Another near miss for Lorrha as Drom edge to victory

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 3 Round 2

Drom & Inch 3-24

Lorrha 3-20

Report: Noel Dundon at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan

Photos: Odhran Ducie

Drom & Inch got their County Senior Hurling Championship hopes back on track with a hard-fought victory over Lorrha in a fine round 2 contest on Saturday evening.

Without doubt, the North men deserved a share of the spoils and for a long time it looked as though they would get them.

However, as they pressed for an equalising score deep into injury time, Drom & Inch pounced to seal the victory with a Cormac Cahill goal doing just the trick with the final play of a back and forth contest.

In truth, Drom & Inch finished the stronger, hitting 1-6 in the last ten minutes while Lorrha managed just 1-1– a stat which proved their undoing.

But, for all that the Lorrha lads played with great flair and attacking acumen – the contributions of Conor Kennedy (0-4) and Cian Hogan (1-4) particularly catching the eye.

However, Drom & Inch too had their stars, and it was David Collins who proved to be their key man in the second half as he pilfered five points from play to steer the spoils in their direction, while Cormac Fitzpatrick also accounted for 1-4 from play.

Drom & Inch had six points on the board within six minutes– Seamus Callanan, David Butler, Cormac Fitzpatrick, Tony Cahill, Lorcan Campion and John Ryan all on target.

Conor Kennedy had a solitary score for Lorrha in this period, but points from Christopher Fogarty, Kennedy again and Colm Fogarty helped back into the match.

There were goal chances too for both sides – Michael Kennedy saving from David Butler to keep the Lorrha net intact, while at the other end Donnacha O’Meara had a chance saved by Eoin Collins.

The points continued to fly over from both sides with John Campion and Cian Hogan trading, as did Cormack Fitzpatrick (2) with Colm Fogarty and Conor Kennedy.

And though Drom & Inch had Robbie Long and Podge Campion points to open up a four point gap, Lorrha hit back with a Cian Hogan goal in the 20th minute after referee Kevin Jordan had played advantage for a foul on Eoin McIntyre.

The goal cut the deficit to one, but Seamus Callanan responded immediately and rattled the Lorrha net straight from the next play, to really nullify the great work of the north men.

The goal didn’t set them back though and they went on to score five of the final six points of the half to tie the game at 1-12 apiece at the break – Cian Hogan (2), Colm Fogarty (3) getting their scores, while David Collins had his first for Drom, but crucially, not his last.

It had been a marvellous first half with some fine scores and great passages of play.

And, the second half didn’t disappoint either with Drom & Inch signalling their intent with a Seamus Callanan point followed by a Cormac Fitzpatrick goal in the 32nd minute after Callanan set him up, proving that he has lost none of his instinct and showing a clean pair of heels to the scrambling defenders.

Again, Lorrha fought back with Colm Fogarty and Eoin McIntyre (2) pointing. David Collins had two for Drom but Conor Kennedy and Donnacha O’Meara shot two for Lorrha just before Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher bagged a goal in the 46th minute to give his side the lead after O’Meara’s shot had initially been beaten away.

Drom & Inch were now chasing but not for long – sub Johnny Ryan tying it up again, only to see Cian Hogan restore the Lorrha advantage before David Collins cancelled this out.

On it went – Maher giving Lorrha the lead, but a flurry of Drom points from Lorcan Campion, Seamus Callanan (2) and Collins again sent them three clear.

One more time Lorrha fought back – Donnacha O’Meara goaling in the 58th minute to level – a Colm Fogarty free shoved them into the lead.

But, David Collins, who had a huge second half for Drom, levelled again, before Seamus Callanan pointed a free to give his side the lead.

Deep into injury time now, Lorrha were pushing hard for an equaliser or indeed a winner when a long clearance downfield found its way to Cormac Cahill, who rounded his man and netted expertly to seal the Drom & Inch victory.

It was a difficult defeat for Lorrha to take considering how many times they had fought back and how brilliantly they took the game to their opponents. They will take heart from the showing but will be bitterly disappointed not to have gotten something from the game.

Player of the Match: David Collins (Drom & Inch)

Drom & Inch: Eoin Collins (7); Robbie Long (0-1, 7), Kevin Hassett (6), Fintan Purcell (6); Mark Conroy (5), Podge Campion (0-1, 6), Michael Campion (5); Tony Cahill (0-1, 6), Lorcan Campion (0-2, 7); John Ryan (0-1, 6), David Collins (0-6, 9), John Campion (0-1, 7), Seamus Callanan (1-5, 0-4f, 8), David Butler (0-1, 5), Cormack Fitzpatrick (1-4, 8).

Subs: Cormac Cahill (1-0, 7) for M Campion (HT); Johnny Ryan (0-1, 7) for Butler (46); Jack Lillis (6) for John Ryan (53).

Lorrha: Michael Kennedy (7); Lee Hogan (6), Ciaran Haugh (7), Tom Duggan (6); Alan O’Meara (6), Michael Dolan (7), Brendan Fogarty (6); Niall McIntyre (7), Christopher Fogarty (0-1, 7); Eoin McIntyre (0-2, 8), Cian Hogan (1-4, 8), Colm Fogarty (0-7, 6f, 7), Donnacha O’Meara (1-1, 7), Patrick Maher (1-1, 6), Conor Kennedy (0-4, 8).

Subs: Conor Hogan (6) for B Fogarty (50); David Fogarty (6) for N McIntrye (55).

Referee: Kevin Jordon (Thurles Gaels).