Lorrha undone by slick Loughmore

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 3 Round 1

Loughmore-Castleiney 4-21

Lorrha 1-17

Report: James Hayden at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh

Loughmore/Castleiney proved that little bit too strong for Lorrha in an entertaining Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship opening round clash on Friday.

The Mid champions recorded a deserved win although they were made fight all the way by a Lorrha side who were without the services of the influential Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher after it was ruled that his suspension for the red card served in the Munster Club Championship last year must be served in the county championship instead of the North Championship. This is despite the fact that the competition is linked to county championship with the winners guaranteed a preliminary quarter-final berth should they not secure automatic qualification from their group.

Loughmore, this year under the tutelage of Kiladangan man Eamonn Kelly, went into this encounter with a full panel to choose from and although they are still without the services of John Meagher for a second consecutive campaign, they still boast a side capable of going all the way in this year’s race for Dan Breen.

Loughmore were first to register with John McGrath converting a placed ball before successive points from Noel McGrath and Ciaran Connolly afforded the Mid side a decent start.

Lorrha were quick to respond with points from Colm Fogarty, the first from play, and the second from a close-range free book-ending an exquisitely struck sideline cut from Loughmore’s Ciaran McCormack.

Conor Kennedy, on his county championship debut, popped up seconds later to bring the men from Lower Ormond to within a point with six minutes elapsed.

Ciaran Connolly gratefully accepted a sweet pass from the impressive Brian McGrath to double Loughmore’s advantage but within four minutes Ken Hogan’s charges had restored parity thanks to efforts from Niall McIntyre and Colm Fogarty (free).

Loughmore were starting to open up in attack and a delicious passage of play which saw them switch effortlessly from defence into attack culminated in an absolute ‘roofer’ of a goal from wing-forward, Tommy Maher on the ten-minute mark, 1-5 to 0-5.

Lorrha once more displayed their mettle with successive frees from Colm Fogarty reducing the deficit to a point but a crucial five-minute spell between the 15th & 20th minutes saw the Mid men register 2-1 without reply, the goals from Liams’ McGrath & Treacy. In that spell, Lorrha also hit four wides on the bounce as Loughmore took a firm grip on proceedings.

Lorrha’s response, when it came, was duly impressive. Eoin McIntyre broke through the centre of the Loughmore defence and rattled the net with aplomb on 20 minutes as last year’s premier intermediate champions battled to keep pace with well-drilled Loughmore side, 3-7 to 1-7.

The Mid champions, who lost full-back Joey Hennessy to a knee injury late in the half, retorted with successive Liam Treacy points as the game whirled towards the interval but it was Lorrha who finished the half on the up with efforts from Niall McIntyre and Colm Fogarty (free) ensuring they trailed by just six points, 3-9 to 1-9.

Lorrha emerged determined to fight their way back into contention and two quick-fire points from Colm Fogarty (free) and Niall McIntyre served to set the tone for the second half.

John McGrath responded with a brace from placed balls for Loughmore before the Mid men coughed up another close-range free which Colm Fogarty duly slotted over on 37 minutes. Christopher Fogarty followed up with an effort which cannoned inside the upright for a well-taken point before efforts from Tomas McGrath and Noel McGrath kept the scoreboard ticking over for Loughmore.

Eoin McIntyre was really growing in the game at this stage and points in the 42nd & 46th minutes served to aid Lorrha’s cause before McIntyre brought the best out of Aidan McGrath in the Loughmore goal with a 51st minute shot down low to the keeper’s right. McGrath, whose puckouts were also impressive throughout, saved well to deny Lorrha what would have been a crucial goal at a crucial juncture in the game.

Coincidentally, the goal was to come at the other end of the field just two minutes later when seconds after substitute Ciaran McGrath set John McGrath up for Loughmore’s seventeenth point he was again instrumental in the registering his sides fourth goal, linking up with John McGrath once more and unleashing a cracking shot past the advancing Kevin Hough.

With Loughmore leading by eleven points and just eight minutes remaining there really was no way back for Lorrha, but they battled on admirably right to the final whistle with points from Conor Kennedy and a booming effort from captain Michael Dolan rounding off their scoring. Loughmore added four further points before the final whistle to run out deserving 13-point victors.

Impressive for Loughmore/Castleiney were Aidan McGrath, Brian McGrath, Ciaran McCormack, John Ryan, Liam McGrath, Noel McGrath, Ciaran McCormack, and Liam Treacy while Niall McIntyre, Colm Fogarty, Michael Dolan, Eoin McIntyre, Cian Hogan, Conor Hogan, and Conor Kennedy caught the eye for Lorrha.

Player of the Match: Brian McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney)

Loughmore/Castleiney: Aidan McGrath (8); Ed Meagher (7), Joey Hennessy (7), Willie Eviston (7); John Ryan (7), Brian McGrath (8), Eoin O’Connell (7); Tomas McGrath (0-1, 7), Ciaran Connolly (0-2, 7); Tommy Maher (1-0, 7), Noel McGrath (0-3, 7), Ciaran McCormack (0-3, 7); John McGrath (0-7 (3f, 1 65’) 7), Liam Treacy (1-2, 7), Liam McGrath (1-2, 7).

Subs: Darragh McCahey (7) for Hennessy (29 inj); Ciaran McGrath (1-1, 7) for Connolly (47 mins); Ed Connolly (6) for Ryan (55); Philip O’Connell (6) for McCormack (55).

Lorrha: Kevin Hough (7); Lee Hogan (7), Conor Hogan (8), Tom Duggan (7); Ciaran Haugh (7), Michael Dolan (0-1, 8), Brendan Fogarty (7); Alan O’Meara (7), Darragh Guinan (7); Niall McIntyre (0-3, 8); Cian Hogan (7), Eoin McIntyre (1-2, 8); Christopher Fogarty (0-1, 7), Colm Fogarty (0-8, 7f 7), Conor Kennedy (0-2, 7).

Subs: Martin Gorman (6) for Guinan (54); Denis O’Meara (6) for O’Meara (54); Oisin Guinan (6) for Haugh (56).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).