Lorrha into relegation after Cashel defeat

Cashel King Cormacs 1-15

Lorrha 2-17

Report: Shane Brophy in Moneygall

After being one game away from winning the O Riain Cup in 2020, Lorrha face a major battle to retain their status in the competition for next year after falling to their third consecutive defeat in group 4 to Cashel King Cormacs on Sunday.

Lorrha needed a win to have any chance of making the knockout stages but Portroe’s win over St Mary’s put paid to that hope, so it meant winning to avoid finishing bottom and going into the relegation playoffs and after goals in quick succession from Eoin McIntyre and Cian Hogan, Lorrha were two adrift going into the closing stages against a fourteen man Cashel who had James Cummins sent off at the start of the second half.

However, Cashel were under pressure themselves to win by at least four points to reach the quarter finals, and in the five minutes of added time managed to reel off three unanswered points to seal the win and a place in the last eight.

If Cashel had come up short, they would only have had themselves to blame, as on top of the red card, they missed a host of chances, plus they also were up against an inspired Paddy Reddin in the Lorrha goal, whose namesake Tony would have been proud of his performance with a string of superb saves.

In reality, Lorrha were fortunate to be as close at the end as after the first water-break they were outplayed with Cashel dominating the ball, and in Ger Browne had the games’ best player. The former Tipperary underage star has had his off-field issues in recent times, but it was welcome to see him back to his best on the field, scoring eight of his nine points from play. Both he and Ross Bonnar gave the Lorrha inside back line a torrid time throughout and contributed largely to their victory.

From being in a final last year to a relegation scrap, it’s a big fall for Lorrha who haven’t hit those same heights this year, not helped by injuries to the likes of Patrick Maher, Ciaran Haugh, Kevin Maher and Willie Maher who were missing, and was added to by a shoulder injury to Niall McIntyre who was having a superb first half before being forced off before half time.

In the gusty conditions, the first quarter was played at a very brisk pace with Cashel, aided by the elements, getting up and running through Cathal Quinn and Ross Bonnar points. Lorrha hit back through a Colm Fogarty free and points from play from Niall McIntyre and the excellent Brian Hogan who hit four points from play from centre back.

The sides were deadlocked at six points apiece at the first water-break but Cashel signalled their intentions on the resumption as Ger Browne fizzed a shot just over the bar. Bonnar, Browne and Aaron Moloney added to their tallies to open a four-point lead before Niall McIntyre won a free which resulted in his injury which Colm Fogarty converted.

Brian Hogan landed a monster point from play and at 0-13 to 0-9, Lorrha will have been happy with that at the break with the elements to come, but Cashel struck for their goal right on half time as a surging Eoghan Connolly run led to Ross Bonnar finding the net.

Cashel’s healthy advantage came under threat right at the start of the second half when James Cummins was sent off before the throw-in following an incident with Colm Fogarty which saw the Lorrha man yellow carded.

With a man advantage, Lorrha failed to take advantage after Cian Hogan’s point as Cashel structured themselves well, moving Ger Browne into the full forward line where he ran the corners superbly and helped himself to six second half points from play.

As Lorrha pushed forward, they left their full back line exposed from where Ross Bonnar, Browne (twice) were denied goals by Reddin with Daniel O’Donoghue almost making a goal-line clearance.

However, Lorrha could get little going in attack, relying on the free-taking of Colm Fogarty and Brian Hogan for the majority of their second half scores. Sub Denis O’Meara got on the scoresheet but they still trailed by seven points on 56 minutes when Eoin McIntyre broke through the middle for a goal.

Ger Browne answered with a point, but another McIntyre run let to Cian Hogan goaling and right on sixty minutes there were two points between the sides.

However, Cashel showed their extra quality as Ger Browne, Cathal Quinn and two points from Eoghan Connolly, pushed into an attacking role in the dying minutes, saw Cashel scrape into the quarter finals on score difference, while Lorrha must toughen the minds for a relegation battle.

Player of the Match: Ger Browne (Cashel King Cormacs)

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne (6); Ciaran Quinn (7), Lee Burke (7), Pauric O’Donoghue (7); James Cummins (6), Eoghan Connolly (0-4, 2f, 1 ’65) 7), Nathan Ryan (7); Ger Browne (0-9, 1f) 9), Paddy Fahy (7); Conor O’Dwyer (0-1, 7), Devon Ryan (6), Ryan O’Dwyer (0-1, 6); Aaron Moloney (0-2, 7), Ross Bonnar (1-5, 0-2f) 9), Cathal Quinn (0-3, 8).

Sub: Simon Delaney (6) for Ryan (39 inj).

Lorrha: Paddy Reddin (9); David Sullivan (6), Conor Hogan (6), Daniel O’Donoghue (6); Eoin Cleary (6), Brian Hogan (0-6, 2f) 9), Michael Dolan (7); Graham Houlihan (6), Eoin McIntyre (1-0, 7); Ollie Cleary (6), Niall McIntyre (0-2, 8), Cian Hogan (1-1, 7); Christopher Fogarty (6), David Fogarty (6), Colm Fogarty (0-7f, 6).

Subs: Alan O’Meara (6) for N McIntyre (28 inj); Tom Duggan (6) for O Cleary (43); Denis O’Meara (0-1, 6) for Houlihan (49).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines).