Last gasp Sars leveller sends Lorrha to replay

GAA: FBD Insurance County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Final

Lorrha 2-15

Thurles Sarsfields 1-18

Report: James Hayden in Nenagh

A dramatic last-gasp leveller from Thurles Sarsfields substitute Michael O’Brien sent this County Premier Intermediate Hurling final to a replay following a thrilling finale to a cracking decider on Saturday afternoon.

O’Brien denied a superb Lorrha side back-to-back promotions with what was a superb long-range strike deep in time added on to rescue his side from the jaws of defeat after his 36th minute introduction proved hugely influential in a final that ebbed and flowed from start to finish.

For long periods, Lorrha had their noses in front, but O’Brien provided the catalyst for a second-half Sar’s comeback with a handsome return of 1-2 off the bench as Brian Stakelum’s charges refused to buckle under the weight of a strong Lorrha challenge.

Both sides were well-primed going into this encounter and although the reigning North champions were well-fancied after a resounding semi-final victory over Cashel King Cormacs they faced a Thurles side sprinkled with a potent mix of youth and experience and a side that have that have grafted hard and impressed throughout this year’s campaign.

From the very get-go this was an old-fashioned ding-dong man-on-man battle with little quarter offered and even less asked. However, Ken Hogan’s men will feel slightly aggrieved with a number of contentious decisions throughout the course of the game, particularly a well-founded penalty claim on 22 minutes after Jack O’Mara appeared to pull Christopher Fogarty to the ground after he had gathered Michael Dolan’s long clearance out of defence.

However, Lorrha were not without the chances to put this game to bed and a total of ten second-half wides ultimately proved hugely detrimental to their cause, particularly a cluster of four in the closing twelve minutes at a juncture when the men in white (wearing their changed strip due to having the same colours) were seeking to put the game beyond the reach of a never-say-die Thurles Sarsfields’ side. That attitude has been the very hallmark of a Thurles Sarsfield side that have eked out victory after victory this year and an attitude that afforded them a second tilt at this year’s premier intermediate title.

Despite the mid-autumnal sunshine, a chilling wind whipped around the well-manicured MacDonagh Park pitch, and it was Thurles who were afforded the benefits of the breeze in an opening half which saw little between the sides.

With positional changes aplenty, Thurles’ accuracy of passing and movement in attack was impressive in the opening five minutes but once the match-ups became evident the men from Lower Ormond settled noticeably.

Colm Fogarty and Robbie Stapleton opened their respective sides' accounts in the opening minutes before Sars’ captain, Mossie McCormack edged his side in front with a sublimely struck fourth minute effort. Lorrha responded with efforts from the industrious Darragh Guinan before Patrick Maher popped up to edge Lorrha into the lead, 0-3 to 0-2.

The battle for supremacy in the middle third was a joy to behold in the opening quarter as both sides worked hard to establish dominance and a platform for score-yielding attacks. Jack Lanigan knifed over his first of eleven points from placed balls on seven minutes before Liam McCormack snapped Lanigan’s well-taken sideline and arrowed over from close-range.

As the helter-skelter nature of the game thrilled all in attendance Lorrha hit back with a Cian Hogan point before Jack Lanigan and Colm Fogarty traded free to leave the sides locked at 0-5 apiece with a quarter of an hour elapsed.

The tit-for-tat nature of the tie continued unabated with a booming long-range effort from Thurles corner-back, Aidan Ryan quickly cancelled out by another impressive Darragh Guinan effort.

Lorrha were beginning to assert their dominance though at this stage and superbly seized the initiative with a beautifully flighted Michael Dolan 65’ and a cracking Christopher Fogarty goal on nineteen minutes. Fogarty gathered Ciarán Haugh’s delivery close to the stand-side sideline and tore towards the Sarsfields goal, his initial attempt was hooked by Jack O’Mara before his follow-up first-time effort beat Kevin Bracken all ends up in the Thurles goal.

