Three off as the ‘Church have too much for Burgess

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 3 Round 2

Upperchurch/Drombane 1-24

Burgess 0-16

Report: Noel Dundon at St Michael’s Park, Toomevara

Three red cards – all in the closing four minutes - dominated the talking points as spectators trudged away from Toomevara on Saturday evening having watched Upperchurch/Drombane secure their first win of the championship at the hands of Burgess.

A very competitive game but played in a fair, robust manner, the three red cards were not expected with two being brandished by referee Brian Tyrell to substitutes from either side who were sent in to mark their mark, but were walking off within minutes of their arrival into the fray.

First Burgess’ Eoin Hogan was red carded in the 59th minute for something he said to the referee, and then following a melee in front of the stand, Upperchurch/Drombane’s Colm Ryan and Burgess goalkeeper Ronan Tucker were also sent to the line a minute into injury time, when the destination of the points had already been decided.

Upperchurch/Drombane were the better side alright, but they found the Burgess lads to be a resilient lot, and they just kept coming back at them repeatedly with Stephen Murray, their scorer-in-chief, accounting for eleven of their sixteen points.

A very close, hard fought first half saw Upperchurch/Drombane hold the narrowest of leads, 0-11 to 0-10, when the interval whistle sounded. Luke Shanahan accounted for seven of those scores, while Pat Ryan, Gavin Ryan, Aaron Ryan, and Niall Grant were also on target.

Stephen Murray hit 0-7 for Burgess, accompanied by Eoin Grace, David Nealon and Bill O’Flaherty scores in a game which was going this way and that all the way through.

Upperchurch/Drombane keeper Ciaran Shortt was forced to make a smart save from Eoin Grace in the 20th minute to keep his goal intact and the Mid men would play with the slight breeze into the scoring goals in the second half. As it happened, they made full use of the advantage, and it was their ability to create and take scores easier than their opponents which won the day for them.

Stephen Murray had the sides level within two minutes of the re-start but that was to be the last time they would share the scoreboard spoils. Three-in-a-row from Paul Shanahan, Luke Shanahan, and half time substitute Paudie Greene shoved Upperchurch/Drombane in front, and though Stephen Murray and Eoin Grace responded for Burgess, four more in succession for the ‘Church gave them a five point cushion with a quarter of an hour to go – Paddy Phelan and Luke Shanahan (3 frees) helping them into the clear.

Again, Burgess hit back with Stephen Murray and Grace once more providing the scores, but five from Gavin Ryan, Luke Shanahan (3) and Paudie Greene again extended the Mid advantage.

Burgess had a goal chance saved when Michael Ryan saw his 53rd minute effort beaten away by keeper Ciaran Shortt – they badly needed a goal to boost their chances, but it wasn’t to come for them and things got even worse when sub Eoin Hogan was red carded in the 59th minute having not been on the pitch all that long.

He was soon followed by Colm Ryan and Ronan Tucker as the scenes descended into silliness, while Upperchurch/Drombane sealed their win with a Pat Shortt goal right at the very death to give his side an eleven point victory – a margin which certainly did not do justice to the Burgess effort.

Player of the Match: Gavin Ryan (Upperchurch/Drombane)

Upperchurch/Drombane: Kieran Shortt (8); Michael Lavery (7), Keith Ryan (6), Dan Carew (6); Niall Grant (0-1, 7), Gavin Ryan (0-3, 2f, 7), Toby Corbett (6); Diarmuid Grant (7), Aaron Ryan (0-1, 6); Conor Fahey (7), Paul Ryan (6), Paul Shanahan (0-1, 7); Paddy Phelan (0-1, 6), Luke Shanahan (0-14, 11f, 8), Pat Ryan (0-1, 6).

Subs: Paudie Greene (0-2, 7) for Paul Ryan (HT); Sean Ryan (6) for Pat Ryan (51); Colm Ryan (NR) for Phelan (58); Pat Shortt (1-0, 7) for Fahey (59).

Burgess: Ronan Tucker (6); Aidan Dwyer (7), Kieran Ryan (6), Tony Dunne (6); Michael Ryan (6), Byran Quinn (6), Johnny Mulqueen (7); Daire Hogan (7), Stephen Murray (0-11, 8f, 8); Stephen Kirwin (7), Eoin Grace (0-3, 7), Diarmuid O’Donoghue (6); David Nealon (0-1, 6), Bill O’Flaherty (0-1, 7), Kieran Grace (6).

Subs: Eoin Hogan (NR) for Nealon (48); Jack O’Flaherty (6) for Dunne (51); Oisin Tucker (NR) for Quinn (60+1).

Referee: Brian Tyrell (St Mary’s).