Galtee Rovers 0-18 Lattin/Cullen 0-14
Galtee Rovers made it two wins on the bounce when they overcame Lattin/Cullen in the Gleeson Concrete West Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship Round 2 game at Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary. In a game played in good conditions before a modest-sized attendance, the 2021 champions controlled this game from the start and led from flag-fall.
Over the hour, the Bansha side kept a tight rein on the Lattin attack, who relied heavily on Cathal Dillon, who hit 0-9 from placed balls. Four of their five points from open play came from defenders, Cillian Barlow with 0-2 and one apiece from Ben Carew and Stevie Carew.
Galtee, on the other hand, were more clinical in attack, and although Bill Quirke hit 0-8 from placed balls, their midfield and attack contributed 0-10 from open play.
After an opening half where the sides were on level terms on three occasions, Rovers led 0-8 to 0-6 at half time, with Cathal Dillon contributing 0-5 from placed balls for Lattin.
After the break Galtee continued to set the pace, with Robbie Byron and Kevin Power moving up a gear. Bill Quirke continued to keep the scoreboard moving from placed balls, while Eoin White was on full alert between the posts. At the finish, Galtee deserved their four-point victory and will meet Cashel King Cormacs or Lattin Cullen in the final.
Galtee Rovers' Bill Quirke got the scoreboard moving after two minutes with the first of his eight points. Cathal Dillon had the sides level three minutes later before Eoin Halpin and Callum McCarthy edged Galtee back in front.
Cathal Dillon and Bill Quirke engaged in a shootout to bring the sides level at 0-5 apiece by the 22nd minute. This was the third and last time that the sides were on level terms. Galtee upped their game for the final eight minutes before half time and points from Tony O’Brien, Kevin Power and a second from Eoin Halpin eased them into a three-point advantage, before corner back Cillian Barlow put over a long range effort to cut the deficit to two, making it 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.
Galtee got off to a flying start after the interval and Robbie Byron fired over the first of his three second half points after just ten seconds. Dillon pulled one back for Lattin but Eoin Halpin set up Byron for his second inside the third minute. Bill Quirke and Tony O’Brien pointed, either side of a similar score from Tomás O’Shea.
Galtee then opened up the Lattin defence but Jack Whelton was equal to Eoin Halpin’s goalbound shot, keeping his side in the game. Dillon and Quirke exchanged minors before Dillon had a twenty-metre free saved and cleared by Eoin White.
Again, Quirke and Dillon were on target before Lattin staged a mini comeback. Ben and Stevie Carey hit two long range points to leave the minimum between the teams as the game entered the final quarter.
The Lattin recovery fizzled out over the final fifteen minutes, with their only score coming from the stick of Cathal Dillon, while Galtee pushed on with Bill Quirke, Stephen Power and Robbie Byron getting the necessary points to get them over the line and secure a place in the final.
Scorers: Galtee Rovers: Bill Quirke (0-8 frees), Robbie Byron (0-3), Eoin Halpin (0-2), Tony O’Brien (0-2), Kevin Power (0-2), Callum McCarthy (0-1).
Lattin Cullen: Cathal Dillon (0-9 frees), Cillian Barlow (0-2), Tomás O’Shea (0-1), Ben Carey (0-1), Stevie Carey (0-1).
Galtee Rovers: Eoin White, Peter Carroll, David Harold Barry, Cian O’Dwyer, Sean Daly, Tony Byron, Evan Kennedy, Robbie Byron, Daire Egan, Callum McCarthy, Bill Quirke, Kevin Power, Eoin Halpin, Tony O’Brien (captain), Conal Grogan.
Subs: Stephen Moloney for Callum McCarthy (42), Sean Gubbins for Tony Byron (46), Liam Finnane for Cian O’Dwyer (50).
Lattin Cullen: Jack Whelton, Timmy Corcoran, Barry Grogan, Cillian Barlow, Ben Carey, Stevie Carey, Darragh O’Brien, Patrick O’Donoghue, Raymond Hennessy (captain), Thomas Cooper Fahey, Cathal Dillon, Mark Russell, Tomás O’Shea, Laurence Coskeran, Paddy Chapman.
Subs: Liam Carew for Patrick O’Donoghue (50), Seán Bourke for Thomas Cooper Fahey (55).
Referee: Donie Horan (Eire Og Annacarty Donohill).
