minutes of this game saw Lattin/Cullen in control. They played into the village end with the wind at their backs. Points from Ben Carey (2) and Jack O’Halloran had them three points up after six minutes.

Galtee Rovers rallied briefly with points from Conal Grogan and Robbie Byron but were getting little change from the Lattin/Cullen defence. Carey who was playing well for Lattin/Cullen at midfield added his third and by the twenty first minute the defending champions by two from Cathal Dillon and one from Jack O’Halloran led 0-8 to 0-2.

Lattin/Cullen then lost the services of Ben Carey through injury. Helped by three Bill Quirke pointed frees and one from Tony O’Brien, Galtee Rovers cut the deficit to three with two to play. Kevins Franks who was working hard since introduced pointed in response and Cathal Dillon finished the half with three points.

Bill Quirke and Cathal Dillon swapped points on the resumption before Galtee Rovers got their first big break in the fourth minute. A Tony O’Brien effort was half blocked and this fell to Jim Quirke who found the net. Galtee Rovers were coming more into the game and Bill Quirke had the gap back to a point with two further placed balls splitting the posts.

In the thirteenth minute Robbie Byron intercepted a puckout and on running at the Lattin/Cullen defence added goal number two. Cathal Dillon and Bill Quirke swapped pointed frees. At the start of the third quarter Lattin/Cullen looked to have steady the ship when Thomas Hanley toe poked the sliotar to the net.

Lattin/Cullen now led by three but that was down to one with just under ten to play with Bill Quirke pointing again from placed balls. In the twenty sixth minute Lattin/Cullen held a one-point advantage but that all changed when Tony O’Brien flicked the sliotar to the net from a high ball. In injury time Galtee Rovers still held a two-point lead.

Daire Egan won possession along the end line before forcing his way goalward and kicking to the net from an acute angle to seal the win for Galtee Rovers. Cathal Dillon had a late twenty metre free to reduce the deficit but Galtee Rovers defence proved solid. 

Scorers and Teams:

Galtee Rovers: Bill Quirke (0-9, (0-8f)), Robbie Byron (1-1), Tony O’Brien (1-1), Jim Quirke (1-0), Daire Egan (1-0), Conal Grogan (0-1), Eamon Quirke (0-1)

Lattin/Cullen: Cathal Dillon (0-8, (0-7f)), Thomas Hanly (0-1), Ben Carey (0-3, (0-1f)), Jack O’Halloran (0-2), Ed O’Meara (0-2), Kevin Franks (0-1)

Galtee Rovers: Eoin White, Cian O’Dwyer, David Harold Barry, Sean Gubbins, Evan Kennedy, Tony Byron, Shane Power, Robbie Byron, Stephen Moloney, Bill Quirke, Daire Egan, Conal Grogan, Eamon Quirke, Tony O’Brien, Jim Quirke
Subs Used: Eoghan Brennan

Lattin/Cullen: Jack Whelton, Thomas O’Donoghue, Mark Hanly, Shane Russell, Laurence Coskeran, Diarmuid Looby, Tim Corcoran, Liam Carew, Ben Carey, Stephen Carey, Cathal Dillon, Jack O’Halloran, Thomas Hanly, Mark Russell, Ed O’Meara
Subs Used: Kevin Franks, Tony O’Neill, Gary Quirke

Referee: Donal Ryan (Cappawhite)