‘Mines edge dramatic penalty shoot-out

Ronan Cunneen’s goal from Silvermines eighth penalty proved to be the difference over Lorrha after a game that saw the sides level on nine occasions.

GAA: North Tipperary Junior ‘B’ Hurling League Final

Silvermines 1-18

Lorrha 0-21

(After Extra Time, Silvermines win 4-3 on penalties)

Report: Liam Hogan in Puckane

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Ronan Cunneen (Silvermines)

SCORERS - Silvermines: Ronan Cunneen 0-8 (4 frees, 1 ‘65); Gerard Leamy 1-1 (0-1 free); Sean Spillane 0-3; Sean Nolan, Daniel Keogh 0-2 each; Eoin Seymour, Daniel Ryan 0-1 each.

Lorrha: Barry Moran 0-9 (5 frees, 1 ‘65); Conor Kennedy 0-4; Oisin Guinan 0-3; Martin Gorman 0-2 (1 free); Liam O’Donoghue, Patrick Reddin, Conor Hogan 0-1 each.

Penalties were required before Silvermines were crowned winners of the North Tipperary Junior ‘B’ Hurling League on Sunday.

Silvermines dominated the first period of extra time but hit five wides before Daniel Ryan gave his team the lead at 1-15 to 0-17. Both sides had plenty of possession but were unable to avail of the chances presented until Oisin Guinan’s score two minutes from time brought Lorrha level with penalty shots required to determine the winner.

Both teams will feel they could have won earlier but Silvermines will have bigger cause from complaint as they claim they were denied a goal when Ronan Cunneen’s shot rebounded off the back stanchion in the 52nd minute; the scores were level 0-14 each at the time. It was Cunneen’s second time to hit the woodwork as another effort crashed off the crossbar in the seventeenth minute.

Lorrha were the better side at the time with their defence playing really well with Lee Hogan the standout. Brendan Fogarty did his fair share while Liam Donoghue was one of their scorers from midfield. Martin Gorman was another to score from a free as the excellent Conor Kennedy had scored from play while Barry Moran, the game’s top scorer with nine points, had already landed three points.

The ‘Mines defence were kept under pressure, but Cynan Bailey did immense work in the inside backline while Cathal Gleeson and Sean Murphy held their own. Up front Gerard Leamy was one of two players to score from play in the first half as he narrowed the gap to two before Patrick Reddin made it 0-7 to 0-4 in the nineteenth minute.

More Silvermines pressure saw Niall Curran force Michael Kennedy make a good save at the expense of a 65 which Cunneen pointed. At the other end, Barry Moran replied with a 65 before Cunneen finished the half with two frees to one Conor Hogan point with the subs first touch almost on the stroke of half time, Lorrha 0-10 Silvermines 0-7.

Lorrha were the better side in the opening ten minutes of the second half as they went four clear, 0-13 to 0-9, the points coming from Barry Moran and the excellent Conor Kennedy to which Silvermines two unanswered points came from a very busy Conor Murphy at midfield along with a well-taken Sean Spillane point.

Lorrha would fail to score over the next twelve minutes as Silvermines raised their game with five unanswered points through Sean Spillane (2), Sean Nolan from an acute angle, Ronan Cunneen from long range and the same player pointing a free.

Martin Gorman levelled with a disputed point in the 51st minute but Silvermines regained the lead when the evergreen Daniel Keogh scored with his first touch after coming on.

Lorrha needed inspiration and received it with another Conor Kennedy point in the 55th minute. However, the game spun on the next score when Gerard Leamy weaved his way past a number of Lorrha defenders and as he lost his balance his half-hit shot dribbled past Michael Kennedy in the Lorrha goal.

With three minutes remaining, Lorrha looked in trouble, but Oisin Guinan managed a point. There was more to come and Barry Moran, who had missed an earlier free, kept his cool head when converting two frees to level in added time.

There was time for more and the resulting short puckout did not work to Silvermines satisfaction and the ball broke to Conor Kennedy who headed for goal, but his low shot cannoned off Conor Murphy’s leg and out for a 65 with Barry Moran’s effort dropping short and extra time would be required, Silvermines 1-15 Lorrha 0-18.

Another Moran free gave Lorrha the lead before Daniel Keogh levelled with a long range free as his side squandered a number of chances leaving Conor Kennedy to edge Lorrha back in front at half time, 0-20 to 1-16.

Within two minutes of the restart, the Mines had taken the lead with Sean Nolan and Daniel Keogh on target. Tired limbs meant the tempo and frequency of scores dropped but the effort did not. Excitement levels continued to increase as the game went seven minutes without a score with the one final chance falling to Oisin Guinan who levelled and brought the game to penalties.

After five penalties each, the score stood at two goals each with Willie Keogh and Conor Murphy on target for the ‘Mines while Martin Gorman and Conor Hogan were on target Lorrha. Both goalkeepers, Conor Murphy and Michael Kennedy, made two saves apiece. It was now sudden death as Daniel Keogh and Conor Kennedy converted. Sean Nolan’s second penalty was saved by Michael Kennedy while Martin Gorman was inches wide with his effort. The third round saw Ronan Cunneen find the corner of the net for the ‘Mines but Brendan Fogarty’s effort was saved by Conor Murphy as Silvermines won in exciting fashion.

TEAMS - Silvermines: Conor Murphy (7); Cynan Bailey (8), Diarmuid Brennan (7), Ben Claffey (7); Cathal McGrath (6), Cathal Gleeson (7), Sean Murphy (8); Eoin Seymour (7), Eddie Ryan (7); Gerard Leamy (6), Sean Spillane (7), Daniel Ryan (6); Ronan Cunneen (8) Niall Curran (7), Sean Nolan (7).

Subs: Eamon Corcoran (6) for Brennan (49); Daniel Keogh (7) for Seymour (53); John Ryan (6) for Gleeson (54); Cathal Gleeson for J Ryan (ET); Willie Keogh (6) for Spillane (ET).

Lorrha: Michael Kennedy (7); Clifford Colohan (7), Richard Bourke (7), Ronan King (7); Lee Hogan (8), Brendan Fogarty (7), Graham Houlihan (6); Liam Donoghue (7), Rob Duffy (6); Martin Gorman (7), Paidi Kennedy (6), Oisin Guinan (7); Paddy Reddin (7), Barry Moran (7), Conor Kennedy (8).

Subs: Conor Hogan (7) for Houlihan (26 inj); Paul Cahalan (6) for Reddin (55); David Fogarty (NR) for Hogan (60); Lee Hogan for D Fogarty (ET); Johnny O’Meara (6) for Colohan (ET inj); Paddy Reddin for Moran (ET inj).

Referee: Tommy Hogan (Toomevara).