Gortnahoe/Glengoole prevail in south and mid Tipperary hurling championship clash

Gortnahoe/Glengoole 1-20 St Mary's 1-15 

A ten points second half turnover by Gortnahoe/Glengoole saw off the challenge of St Mary’s Clonmel in a lively FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate County Hurling preliminary quarter-final at Templetuohy on Sunday to claim their place in the last eight of the championship.

After St Mary’s had enjoyed much the better of the first half exchanges to establish a 1-11 to 0-9 lead at the break, it looked as though the honours would be going south. However, the mid men were transformed in the second half, outscoring their rivals 1-11 to 0-4 to run out most comfortable winners.

Beaten in last year’s final, Gortnahoe/Glengoole appear to be coming good at the right time. The only dampener on this win was the injury to team captain David Nolan, who limped off near the finish and who must at this stage be considered a doubtful starter for the quarter-final.

St Mary’s hit the ground running and were 0-6 to 0-2 ahead after seven minutes. Gortnahoe settled but Niall Hoctor’s goal for St Mary’s after 19 minutes had them in the driving seat(1-8 to 0-5) and despite a good closing 10 minutes by Gortnahoe to the half, the Clonmel team were a comfortable 1-11 to 0-9 in front at the break.

Gortnahoe needed to raise their game in the second half and this they did with some conviction.

Keane Hayes hit four points as they reeled in their opponents to leave them a point behind (0-15 to 1-13) when Adrian Maher profited from Fionn Cleary’s delivery to rifle home a goal to give Gortnahoe the lead for the first time after 46 minutes.

By that stage Gortnahoe had outscored St Mary’s 1-6 to 0-2, the Clonmel points coming from the Kennedys, Sean and Seamus.

St Mary’s were in disarray as Gortnahoe pressed home their advantage. Gortnahoe were 1-10 to1-15 ahead when Peter McGarry was fouled in the 59th minute. Goalie Enda Dunphy struck the penalty but Timmy Dunne in the Gortnahoe goal turned the shot out for a sixty five, which was of no avail to the Clonmel lads.

This was a big win for Gortnahoe-Glengoole, the kind of result that ignites your championship challenge.

Their second half performance was most impressive and if that can be reproduced in the games to come, they could well go one better than last year.

Keane Hayes was again their top performer with an impressive 14 points to his credit, six from play, but this was by no means a one-man show. There was much to admire to about the hurling of David Nolan, Kevin Slattery, Darragh Maher, Adrian Maher, Fionn Cleary, Liam Hayes and the excellent Timmy Dunne in goal.

St Mary’s were without the suspended Tadhg Sheehan, and he was a considerable loss. They will wonder what caused their second half eclipse, especially when they had looked so keen and smart in the early stages. They really had no answer to the opposition once they got moving despite the best efforts of James Morris, Tadhg Condon, Thomas Charles, Ross Peters and Richie Gunne.

Gortnahoe/Glengoole: Timmy Dunne; Liam Hayes, David Nolan, Conor Gleeson; Martin Barnaville, Kevin Slattery, Brian Maher; Karl Campion, Jack Moore (0-1); Adrian Maher (1-1), Fionn Cleary (0-2), Darragh Maher (0-2); Philly Purcell, Colm Guilfoyle, Keane Hayes (0-14, 8 frees).

Subs: Damian Corbett for Guilfoyle (50 minutes), Sean Lahart for Nolan (57 minutes), Oisin Cleary for D Maher (61 minutes).

St Mary’s: Enda Dunphy; Ross Slattery, Tadhg Condon, Thomas Charles; Conor Deely, James Morris, Darragh O’Connor; Seamus Kennedy (0-2), Richie Gunne (0-2); Cathal Deely (0-2), Sean Kennedy (0-4, 3 frees), Peter McGarry(0-1); Ruairi Leahy (0-1), Ross Peters (0-2), Niall Hoctor (1-1).

Subs: Jamie Peters for Leahy (43 minutes), Dean Cagney for R Peters (48 minutes), Josh Ryan for Gunne (52 minutes), Gearoid Buckley for Cathal Deely (56 minutes).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan, Burgess.