Upperchurch/Drombane sweep aside disappointing Roscrea

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Relegation Semi-Final

Upperchurch/Drombane 0-23

Roscrea 0-17

Report: Noel Dundon at The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

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

SCORERS – Upperchurch/Drombane: Pat Ryan 0-8 (5 frees); Gavin Ryan 0-5 frees; Keith Ryan, Philip O’Dwyer, Conor Fahey 0-2 each; Aaron Ryan, Sean Griffin, Paddy Phelan, Jack Butler 0-1 each.

Roscrea: Alan Tynan, Shane Fletcher (3 frees); Luke Cashin (1 free) 0-4 each; Leigh Loughnane 0-2; Darragh Tynan, Evan Fitzpatrick, Aaron O’Donoghue 0-1 each.

Despite Upperchurch/Drombane being down to fourteen men for three-quarters of this County Senior Hurling Relegation semi-final on Sunday, Roscrea were unable to turn them over.

The Mid men – All-Ireland Intermediate champions last season – produced their best performance of the year to sweep to victory in a game which looked as though it could go either way for long periods.

However, the victors made the most of the possession they mined and each time Roscrea came up field and notched a score, the Upperchurch/Drombane lads went back downfield and did the same.

Upperchurch/Drombane were certainly up for the challenge and they brought an intensity to this clash which Roscrea were unable to match for a sustained period.

The tense nature of proceedings threatened to spill over at times and when Diarmuid Grant received a straight red card in the 19th minute, it looked as though it would be a major blow to their prospects.

However, Roscrea failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage and Upperchurch still went in at half time with a 0-9 to 0-5 advantage.

Roscrea had gotten off the mark quickly with Luke Cashin and Alan Tynan points. However, Upperchurch/Drombane replied through Keith Ryan, Gavin Ryan (2 frees) and Philip O’Dwyer to take control of the game.

Shane Fletcher and Cashin had further Roscrea points, but there would be a seventeen-minute gap to their next point from Evan Fitzpatrick in the 28th minute.

In that time Roscrea struck four wides from long range, and in contrast to that, Upperchurch rolled the scoreboard with regularity. Aaron Ryan, Philip O’Dwyer, Pat Ryan (2) and Gavin Ryan again all had points either side of the Diarmuid Grant dismissal and their four point interval advantage was no more than they deserved.

Upperchurch/Drombane were playing with real purpose but the big question from their perspective was whether or not they could maintain their very high work-rate until the end – especially as they would be down a man in the crucial last minutes.

The gap between was extended to seven points soon after resumption with Pat Ryan hitting two from frees and one from play to go along with a Conor Fahey point.

Roscrea needed something and they needed it fast. They received it in the form of a Shane Fletcher score to halt the Mid men’s momentum and then they hit three-in-a-row through Fletcher, (2) and Alan Tynan to cut the gap to four.

Tynan came into the game in the second half and began to get onto ball. But it was Darragh Tynan who provided the next Roscrea score with a fine effort having raced up field.

Still though, Upperchurch responded with each Roscrea score – Gavin Ryan and Conor Fahey coming good while Paddy Phelan had another following a second consecutive breaking ball off Paul Shanahan.

Upperchurch were managing to keep a gap between themselves and Roscrea and this was down to sheer hard work. They tackled and harassed the Roscrea lads all through and despite two further Alan Tynan points, the ‘Church defence was standing tall and withstanding assault after assault on their square as Roscrea sought goals.

Time and again Upperchurch cleared their lines and the points claimed from Jack Butler, Sean Griffin and Pat Ryan really helped their cause.

Goalkeeper Ciaran Shortt made a number of key saves including a diving one from sub Owen Tynan. And try as they did, Roscrea just could not breach the Upperchurch/Drombane rearguard and the goal they so badly needed failed to materialise.

Fully deserving of their win, Upperchurch/Drombane were delighted to have produced so focused and workmanlike a showing. They had shown flashes of their capabilities throughout the campaign, but on this occasion they produced a sustained high tempo.

Gavin Ryan was outstanding for them as was Keith Ryan, while Conor Fahey, Paul Shanahan, Pat Ryan, Philip O’Dwyer and goalkeeper Ciaran Shortt was also very prominent.

For Roscrea, they must go again. They will be buoyed by the fact that the fought like tigers in this game and did so right to the very end. However, their shooting will have to sharpen up if they are to survive -ten wides with nine of those coming in the first half was perhaps their undoing.

Alan Tynan drove them on at the end of the game while Luke Cashin, Shane Fletcher, Conor Phelan and Dan Ryan worked hard all the way through.

TEAMS – Upperchurch/Drombane: Ciaran Shortt (7), AJ Shanahan (6), Dean Carew (7), Luke Shanahan (8), Keith Ryan (Capt 8), Gavin Ryan (9), Sean Griffin (7), Toby Corbett (6), Paddy Phelan (7), Conor Fahey (7), Diarmuid Grant (6), Aaron Ryan (6), Pat Ryan (7), Paul Shanahan (7), Philip O’Dwyer (7).

Subs: Jack Butler (7) for A Ryan (45); Sean Ryan (6) for O’Dwyer (51); Jim O’Dwyer (NR) for Corbett (57); Michael Griffin (NR) for P Shanahan (58).

Roscrea: Daryl Ryan (7), Conor Booth (6), Michael Campion (6), Aidan Booth (6), Darragh Tynan (Capt 7), Conor Phelan (7), Conor Sheedy (6), Alan Tynan (8), Dan Ryan (7), Leigh Loughnane (7), Evan Fitzpatrick (6), Luke Cashin (8), Shane Fletcher (6), Conor Dooley (6), Kenny Lee (7).

Subs: Glenn Loughnane (7) for C Booth (36); Jack Lee (6) for Lee (42); Aaron O’Donoghue (7) for Phelan (54); Owen Tynan (NR) for Ryan (58).

Referee: Philip Kelly (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams).