Sluggish Tipperary senior hurling championship has yet to sparkle

Above: Moycarkey/Borris captain Pat Molloy presents a signed number 11 jersey in memory of the late Dillon Quirke to Clonoulty/Rossmore’s Jimmy Ryan and Cathal Bourke before last Sunday’s FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship match in Boherlahan. Picture: Eamonn McGee

Liam Cahill was an interested spectator at Semple Stadium on Sunday last but I doubt if he learned much from the experience. The opening game did have the virtue of tightness and a drawn finish but the second tie faded out badly, and overall the quality on display was modest at best.
It’s a championship that has yet to fully ignite. Results have been erratic, so assessing form lines is a dodgy practice. Take Nenagh Eire Og for example, losing to relegation-bound Moycarkey and then turning in a storming finish at the weekend to glide past Kilruane MacDonaghs. Or what about Thurles Sarsfields, swatting Borris/Ileigh aside earlier and then meekly surrendering to Drom/Inch on Sunday.
It’s been a strange championship thus far, sluggish in the opening round and then not helped by the Dillon Quirke tragedy, which unsettled everybody. Perhaps the third round in a fortnight will at last see fireworks, as final positions are sorted.
A poorly attended Stadium is never the best setting for atmosphere and leaving the scene on Sunday evening last you had the sense that the fans were noticeably underwhelmed by the experience. It was all a bit spotty, like that famous curate’s egg, good only in parts, and I suspect the TV coverage made the best of things for the home viewers.
At the start of this championship Sarsfields were listed as favourites but their ranking has slipped since then. The loss of Ronan Maher is major, their defence leaking three critical goals against Drom and Inch on Sunday, though manager, Mark Dowling, was keen to point out afterwards that these things are seldom the fault of the defenders alone.
He’s correct to a point, of course, but there was still no escaping the fact that their rearguard looked leaky on this occasion. The first goal came after just five minutes when Fergal Horgan awarded a penalty after Tommy Nolan was judged to have been unfairly impeded under a dropping ball.
The decision came as a surprise at the time, though when you look back at the incident on video the infringement is clear, even if referees often ignore those situations. Tommy Nolan might have had a second penalty some time later after he made a great catch, turned and was deemed to have charged with the ball. I guess one call goes the forward’s way and the other against him, which is a fair enough trade off.
Eoin Collins certainly dispatched the penalty with some venom in the shot. It gave Drom the initial edge and they were still in credit at the interval, 1-13 to 0-12. John Campion played a lead role with four points from play, though Tommy Nolan’s part was significant too, winning the penalty and hitting two from play.
Against that Paddy Creedon showed some threat for Sarsfields but Aidan McCormack was their main contributor. Overall, though, Drom were looking the sprightlier side.
There was no great change in the third quarter but then Jamie Moloney took a hand and the game petered out. The second goal had a tinge of controversy too, as Moloney raced onto a breaking ball while his marker lay prone some distance away. It created a suspicion that something occurred off the ball in the lead-up, but nobody saw anything untoward so perhaps we should avoid assumptions. After a brief consultation with the umpires the goal stood and Sarsfields’ goose was cooked.
That same goose was well roasted nine minutes later when Moloney careered in from the left corner, rounding his man and dribbling soccer-style before tapping into the net for his second of the game. It was poor defending. I thought again of the old timer who advised defenders that the ball might pass you or the man might pass you but the two should never pass.
In the end it was pretty comprehensive for Drom and Inch. Seamie Callanan didn’t score from play but he won some of the eight frees he converted and his workrate could never be faulted. Drom are in a decent place, after losing the mid final to Brackens. The spirit of the side looks strong and they’re well placed now to push on for the final phase of the series.
For Sarsfields, however, it’s a different impression. This was a tame enough effort in a very loose game that should have suited them. The absence of the two Mahers is being deeply felt.
The opening game at the Stadium was tight, if not exactly scintillating either. Loughmore got the ideal start with a Brian McGrath major after nine minutes. It laid the basis for their early dominance, though JK Brackens gradually stabilised matters and were just four down at the break.
Early in the second half Lyndon Fairbrother cracked in a fine goal and that set the template for the remainder of the contest, as they traded point for point. Fairbrother was excellent on the frees, Andrew Ormond a major threat in front of goal and Shane Doyle landed a pair of sideline cuts a la Canning and others.
Loughmore stayed focused with typical tenacity, though heavily reliant on Liam McGrath in attack. The return of Ciaran Connolly will strengthen the side, though they’re a much more manageable entity in the absence of John McGrath.

Clonakenny beat Carrick Swan in Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship

Swan the only team in the group without a win

Earlier in the day the crowds flocked to Boherlahan for what was an emotional return to action by Clonoulty and Rossmore, against Moycarkey/Borris. Dillon Quirke was on everyone’s mind as the teams lined up and we wondered how players would cope with that sad shadow overhanging the event.
In the circumstances Clonoulty coped pretty well. They got out in front early on, Jimmy Maher a significant score source at midfield, and were three-up at the break. In truth they never looked like being caught in the second half. There was a late scare when Rhys Shelly went up to rifle in a goal from a 20 metre free but Moycarkey didn’t have enough in attack to really threaten a successful late rally.
Jack Ryan’s free-taking was a big part of the winner’s story - he landed one monster free from deep inside his own half in the second period. Their half back line is strong and with Cathal Bourke and Michael Ryan (W) getting game time their hand is strengthened for future games. However, other injuries may now be a problem, with Danny Slattery helped off near the end.
For Moycarkey relegation is now the challenge, as they face a battle to hold their status.
Finally, I got to see some intermediate action on Saturday night when Kickhams and Skeheenarinky faced off at Cahir. In a game of two distinct halves Kickhams were bystanders in the first period but came back strongly in the second half and were unlucky not to share the loot.
The game wasn’t without controversy. The first half was dominated by the south side. They were on top all over, looking sharp and cohesive, working the ball smartly and taking some quality scores. Tomás Vaughan led the charge from midfield, hitting six points in that period, three from play. Dean Finn too was on song, clipping over three points against a Kickhams side lacking energy and drive.
Skeheenarinky led by eight at the interval, 0-14 to 0-6, but one of those flags was disputed. The umpire best placed to adjudicate waved the shot wide but his colleague at the other post simultaneously raised the white flag. You’d expect the referee in those circumstances to consult the pair but from a position in the centre of the pitch he allowed the point. It seemed relatively insignificant at the time but by game’s end it was the match winner.
Kickhams introduced Ben Ryan for the second half and he bagged an immediate goal after Skeheenarinky struggled to clear their lines. That score sparked a major revival by Kickhams, who upped their game all over. Glenn Walsh got a goal back for the south side but with just minutes left to play Conor Horgan, who made a major impact when coming out midfield for Kickhams, hit the leveller.
Skeheenarinky hit the front once again but once more Kickhams rallied to again level the match in the last minute. In the end it was Dean Finn who hit the winner for Skeheenarinky, a super point from the right wing.
It all means that Skeheenarinky top the table going into the final round, with Kickhams needing a result against Borrisokane to ensure qualification from the group and avoid entering a relegation battle.
PS. There were no team sheets available for Saturday’s game at Cahir, which was very poor treatment of patrons.