Gortnahoe goal blitz shock’s Mary’s

t was all so easy for Gortnahoe/Glengoole as they proved much too strong for St. Mary’s in this one-sided County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter final on Sunday.

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter Finals

Gortnahoe/Glengoole 4-18

St. Mary’s 0-13

Report: Michael Heverin At the Dillion Quirke Grounds, Clonoulty

Three goals in as many minutes in the first quarter, two from Damien Corbett and one from Darragh Maher, set the Mid side on their way to a thirteen-point win.

The Clonmel side were never in contention following that early goal blitz, and a return of four points from play over the hour reflected their difficulties up front. They had even greater problems at the back as the leaking of those three early goals saw them on the backfoot for the remainder of the game.

And yet it was St Mary’s who hit the opening two points from Ross Peters and Cathal Deely, but once Corbett’s goal in the eleventh minute put Gortnahoe/Glengoole into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead, the game was virtually over as a contest.

The Mid side hit two more goals over the next three minutes, from Darragh Maher and Corbett again, both set up by Ronan Teehan with the St Mary’s cover stretched to breaking point, and there was no way back for the Clonmel side after that.

The stats make grim reading for St Mary’s – as well as scoring just four points from play, they didn’t score from play from the twelfth minute until the 61st minute and relied on frees from Sean Kennedy for over half their scores.

While the three first half goals decided the outcome, the fourth goal for Gortnahoe midway through the second half from Adrian Maher was just the icing on the cake.

It was the third year in a row that the Clonmel side have lost to Gortnahoe/Glengoole in the race for the Seamus O Riain Cup, but this was by far the most disheartening, especially after topping their group with three wins from three.

But apart from their own failings on the day, they met a Gortnahoe/Glengoole side in sparkling form. They hit 4-13 from play, with their link play from defence to attack outstanding. Centre-back Brian Maher was a colossus, with Conor Gleeson and Enda McCarthy also in superb form.

Jack Moore was dominant at midfield, chipping in with three points, while the attack was a unit that St Mary’s hadn’t experienced in the campaign to date, with all six forwards scoring, Damien Corbett leading the way with 2-1, but the contributions of Darragh Maher, with 1-2, and Adrian Maher, with 1-1, were also vital, while Keane Hayes was unerring from placed balls as well as pointing two from play.

The game was more of a procession than a match after ten minutes. St Mary’s two opening scores were cancelled out by Adrian Maher and Keane Hayes, before Jack Moore gave the Mid side a lead that was never again threatened.

After a brilliant move that saw Corbett hit his first goal, Ross Peters hit his second point for St Mary’s in the twelfth minute, but their only other score of the half was a pointed free from goalkeeper Enda Dunphy.

The three goals put Gortnahoe/Glengoole 3-3 to 0-3 ahead, and they hit another seven points up to the break from Fionn Cleary, two from Jack Moore, Ronan Teehan, two from Keane Hayes frees and a magical score from Brian Maher who burst forward from defence, for a 3-10 to 0-4 interval lead.

St Mary’s introduced Thomas Charles and James Power for the second half, but Gortnahoe were in no mood to ease off the pressure, and points from two Hayes frees and one from Darragh Maher, stretched the lead further by the 38th minute.

Enda Dunphy came out from goal again to point a 65, and Sean Kennedy added a free that was sandwiched between two superb points for Gortnahoe from Conor Gleeson, to leave it 3-15 to 0-6, thirteen minutes into the half.

With bigger games to come, Gortnahoe emptied the bench and the relentless pressure eased. St Mary’s were fighting a losing cause, but their heads never dropped, and they took the battle to Gortnahoe until the end. Pressure on the Gortnahoe defence saw the concession of fouls, and Sean Kennedy pointed five more frees in the final quarter, as well as scoring a fine point from play in added time.

Gortnahoe’s fourth goal from Adrian Maher midway through the half put paid to any faint hopes of a Clonmel revival, and the Mid men wrapped up their big score with further points from a Hayes free, Darragh Maher and a Damien Corbett free.

Player of the Match: Brian Maher (Gortnahoe/Glengoole)

Gortnahoe/Glengoole: Timmy Dunne (6); Enda McCarthy (7), Davy Nolan (7), Aidan Guilfoyle (6); Conor Gleeson (0-2, 8), Brian Maher (0-1, 9), Davy Lanigan (7); Jack Moore (0-3, 8), Liam Hayes (7), Adrian Maher (1-1, 7), Ronan Teehan (0-1, 8), Fionn Cleary (0-1, 7), Damien Corbett (2-1, 0-1f, 8) Keane Hayes (0-6, 4f, 8) Darragh Maher (1-2, 8).

Subs: Gearoid Fahy (6) for Guilfoyle (HT), Kevin Slattery (6) for A Maher (50); Tomás Meany (6) for McCarthy (53), Oisín Cleary (NR) for K Hayes (56), Colm Guilfoyle (NR) for Nolan (58).

St. Mary’s: Enda Dunphy (0-2, 1f, 1’65) 7); Tadgh Condon (5), Ross Slattery (5), Josh Ryan (5); Darragh O’Connor (6), Tadgh Sheehan (6), Sammy Ryan (6); Conor Deely (7), Richie Gunne (6); Cathal Deely (0-1, 6), Sean Kennedy (0-8, 7f, 7), Michael Murphy (5); Peter McGarry (6), Niall Hoctor (5), Ross Peters (0-2, 7).

Subs: Thomas Charles (6) for Murphy (HT), James Power (6) for Hoctor (HT), Joe Higgins (6) for Cathal Deely (43); Eoghan Walsh (6) for Slattery (46), Oisín Forristal (NR) for Peters (57).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).