Burgess survive as Lorrha drop

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling - Seamus O Riain Cup Relegation Final

Burgess 3-15

Lorrha 0-16

Report: Liam Hogan in Nenagh

Three goals in fifteen first half minutes helped Burgess survive relegation when they outfought Lorrha in a well contested Seamus O’Riain Cup Relegation final played on Saturday.

The win was no more than what Burgess deserved because they had their homework done. Poor form in the group stage and a very disappointing defeat at the hands of Sean Treacys in the semi-final had them under pressure. That defeat created a change in management with Sean Flynn stepping side allowing Niall McGrath (who was part of Flynn’s management team) to take over with Brian Hogan and Kevin Cooney as selectors.

They also reshaped their team with Shane Maher, who had played much of the year in attack, returning to his customary full back position. Injury worries continued to haunt them too with Jack Flaherty and Pat Woods not making the team but Stephen Murray (shoulder), Stephen Kirwan (ankle) and Conor Gill (hand) were ready for action.

Lorrha on the other hand were waiting for a number of injuries to heal and they were relieved to see the Ciaran Haugh return to take up his usual wing back position. Kevin Maher was another injury worry but he came in at left wing back which meant Michael Dolan going to six in place of Brian Hogan now at centre forward.

With Dolan prominent, Lorrha began the brighter and scores from Brian Hogan (free), David Fogarty, Colm Fogarty (free) and Eoin McIntyre had Lorrha 0-4 to 0-1 in front after ten minutes. Stephen Murray was the sole Burgess reply but their top-scorer over the last decade was about to unleash more of his magic over the next twenty minutes.

In the twelfth minute he pointed his second free and three minutes later he was in support to Eoin Hogan before scoring the game’s first goal.

Colm Fogarty levelled soon after before Murray was on the move again when a goal seemed certain, but Patrick Reddin pulled of one of the saves of the year. It helped Lorrha turn defence into attack and Brian Hogan’s free had his side 0-6 to 1-2 in front in at the first water-break.

Points by Stephen Kirwan and Murray moved Burgess back in front and with their defence getting on top thanks to the brilliance of Shane Maher, Willie Ryan, Johnny Mulqueen and Brian Tucker they increased the pressure on Lorrha when Eoin Hogan scored his team’s second goal following splendid work by Murray cutting in from the left wing.

Lorrha replied with a Brian Hogan free from sixty-five metres and they continued their revival when David Fogarty was in support of Cian Hogan forcing Ronan Tucker make a great save. Play was called back though and Brian Hogan’s close-range free left two points separating the teams.

In response Burgess increased their lead with a Murray free from the wing and approaching the half hour they won a penalty when Bill O’Flaherty was fouled in the square. The Lorrha netminder was unable to prevent Murray steering the penalty low to the corner thus giving Burgess a 3-6 to 0-8 half time lead.

Burgess would enjoy the luxury of what breeze was available to them for the second half leaving Lorrha to make a few key positional switches including Brian Hogan switching to centre back and Graham Houlihan to midfield with Eoin McIntyre going to the forty. The half was two minutes old when Brian Hogan pointed a 65. Burgess came back with Stephen Murray pointing from the left after receiving Shane Maher’s lengthy clearance.Murray’s ninety metre free gave Burgess an eight-point lead but Brian Hogan replied with a free before well taken points by Tadgh O’Halloran and Bill O’Flaherty had the margin out to nine after forty minutes.

However, the next five minutes saw Lorrha spark a revival as Conor Hogan, Michael Dolan and Ciaran Haugh plus Niall McIntyre desperately tried to stem the Burgess tide as their forward line began to ask more questions of the opposition defence and with it they scored four unanswered points through Niall McIntyre, Brian Hogan (free), Eoin McIntyre and Hogan again, this time with 65 before Donagh Maher got Burgess back on track with a point in the 47th minute before the sides went to their dugouts for the final water-break with Burgess leading 3-11 to 0-14.

After the return to play it was Lorrha moving forward again with Colm Fogarty through on goal, but Tucker saved well and when Burgess reached the other end, they were happy to see Stephen Murray on target with two quick points restoring an eight-point advantage and twelve minutes remaining.

Both sides toyed with respective defences over the next six minutes or so, but two Brian Hogan frees were the only scoring produced leaving six between the sides again. But with seven minutes remaining it was Lorrha’s final score. Burgess remained focussed and with Kirwan fouled another Murray free increased his tally to 2-10.

There was little left for Lorrha to do at this stage and in their desperation, they had Denis O’Meara sent off for a straight red offence with many on the sideline puzzled as to what the offence was for.

By then the play had passed the hour mark and in added time one more Murray free was accurate and the score brought the curtain down on a well-received victory for the Burgess supporters who went on the field to meet their heroes.

They will contest the Seamus O’Riain in its new guise of Premier Intermediate next year while Lorrha return to normal intermediate grade after an absence of fourteen years.

Player of the Match: Stephen Murray (Burgess)

Burgess: Ronan Tucker (8); Daire Hogan (7), Shane Maher (8), Willie Ryan (8); Kieran Ryan (7), Johnny Mulqueen (8), Brian Tucker (7); Keith Nealon (n/r), Michael Ryan (7); Conor Gill (7), Donagh Maher (0-1, 7), Stephen Kirwan (0-1, 7); Eoin Hogan (1-0, 7), Bill O’Flaherty (0-1, 7), Stephen Murray (2-11, 1-0 pen, 0-6f, 0-1 s-cut) 8).

Subs: Tadgh O’Halloran (0-1, 7) for Nealon (7 inj); Eoin Grace (6) for M Ryan (47); Danny Ryan (6) for E Hogan (55).

Lorrha: Paddy Reddin (9); Graham Houlihan (6), Conor Hogan (7), David Sullivan (6); Ciaran Haugh (7), Michael Dolan (7), Kevin Maher (7); Eoin McIntyre (0-2, 7), Niall McIntyre (0-1, 6); Cian Hogan (6), Brian Hogan (0-10, 8f, 2 65s) 7), Daniel Donoghue (6); Christopher Fogarty (6), David Fogarty (0-1, 6), Colm Fogarty (0-2, 1f) 6).

Subs: Alan O’Meara (6) for Christopher Fogarty (35); Denis O’Meara (NR) for Sullivan (49); Tom Duggan (6) for Houlihan (49); Willie Maher (6) for D Fogarty (53).

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers)