GAA Notes 11th August 2014

Post date: Aug 18, 2014 2:29:49 PM

Sponsored by McGrath's Pharmacy Tallow

Senior Hurling Championship

Tallow 1-13 Ballyduff 0-15

We battled and rode our luck at times through this one and put up a heroic rearguard action in the last ten minutes to gain a crucial victory in group 2 of the senior championship. Again huge credit must go to manager Terence McSweeney for his work and leadership over the last six months given the impact that emigration and injury has had on this team. While we lost our first two games we showed heart in both and this was a game we felt we could target and so it came to pass. The challenges are coming thick and fast and with an unbeaten Ballygunner team up next there is no time for self-congratulation as the Gunners will be a step up in standard.

Ballyduff had the breeze in the first half and wasted no time in getting settled by taking a three points to no score lead after seven minutes. We kept on terms for the rest of the half cutting the gap to two, 0-6 to 0-4 after twenty two minutes. Right before halftime Evan Sheehan,a man we were glad to see back after a horrific injury over sixteen months ago, delivered a cracker of a goal off the ground that sailed over the Ballyduff keeper's head to give us a one point lead at halftime 1-5 to 0-7.

We kept up the workrate in the third quarter to extend our lead to two 1-9 to 0-10 on forty five minutes but Ballyduff upped their game to draw level with ten minutes to go. In a frantic last ten minutes we got our nose in front again and just about managed to keep it there, Paul O Brien's heroic last minute block keeping our one point advantage intact at the final whistle.

This was a victory forged in defence with Sully and the full back line not for turning on any occasion. In front of them Kieran Geary, after a tough opening quarter, grew superbly into centre back where he was ably flanked by the ageless James Murray and young Rob Beecher. Paul O Brien got through his usual quota of work at midfield while Rob O Sullivan was his usual accurate self. Our forwards worked hard against a strong and forceful Ballyduff defence and Shane Feeney and Bob chipped in with some crucial and spectacular scores.

Our next stop on the West Clare railway-turned-runaway train that is the senior championship is next Sunday 17th August at 6pm in Dungarvan against Ballygunner.

Tallow: S O Sullivan, K Kearney, D O Brien, M O Brien, J Beecher, K Geary, J Murray, P O Brien, R O Sullivan, B McCarthy, M Curley, S Feeney, J Beecher, T Ryan, E Sheehan.

Commiserations

Commiserations to Jordan Henley and Colm Roche on the minor hurlers defeat at Croke Park on Sunday. While we operated at second best for much of the game we showed our doughtiness in the last quarter of normal time and with a bit of luck could have sneaked a victory. In the senior game Kilkenny showed us all how to dig out a win and after all the talk of a new hurling order and five different gameplans we reach the middle of August with just Cork, Tipp and the Cats left.

Congratulations

To the hardiest of all fullbacks David O Brien and Karen Mason we congratulate them on the birth of a bouncing baby boy. No doubt a caman and a guitar will be pressed into the young man's hand at the earliest opportunity and if lineage is any indication of future greatness it won't be long before he's in the blue and gold and the blue and white. His father and his grandfather hurled for Waterford so there's no pressure on the lad. He'll have an uncle to teach him how to hurl and another one to teach him how to look good. To Dave, Karen and both families we wish them a happy and healthy future.