Brilliant first half display sets up Moneygall for victory despite late Burgess surge
Moneygall defeated Burgess in Toomevara on Sunday afternoon
Liam Buckley Car Sales Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Moneygall 2-22
Burgess 1-22
It was far more edgy than it needed to be for Moneygall in Toomevara on Sunday, but they just about managed to hold off a spirited second-half fightback from Burgess to take victory in the last of the North Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-finals.
A dominant second quarter from the eventual victors looked to have sent them on their way to a comfortable victory.
After Burgess had led 0-6 to 0-4 after 15 minutes, Willie Greene’s charges ran amok with a brace of well-taken goals from Tadhg Whyte in the 20th and 33rd minutes, along with a flurry of points, and had them in command and cruising at the break, ahead by 2-14 to 0-9.
However, slowly but surely, Burgess dragged themselves back into contention as the second half progressed, with Joe O’Dwyer’s brilliantly finished goal after 39 minutes galvanising their efforts.
Moneygall were managing to maintain a four or five-point lead in the final quarter, but Burgess were stubborn, and with the frees flowing and being converted by Stephen Murray and David Nealon, along with an inspirational score from Donagh Maher two minutes from time, they were just two adrift with time aplenty to find the necessary scores.
In fairness to Moneygall, though, they held firm despite a nervy finish with experienced heads in Roddy Teehan and Adam Hogan seeing out the game with big plays; the latter lashing over a late injury-time point to confirm victory and set up a last-four clash against Silvermines.
The sides were evenly matched in the first quarter as both came into the game minus some important players, with Burgess missing the services of Tony Dunne and Stephen Kirwan in attack, along with regulars in the form of Danny Ryan and Pat Woods, while Moneygall were missing a big player in the form of Seanie Kenneally.
The sides traded eight points evenly in that time with Eoghan Doughan whipping over two early points for Moneygall, while David Nealon repeated that feat in that time, but scores from Stephen Murray and a Nealon free had the Burgess outfit ahead 0-6 to 0-4 at the 16-minute mark.
A long Paddy McCormack delivery led to the first green flag of the game with the breaking ball popping out to Tadhg Whyte inside the 21 as the inside forward made no mistake, and when they led 1-7 to 0-9 four minutes from the end of the half, they finished extremely well.
Andy Hoolan whipped over three points from wing-back in the half, and he set off a chain of scoring that would see Moneygall hit 1-7 unanswered before the half-time whistle, with Hoolan, Eoghan Doughan and Adam Hogan hitting scores from play before Tadhg Whyte hit the back of the net for a second time. Moneygall were in command at the interval.
It was a slow burn in the second half for Burgess to bring the result into the mixer again, but they did it gradually, outscoring their opponents seven points to four in the third quarter to reduce the arrears; Nealon placed balls and points from Michéal Ryan, Paul Cahalan and a Joe O’Dwyer major from an acute angle, the main currency.
Still, with five minutes to go, Moneygall found the pressure-releasing scores from Cormac Hoolan and Tadhg Whyte to beef out the lead, and despite that late Burgess resurgence where they had the gap down to two, the winners managed the game well late on to see it out and book their place in the final four.
Scorers: Moneygall: (0-9, 0-5f), Tadhg Whyte 2-2, Eoghan Doughan, Andy Hoolan 0-3 each, Joe Fogarty 0-2, Bob Kenny, Eoin Whyte, Roddy Teehan all 0-1 each.
Burgess: Stephen Murray (0-9, 0-6f), David Nealon (0-8, 0-4f), Joe O’Dwyer 1-0, Donagh Maher 0-2, Eoin Grace, Michéal Ryan, Paul Cahalan all 0-1 each.
Moneygall: Paddy McCormack; Cathal Greene, Brendan Toohey, Roddy Teehan; Gearoid Larkin, Jack Kirwan, Andy Hoolan; Aodhán Ryan, Eoin Whyte; Cormac Hoolan, Eoghan Doughan, Joe Fogarty; Bob Kenny, Tadhg Whyte, Adam Hogan.
Subs used: Dylan Sayers for W Whyte (51).
Burgess: Ronan Tucker; Daire Hogan, Bryan Quinn, Conor Grace; Johnny Grace, Donagh Maher, Johnny Mulqueen; Kieran Ryan, Michéal Ryan; Paul Cahalan, Eoin Grace, Stephen Murray; David Nealon, Michael Ryan, Joe O’Dwyer.
Subs used: Conor Cooney for Michael Ryan (54); Keith O'Donoghue for Michéal Ryan (54).
Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Newport)