Thurles Sarsfields too strong for Lattin/Cullen in Tipperary County Hurling League Division 5 final

Thurles Sarsfields 0-23 Lattin/Cullen 1-8

Thurles Sarsfields are the FBD Insurance County Hurling League Division 5 champions following their second half demolition of Lattin/Cullen in the final played at Páirc Ciocaim Dundrum on Saturday evening.

In a game played in good conditions, the sides were on level terms five times during a dour opening half, which was devoid of any intensity, with Sarsfields captain Keith Loughnane and John Maher causing problems for the Lattin defence.

After the break, the Blues took over, totally dominated proceedings and outscored their opponents by 0-16 to 1-3. Their defence, with Pa Dunne and Aidan Ryan to the fore, tightened up considerably, while supplying quality ball to the forward division, where Keith Loughnane put in a man of the match performance.

Lattin never got into a rhythm for the second period, despite getting the opening two points after the break inside ninety seconds.

The loss of Ray Hennessy and Patrick O’Donoghue to injury certainly didn’t help their cause and the move of Cathal Dillon to boost their attack left gaps at the back, which were exploited by the Sarsfields attack. Lattin’s goal from Tomás O’Shea came too late in the game to have any bearing on the outcome.

Lattin played with the aid of the breeze for the opening half but it was Sarsfields who got the scoreboard moving with a converted free by Keith Loughnane inside the first minute.

The West Tipp men equalised when Daire O’Brien fired over from under the stand two minutes later. John Maher then split the posts at the railway end with his first point of the evening, only for Tomás O’Shea to equalise for the second time.

Both O’Shea and Paddy Chapman were showing well in attack but the quality of ball to them left a lot to be desired.
Two converted frees, one from O’Shea and the other a long-range effort from Cathal Dillon eased Lattin to the front by the tenth minute before Loughnane tied the game for the third time.

John Maher converted a free, while Loughnane was off the field after receiving attention, but again from the puckout Paddy Chapman put over from an acute angle.

The game ebbed and flowed from end to end, with neither side gaining momentum. Keith Loughnane and Patrick O’Donoghue traded points, but Sarsfields finished the better with two further points, one from play by Maher and a placed ball from Loughnane, to leave the half time score Thurles Sarsfields 0-7, Lattin/Cullen 0-5.

Lattin introduced Jack O’Halloran to the attack and Sean Mullins to the defence for the second half and O’Halloran was quickly off the mark inside the opening minute.

Paddy Chapman followed with an equalising score but this was to be their last score for 25 minutes, as Sarsfields took complete charge of the game and went on to hit twelve unanswered points, with Aidan Ryan from wing back coming into his own and Pa Dunne supplying quality ball to their lively forwards.

Tomás O’Shea pounced on a rare slip-up by the Sarsfields defence to slot home the only goal of the game with three minutes of normal time remaining. But the town side replied with the next four scores in quick succession before Cathal Dillon closed out the scoring with a converted free deep in added time.

After the final whistle West Board Chairman, Tommy Hayes, on behalf of the County Board, presented the Bannon Cup to Sarsfields captain and man of the match, Keith Loughnane.

Scorers: Thurles Sarsfields: Keith Loughnane (0-11, 8 frees), John Maher (0-5, 1 free), Aidan Ryan (0-3), Cian Treacy (0-1), John Broderick (0-1), Aidan Stakelum (0-1), Mark Lanigan (0-1).

Lattin Cullen: Tomás O’Shea (1-1, 0-1 free), Cathal Dillon (0-2 frees), Paddy Chapman (0-2), Jack O’Halloran (0-1), Daire O’Brien (0-1), Patrick O’Donoghue (0-1).

Thurles Sarsfields: Myles Fitzgerald, Michael Stakelum, Conor Fogarty, Emmet Fogarty, Emmet Ryan, Pa Dunne, Aidan Ryan, Aidan Stakelum, Daniel Rossiter, John Maher, Keith Loughnane (captain), Tristan Kelly, Mark Lanigan, Fiachra O’Gorman, John Broderick.

Subs: Alex Moloney for Fiachra O’Gorman (40), Michael Keogh for John Maher (49), David Purcell for Conor Fogarty (50), Cian Treacy for Mark Lanigan (52).

Lattin/Cullen: Jack Whelton, Timmy Corcoran, Barry Grogan, Moss O’Brien, Daire O’Brien, Cathal Dillon, Stevie Carey, Ray Hennessy (captain), Patrick O’Donoghue, Ben Carey, Shane Russell, Liam Carew, Tomás O’Shea, Sean Bourke, Paddy Chapman.

Subs: Jack O’Halloran for Shane Russell (HT), Sean Mullins for Moss O’Brien (HT), Cillian Barlow for Patrick O’Donoghue (temporary sub 36), Gary Quirke for Ray Hennessy (inj, 42), Eoin O’Connell for Liam Carew (51).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).