West rivals can’t be separated

In this eagerly awaited re-run of the West Final, Cashel King Cormacs came from four points down with six minutes of normal time remaining, to salvage a share of the spoils in this entertaining County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship clash on Saturday.

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

Eire Og Annacarty/D 0-25

Cashel King Cormacs 3-16

Report: John O’Shea at the Dillon Quirke Grounds, Clonoulty

Played before a good size crowd, the sides were on level terms on fourteen occasions throughout, nine in the opening period.

Eire Og will consider themselves unlucky not to have taken both points, as they coughed up at least two goal chances and won’t be happy with some of their defending, especially for Cashel’s third goal.

Eire Og came into this game with the knowledge that a draw would be good enough for them to advance to the knockout stages, while Cashel needed a win, at least, if they were to avoid a preliminary quarter final.

At the end, a share of the points was enough for Eire Og to top the group and advance directly to the quarter final, whereas Cashel must now play a preliminary quarter final against a second placed team from one of the other three groups.

Eoghan Connolly got the scoreboard moving inside a minute for Cashel before Darragh Kelly set up Tom Fox for the first of his four first half points. Connolly doubled his tally from a long range placed ball but again Fox replied with an equaliser.

Ross Bonner put over two minors, in between a Darragh Kelly point, all from play. Aidan Griffin had his opening shot on goal, from a placed ball, and fired over the first of his ten points, judging the wind to perfection.

Eire Og then created their first goal chance, but the ball didn’t fall kindly for Darragh Kelly, who did well to come away with a point.

Twelve minutes in, a short puck-out from Cashel went astray and was turned over by Aidan Griffin, who was pulled down inside the parallelogram. Darragh Mooney came up-field and his drive to the right was well saved by Aaron Browne.

This let off drove on Cashel and in their next attack Oisin O’Donoghue set up Davy McGrath and the corner forward beat Mooney with a low shot for the game’s opening goal.

Eire Og responded well and points from Donal O’Dwyer and Darragh Kelly had the sides on level terms for the fifth time at the quarter hour.

Eoghan Connolly landed another long range free, but Tom Fox replied again. Oisin O’Donoghue eased the West champions back in front, but Eire Og hit the next three minors, one from Dinny Crosse, followed up by Paudie Bradshaw, before Darragh Mooney put two between the sides from a free deep inside his own half.

Devon Ryan opened his account from a placed ball after 22 minutes, but Griffin replied from a side-line cut. Devon Ryan set up Eoghan Connolly for his fourth of the half, but again Tom Fox was equal to it with his reply. Eoghan Connolly then set up Oisin O’Donoghue following a puck-out, but again Eire Og replied through Dinny Crosse to keep two between the sides.

With three minutes remaining, Davy McGrath slipped his marker out near the corner at the stand side before cutting in and splitting the posts. Dan Moloney then took advantage of a spilled ball by Eire Og to tie the game, but Seanie Ryan had the last say of the half before Sean Lonergan sounded the half time whistle as Eire Og led by the minimum, 0-15 to 1-11.

Cashel attacked from the restart and Devin Ryan had the sides back on level terms, from a free. Two minutes in, Aaron Browne pulled off a save from Seanie Ryan, when a goal looked on. Aidan Griffin, from a placed ball and Ross Bonner, from open play, traded scores before Cashel had a big let-off. Conor O’Brien won possession close-in and set up Tom Fox, but with Aaron Browne beaten his shot went just outside the right hand upright.

The sides were again back on level terms by the 40th minute, when Devon Ryan cancelled out a Dinny Crosse point. For the next ten minutes, it was all Eire Og as they upped their game and pressed home their advantage on the scoreboard. Aidan Griffin, who was unerring from placed balls, grew into the game and hit four minors in that period. Darragh Kelly hit his fourth from play, to put Eire Og five up, with ten minutes of normal time remaining.

Cashel came storming back, following a turnover from Oisin O’Donoghue around midfield. He fed Eoghan Connolly, whose powerful running split the defence before setting up Devon Ryan and the corner forward gave Darragh Mooney no chance from close range.

Aidan Griffin pushed Eire Og’s advantage out to three as the clock headed towards the sixty minutes, and it looked as if Eire Og might hold out, but Ger Browne, who had been introduced in the 48th minute, coming back from an arm injury, got in behind the defence and latched on to a high ball, before crashing past Mooney to tie the game once more.

Aidan Griffin put over his tenth point, but Anthony Walsh closed out the scoring, two minutes into added time, to ensure a share of the spoils.

Eire Og topped the group and will advance directly to the quarter finals, while Cashel, by virtue of their West Championship victory back in July, will contest the preliminary quarter final.

Player of the Match: Tom Fox (Eire Og Annacarty).

Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill: Darragh Mooney (0-1f, 7), Paul Devlin (7), David Fox (6), Mixie Bradshaw (6); Paudie Bradshaw (0-1, 7), Brian Fox (8), Paul Downey (6), Seanie Ryan (0-1, 6), Tom Fox (0-4, 9), Donal O’Dwyer (0-1, 7), Conor O’Brien (7), Connie Bradshaw (6), Aidan Griffin (0-10, 8f, 7), Dinny Crosse (0-3, 8), Darragh Kelly (0-4, 8).

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne (8); Conn Bonner (6), Nathan Ryan (6), Kieran O’Dwyer (6); James Cummins (7), Conor O’Dwyer (7), Anthony Walsh (0-1, 7); Ross Bonner (0-3, 8), Ronan Connolly (7), Dan Moloney (0-1, 6), Eoghan Connolly (0-4, 2f, 7), Oisin O’Donoghue (0-2, 7), Davy McGrath (1-1, 7), Johnny Walsh (6), Devon Ryan (1-4, 0-4f, 6).

Sub: Ger Browne (1-0, 7) for J Walsh (48).

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers).