Moneygall oust Lorrha to claim Junior ‘B’ League title

GAA: North Tipperary Junior 'B' Hurling League Final

Moneygall 3-12

Lorrha 2-11

Report: James Hayden in Ballinderry

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Dylan Maher (Moneygall)

SCORERS – Moneygall: Dylan Maher 2-1; Conor Quinlan 0-5 (2 frees, 1 ’65); Adam O’Brien 0-3 (2 frees, 1 ‘65); Mark Fanning 1-0; Niall Maher 0-2; Tommy Devereux 0-1.

Lorrha: Barry Moran 0-9 (6 frees, 1 ’65); David Fogarty 2-2.

Moneygall staved off a stiff Lorrha challenge to be crowned North Tipperary Junior ‘B’ Hurling League winners following a hard fought and well-contested final on Saturday evening.

Both sides served up hugely entertaining fare with Lorrha recovering from a disappointing opening quarter to really put it up to a well-drilled Moneygall side.

Moneygall really took the game to the men in blue from the throw-in with a brace of points from Conor Quinlan and Niall Maher firing their side into a five-point lead by the tenth minute after the impressive Adam O’Brien had earlier opened their account with a well-struck long-range free in the second minute.

Lorrha struggled to find their rhythm but an eleventh minute free from the stick of the outstanding Barry Moran served to get them motoring on the scoreboard and also settle their nerves somewhat.

Moran added a second from play in the fourteenth minute before Moneygall found the back of the net three minutes later after Eoin Greene’s incisive delivery was gathered by corner-forward Dylan Maher and he finished with aplomb despite the best efforts of Kevin Hough in the Lorrha goal.

Moneygall were on top, but Lorrha set about reeling them in with a workmanlike second-quarter performance. Three accurately struck frees on the bounce from Barry Moran brought the men from Lower Ormond back to within three before Moneygall’s Conor Quinlan flighted over a 65’ and a free to open the gap out to five once more.

Again, Lorrha rallied with a trio of efforts from Barry Moran, including two points from frees, to edge Lorrha back to within striking distance. Indeed, the Lorrha midfielder finished off one of the scores of the half after great work by David Sullivan and Ronan O’Meara right on the cusp of half-time, a score that ensured Lorrha trailed by just two points at the break, 0-8 to 1-7.

Lorrha made two half-time substitutions and emerged determined to reel in Moneygall who also made two interval switches with Mark Fanning and Roddy Teehan both introduced.

Within two minutes of the re-start, Lorrha were back to within a point thanks to a Barry Moran 65’ before they hit the front after a 36th minute Moran free ‘in around the house’ was lashed into the back of the Moneygall net by the lurking David Fogarty, 1-9 to 1-7.

Fogarty, who exploded into the game after a quiet opening half, added a beautifully struck point seconds later to put three between the sides as the 40th minute mark approached.

Moneygall responded with a cracking goal of their own though after Mark Fanning fired the sliotar through the net, literally, to edge Moneygall back into slender lead, 2-8 to 1-10.

There was some confusion as to whether the sliotar had been driven wide or through the corner of the net but after referee Brendan Ryan consulted with his umpires the Ballina official had no hesitancy in awarding the goal.

Adam O’Brien stepped up to flight over a sublime-struck 65’ to edge Moneygall two clear by the 45th minute. Conor Quinlan added a 51st minute point to leave Moneygall leading by three before up popped David Fogarty again to fire Lorrha right back into contention with a well-taken 52nd minute goal, after an impressive surge through the heart of the Moneygall defence from Liam Donoghue.

Dylan Maher chipped in with a crucial point in response for Moneygall before David Fogarty again retorted for Lorrha, 2-11 apiece.

With the game now well and truly in the melting pot, Moneygall seized the initiative after Mark Fanning plucked Kevin McCormack’s puckout out the skies on the stand sideline before delivering a dangerous ball across the face of the Lorrha goal.

The sliotar bounced kindly for Dylan Maher and once again the Moneygall goal-poacher gathered well and found the back of the net with a low a decisive strike.

Lorrha did their utmost to muster a response but Adam O’Brien’s late long-range free served as a ‘clincher.’ However, some late drama almost saw Lorrha’s Barry Moran find the back of the Moneygall net with a close-range free, but Conor Ryan defended well on the Moneygall goal-line.

In the end, Moneygall held out to register a hard-earned four-point victory where Liam Carroll, Gearóid Larkin, Conor Ryan, Cormac Quinlan, Niall Maher, Mark Fanning and Dylan Maher caught the eye while impressive for Lorrha were Barry Moran, David Sullivan, Ronan King, Brendan Fogarty, Liam Donoghue, and David Fogarty.

TEAMS - Moneygall: Kevin McCormack (7); Mikey Ryan (7), Cormac Murray (7), Michael Hogan (6); Gearóid Larkin (Capt, 7), Liam Carroll (7), Adam O’Brien (7); Conor Ryan (7), Eoin Greene (7); Michael Cahill (6), Niall Maher (7), Conor Quinlan (8); Dylan Maher (8), Mike Ryan (7), Cormac Hoolan (7).

Subs: Mark Fanning (7) for Cahill (HT); Roddy Teehan (7) for Hogan (HT); Tommy Deveraux (6) for Hoolan (40); Jody Troy (6) for Maher (59); Donal Carroll (NR) for Murray (60+2).

Lorrha: Kevin Hough (Capt, 7); John O’Meara (6), Ronan King (7), Oisin Guinan (7); Niall Duggan (7), Brendan Fogarty (7), Lee Hogan (7); David Sullivan (7), Barry Moran (8); Liam Donoghue (7), Martin Gorman (7), Paddy Reddin (7); Eoin Gormally (6), Ronan O’Meara (7), David Fogarty (8).

Subs: Paul Cahalan (7) for Gormally (HT); Conor Hogan (7) for J O’Meara (HT); Padraig Kennedy (6) for Reddin (45 inj); Richie Bourke (6) for King (49); Nick Perry (6) for Sullivan (57).

Referee: Brendan Ryan (Ballina).