Tipperary SHC: McGraths on goal trail as Loughmore advance
By Michael Dundon for the Irish Examiner newspaper
Loughmore-Castleiney 4-24 Moycarkey-Borris 1-16
Drom-Inch and Loughmore-Castleiney progressed to the Mid Tipp SHC final with comfortable wins over Holycross-Ballycahill and Moycarkey-Borris at Boherlahan. Noel McGrath’s goal after 12 minutes gave Loughmore-Castleiney a half-time lead of 1-10 to 0-10 against Moycarkey-Borris after a close first half but the third quarter saw a completely different picture emerge as Loughmore hit their rivals with goals by John, Noel and Liam McGrath to go 4-19 to 0-13 clear.
Moycarkey stuck with it and were rewarded with a Kieran Morris goal from a 20-metre free after 56 minutes, but it was no more than a consolation, as Loughmore won by 4-24 to 1-16. John, Noel, and Liam McGrath, John Meagher and Liam Treacy were the key men for Loughmore. Goalkeeper Bill McCormack had a starring role for Moycarkey with Pat Molloy, Kieran Morris, Rory Ryan and Pat Ralph impressive.
Drom & Inch 4-15 Holycross-Ballycahill 1-17
Drom-Inch were 4-15 to 1-17 winners over Holycross-Ballycahill, a scoreline that does an injustice to a battling Holycross side who got an ideal start with a Donnacha Duggan goal after three minutes. Shane Hassett netted for Drom after 18 minutes and the winners led 1-9 to 1-7 at half-time. Drom had goals by Kevin Butler and Seamus Callanan in two minutes, 10 minutes into the second half. Holycross hit six unanswered points to cut the lead to three points after 52 minutes, but in a three-minute spell, Drom had a Paul Kennedy goal and points from Callanan and David Butler to put them firmly in control to the end.
James Woodlock at centre-back was Drom’s top performer with Kevin Hassett, Tommy Nolan, and David Collins also prominent. Cathal Barrett, Jamie Woods, and Liam Dwan were Holycross’ best.
Mullinahone 0-17 Ballingarry 1-12
Favourites Mullinahone, the holders, and Killenaule are through to the South senior hurling final following two keen contests at Monroe. Fourteen-man Mullinahone struck two late points for a narrow 0-17 to 1-12 win over Ballingarry after the sides had been locked together most of the way. Ballingarry got the ideal start with an Ian Ivers goal after two minutes, but with Seán Curran leading the way, Mullinahone got moving and were level 0-9 to 1-6 at the break.
Mullinahone’s Eoin Kelly did not appear for the second half following an injury just before the break, and they suffered a further setback when they had Niall Curran red-carded near the finish. However, they kept with their rivals all the way and in the dying seconds Seán Curran pointed and Paul Kelly, who had come on as a sub, added another point for a thrilling two-point win.
Paul Curran, Mullinahone’s player-manager, his brother Seán, and Paul Kelly were key men in the Mullinahone win, while for Ballingarry, Ian Ivers and Dylan Walshe stood out.
Killenaule 2-19 Carrick Swan 1-18
Two goals in the opening 13 minutes were decisive as Killenaule saw off the challenge of Carrick Swans. Billy Barrett got the first after three minutes and John “Bubbles” O’Dwyer added the second from a free as Killenaule went on to forge an interval lead of 2-10 to 0-10. Swans kept up the pursuit in the second half but Killenaule, with Declan Fanning masterful at full-back, maintained their advantage throughout.
Eight minutes from time, Danny O Hanlon, Swans’ scorer-in-chief, banged home a 20-metre free to narrow the gap to three points but Killenaule, for whom Niall O’Dwyer was the leading figure, had enough in hand to get across the line.
Dual player Stephen Hahessy had a huge game for Swans, and Bubbles O’Dwyer’s accuracy was important for Killenaule.
