After the champagne hurling of the previous week in Croke Park it was back to a more basic homebrew menu last weekend. Divisional final Sunday threw up four very tight contests but ultimately there were no shocks.
The Mid division clash of Sarsfields and Loughmore was probably the highlight fixture and it certainly produced an intriguing contest at Drombane – and one with a controversial ending. Sarsfields weathered an early storm to prevail but Loughmore will have many regrets as their hurling season comes to an early end – not good news for their football rivals.
Being champions as recently as 2013, Loughmore were seen as a side with the potential to upset Sarsfields’ supremacy. Besides their absolute need for a Mid win in order to stay in the county race was an added spur, one which was sure to bring the very best from the challengers.
And it did. The first half in particular saw Loughmore set the terms of engagement. In the jargon of the trade they were really ‘up’ for this one playing from the front and getting into Sarsfields’ faces at every opportunity. The sight of Noel McGrath having an off-the-ball slap at Ronan Maher showed that this was serious stuff where other allegiances were to be put aside for the hour.
It was very much a McGrath led Loughmore in that opening spell with both John and Noel particularly prominent. From play and frees John was the lead scorer. His goal midway through the opening half was a substantial lodgment in their interval account that showed a surplus of five on a sluggish-looking Sarsfields.
The ‘Blues’ were getting little traction in attack and were probably fortunate not to spill another goal or two with goalie, Paddy McCormack, making one particularly agile save. There were sharp words then, I would assume, in the Sarsfields’ dressing room at half time and they certainly re-emerged in an altered mood.
The champions reeled off five unanswered points on the restart to tie the game before a Pa Bourke free gave them the lead approaching midway through the second half. It was now Loughmore’s turn to struggle for possession as Paudie Maher and company took a hold in defence and Pa Bourke, Aidan McCormack and Denis Maher began to impact in attack.
Sarsfields eventually went three-up before a fine Liam Treacy goal for Loughmore halted the trend. In a see-saw second half Loughmore now hit the front once again with a pair of John McGrath frees. It was thrilling and fluctuating.
Back came Sarsfields, rather fortunately this time when a long delivery from wing back, David Kennedy, bounced all the way to the net with Lar Corbett offering some distraction to both goalie and defence. Sarsfields were one-up and that quickly tripled with flags from Aidan McCormack and Denis Maher as we entered the final five dramatic minutes.
A John McGrath free cut the leeway and then Liam McGrath had it back to the minimum as Loughmore stormed back once again. Ultimately their late rally was halted by the final whistle, a very premature whistle in the view of most with at least two or three minutes of lost time anticipated.
It’s a pity it ended controversially. Loughmore certainly had a legitimate grievance and there was every possibility they’d have got a leveler, at least, if play continued for a few more minutes. In a broader sense they’ll surely regret early season form when they ended bottom of their county group, a loss to Lorrha in particularly proving very costly. Incidentally Eire Og’s win in the West has brought Lorrha back into the county race.
For Sarsfields it’s another obstacle to their title-defence removed. Their success also means that Upperchurch now re-enter the county series, something that was doubly secured by Kildangan’s triumph in the North.
Earlier in the day in the West there was great entertainment too as Kickhams sought to upset the odds by unseating Eire Og Annacarty who were chasing a three-in-a-row. It didn’t quite happen for the Dundrum club but they certainly made a brave effort, one that fell short by the minimum. The quality of the hurling may not have matched what we saw in Drombane but it was certainly a lively contest between these neighbours. Eire Og had the strong wind in their backs for the first half and there was certainly a risk that they’d get too far away from Kickhams and prove uncatchable on the turn-over.
It didn’t happen for two reasons. Firstly some heroics by Kickhams’ goalie, Paddy Ryan, and his defence prevented a major breach. Then on the stroke of half time Kickhams worked their first goal; a great fetch by Nigel Hayes was laid off to Davy Butler who slotted home from close range. What might have been a significant interval lead instead was a mere three points.
It got even better for Kickhams immediately on resuming. Brendan Ryan was adjudged to have been fouled and Eoin Carew planted the penalty into the left corner and just beyond the reach of the diving, Darragh Mooney. A Davy Butler free soon had Kickhams one-up and then Paul O’Dwyer made it two.
With the wind at their backs Kickhams looked well set to drive on from there but they could never quite lay claim to the cup. Into the wind Eire Og had that bit more craft in attack. Kevin Fox drove three critical points, the O’Briens and Seanie Ryan adding the others. By contrast Kickhams squandered some vital chances and ultimately that made the difference in a very tight contest.
There’s no denying the progress Kickhams have made this year. From potential relegation at the start of the season they came within a puck of a West title. The role of Clare man, Tommy Guilfoyle, has obviously been important. The energy and spirit of the team throughout the year has been commendable. They’re short in attack but overall you have to admire their development this year – especially when you claim kinship!
For Eire Og it was a hard-won title but one they fully deserved. Conor O’Brien at centre forward was critical to the success, hitting five points from play. All of the Fox clan pitched in well too and I thought Dinny Crosse won a lot of possession. They had that mix of stand-out individuals which Kickhams lacked. After three West wins it will be important that they make a statement now in the county series.
Meanwhile the fall-out from the All Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway continues to reverberate throughout the county. By now the game has been analysed and dissected to death so you risk boring readers by continuing to dwell on the details.
Nonetheless I thought some of the statistical information printed during the past week was informative, especially since it reinforces one’s perception that we were simply out-worked in this game by Galway. Being beaten by a better hurling team is one thing; losing because you didn’t work hard enough is quite another.
Galway’s hook/block/tackle rate was far superior to Tipperary’s and it’s particularly troubling to realise that Galway’s turn-over rate of our possession was double that of Tipperary’s – nine versus eighteen. Worse still, ten of those eighteen turnovers led directly to Galway scores.
Surprisingly we had more possession than Galway and won more puck-outs than they did; however on the breakdown of play they simply out-worked and out-muscled us. That’s particularly annoying. There are some things you can’t control, such as dodgy refereeing, but not working hard enough is inexcusable and ultimately that’s why we’re not preparing for another All Ireland final.
It was interesting to read the comments by John O’Donoghue on the defeat. He’s usually a cautious commentator, not one for rash, headline-seeking rants. Yet you could sense his bitter disappointment with this result and it’s difficult to argue with his assertion that the present panel lacks the mental fortitude to win an All Ireland. I was thinking of it during the football semi-final at the weekend. Just look at how Kerry gritted their teeth in the final phase of that game to really ‘nail’ the issue when it mattered most. We can’t do that. O’Donoghue also said that we need two ‘physical’ forwards and two midfielders. Hard to argue with that either.
Finally, this column has sadly lost a keen follower. I last met Myles Ryan (Miley) some weeks ago in Cashel. The following day he passed away suddenly at the age of fifty-eight. He was a gentle, inoffensive soul who just loved meeting people and talking hurling. He’d have relished last Sunday’s win by his native Eire Og. We share in the sadness of his brother, Tom, and the extended Ryan family. May he rest in peace.
By Jonathan Cullen Thu 27th Aug
