Lorrha roll to impressive North success

GAA: Kelly’s of Fantane North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Lorrha 2-24

Shannon Rovers 3-11

Report: Thomas Conway in Nenagh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Colm Fogarty (Lorrha)

SCORERS – Lorrha: Colm Fogarty 1-9 (0-5 frees), Brian Hogan 0-4 (3 frees), Eoin McIntyre 0-3; Patrick Maher 1-0; Cian Hogan, Alan O’Meara, Christopher Fogarty, David Fogarty 0-2 each.

Shannon Rovers: Tom Hogan 0-6 (3 frees), George Hannigan 1-1; Conal Moran 0-3 frees; Eamon Hough, John O’Meara 1-0 each; Alan Hogan 0-1.

On this evidence, Lorrha are a team tipping along nicely towards a County Intermediate hurling title, and it will take a formidable challenger to disturb them along that route.

Last Saturday, they landed the North crown for the third time in the club’s history, and everything about their performance suggested that Ken Hogan’s side have the necessary attacking firepower and tactical nous to reclaim their place in what is now the Premier Intermediate championship, following their agonising relegation last year.

Hogan has already proven his ability to guide teams to great heights (twice in one day, if necessary). He has shaped this Lorrha side into a well-balanced, intelligent force, a team which at times last Saturday seemed like they had rediscovered the form which carried them to the Ó Riain Cup final in 2020.

That said, their rapacious appetite and desire for success isn’t mildly surprising. Last year’s relegation stung Lorrha badly. They want to make amends, and they want to do so quickly.

For Shannon Rovers, this North final probably represented a test of the unknown. Their dramatic penalty shoot-out success over Borrisokane had not been entirely expected, but boy, did it embolden the Ballinderry club. And for a brief period in the opening minutes of Saturday’s encounter, it looked as if the Rovers had transferred the energy of that victory into this North Final.

Tom Hogan threw over an early free. George Hannigan followed it up moments later, pinging over from underneath the stand. Lorrha looked confused, as if they had been preparing for a 6:15pm throw-in and hadn’t quite figured out their preferred formation or structure. Although it wasn’t helped by losing wing back Ciaran Haugh to injury just before throw-in with Brian Hogan hastily moving outfield from goals with Kevin Hough coming into the team.

From Lorrha’s perspective, things would get worse before getting dramatically better. Eamon Hough’s fourth minute goal was, in all honesty, an individual masterpiece. The crafty Shannon Rovers corner-forward gobbled up possession in the corner, turned sharply and then danced his way around several blue shirts before sending his effort spinning past Hough.

The goal should have invigorated Rovers, but instead it catalysed Lorrha into action. Within minutes they had begun to play an irresistible brand of hurling which was as smooth and slick as it was efficient and effective.

Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher was relatively quiet, but he lit up the play on two occasions, first helping to construct an Eoin McIntyre point, and then bursting the net himself. Colm Fogarty was the creator in that instance, sending an orthodox bouncing pass in the direction of the veteran Tipp forward, who swept the sliotar into hand and made no mistake with the finish. It was a delicate movement, a precisely timed two-player combo which would have looked good in slow motion.

But there was better to come. Fogarty, who at this stage had already half-secured his player of the match award, snapped a puckout from the air right next to side-line, shuffled left then right before repositioning his body, and thumped over from the wing. It was the score of the game, and it sent Lorrha 2-6 to 1-3 ahead. The lead was only six points, but it felt like much more.

In truth, the outcome of this game had been settled by half-time. Perhaps not definitively – the Rovers had displayed flickers of first-half potential and there was always hope that they might mount an unlikely come-back. But it didn’t materialise, and instead Lorrha saw the game out with class and conviction. They had carried a 2-13 to 1-4 lead into the interval, and so there was really no further need to storm Rovers with a barrage of scores.

It was, in essence, a matter of keeping the scoreboard ticking over, and they did so effortlessly - Chris Fogarty slotting the first of the half, Alan O’Meara sniping from distance, Cian Hogan sweeping over a beauty from the corner of the 45. It was all very professional, highly impressive, indicative of a team that should probably be operating at a grade above where they are currently placed, but this is the situation that they now find themselves in.

For Shannon Rovers, the prospect of a tenth North Intermediate title had long since faded, but midway through the second-half they invoked enough spirit to fight back and at least make the final scoreline somewhat more respectable.

Substitute John O’Meara’s 46th minute goal epitomised their perseverance. The chance appeared to have gone, not once but twice, following a twenty-metre free from Conal Moran and a subsequent rebound from Tom Hogan, but O’Meara was on hand to supply the final finish.

George Hannigan would slot a third late on, but at that stage most players and supporters had effectively checked out - the result sealed, the division conquered.

On the flagship weekend of the hurling calendar, this North Final was never really anticipated to deliver the sort of feverish excitement that might be found swirling around Croke Park on Sunday. North Finals sometimes do, but not this one. Lorrha entered it as favourites. They finished it with the same tag. Except now it relates to the county championship.

TEAMS – Lorrha: Kevin Hough (7), Tom Duggan (7), Conor Hogan (7), Oisin Guinan (7), Brian Hogan (8), Michael Dolan (8), Denis O’Meara (7), Niall McIntyre (7), Alan O’Meara (8), Christopher Fogarty (8), Patrick Maher (8), Eoin McIntyre (8), Colm Fogarty (9), Cian Hogan (8), David Fogarty (7).

Shannon Rovers: Paddy Heenan (6), Marcus Esmonde (6), Matt Tierney (6), Kieran O’Sullivan (6), James O’Sullivan (6), Michael Slattery (6), Alan Hannigan (6), Austin Tierney (7), Emmet Moran (6), Conal Moran (6), George Hannigan (7), Andy Byrnes (6), Michael Tierney (6), Eamon Hough (7), Tom Hogan (7).

Subs: Alan Hogan (7) for Matt Tierney (39); John O’Meara (7) for Esmonde (40); Derek Horan (6) for Slattery (42 inj).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).