Two minutes later, the Lorrha men had a major shout for a penalty waved away much to the annoyance of their faithful. However, their four-point advantage remained intact right to the interval whistle and in that closing ten-minute spell Lorrha were the better side with Ciarán Haugh really imposing himself at wing back while Alan O’Meara flighted over a superbly struck sideline cut on 27 minutes.

Sars’ registered points from Kieran Moloney and Jack Lanigan (two frees) but further frees from Lorrha’s ace marksman Colm Fogarty in the 26th & 33rd minutes ensured Ken Hogan’s side took a deserved four-point lead to the dressing room, 1-10 to 0-9.

Lorrha swiftly took up where they left off after the resumption with Darragh Guinan arrowing over his third of the day before Jack Lanigan responded with a 38th minute free. Lorrha were clearly in the ascendancy though but three wides from scorable positions served to curtail their efforts.

Sarsfields were starting to slip noticeably and sprung the experienced Michael O’Brien from the bench on 36 minutes. However, they were punished for their mediocre start to the second half when Colm Fogarty set up Eoin McIntyre for a strike on goal in the 38th minute. Kevin Bracken parried McIntyre’s strike, but that man Christopher Fogarty was on hand once more to clip the ball into the back of the Thurles net.

With the game slipping from their grasp, Sarsfields were in dire need of someone to rescue them from their bind and their great emancipator came in the guise of their accomplished number 20, Michael O’Brien. An exocet missile of a goal on 39 minutes propelled Sar’s right back into contention and proved the catalyst for a clear Thurles resurgence.

Confidence oozed out of every Thurles pore now as they whittled the deficit down to two as the game entered the final quarter with another Jack Lanigan point, 1-12 to 2-11.

Lorrha required steadying at this juncture and up stepped the experienced heads of Cian Hogan and Patrick Maher. Hogan boomed over a fantastic 47th minute effort before ‘Bonnar’ tore at the heart of the Sars’ defence before arrowing over a fantastic effort to edge Lorrha four clear, 2-13 to 1-12.

With the game well and truly in the melting pot both sides went at it hell for leather in the closing stages, but the wides were mounting for Lorrha while another Michael O’Brien point on 50 minutes narrowed the deficit. Jack Lanigan popped up with his eighth free of the game on 55 minutes, but Cian Hogan’s riposte was almost instant, 2-14 to 1-14.

Once again Thurles narrowed the deficit to just a solitary point with successive Jack Lanigan frees before Cian Hogan again stood up with his third point of the game as the titanic tussle continued unabated.

With almost two minutes of injury time played Jack Lanigan (free) reduced the gap to a solitary point before that man Michael O’Brien stepped up deep in time added on to fire over an audacious effort from way out the field and restore parity to proceedings with what was effectively the last puck of the game. In doing so he afforded his side a second bite at the cherry after what was a hugely entertaining and absorbing battle between two fantastic sides.

TEAMS - Lorrha: Michael Kennedy (7); Tom Duggan (7), Daniel O’Donoghue (7), Denis O’Meara (7); Conor Hogan (7), Michael Dolan (8), Ciaran Haugh (7); Alan O’Meara (7), Niall McIntyre (7); Darragh Guinan (8), Cian Hogan (7), Eoin McIntyre (7); Colm Fogarty (7), Patrick Maher (8), Christopher Fogarty (8).

Subs: Brian Hogan (6) for D O’Meara (50); Oisín Guinan (NR) for A O’Meara (60 inj).

Thurles Sarsfields: Kevin Bracken (7), Jack O’Mara (7), David Maher (7), Aidan Ryan (7); Henry Fogarty (7), Michael Cahill (8), Kieran Moloney (8), Kieran Costello (7), Harry Fitzgibbon (6); Liam McCormack (7), Rory Purcell (7), Mossie McCormack (7); Tommy Maher (7), Jack Lanigan (8), Robbie Stapleton (7).

Subs: Michael O’Brien (8) for Fitzgibbon (36); Michael Russell (6) for Russell (52); Jock Fogarty (NR) for Stapleton (60+2).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne-Templetouhy).