Tipp and Tom's Finish All Square

Fr. Tom Burke’s 0-20 Tipperary 0-20

Conditions were not ideal when Tipp and Tom’s met in the senior hurling championship with skies darkening and a thunderstorm threatening.  Thankfully the storm remained in the distance, and the game itself never rose to stormy levels, but there were some well taken scores in an entertaining 60 minutes of hurling.  A draw was a fair result in the end as Kevin O’Loughlin put the 40^th score of the game over with a free.

Fr Tom's Paul McGrath handpasses
out of Defence.

It was a tidy first half of hurling, and particularly tidy from Fr. Tom’s.  Eanna Murphy in midfield kept the ball moving into the forward line, but it was the pinpoint free-taking of David Mahoney who accounted for seven of Tom’s first half points that kept their noses ahead.  The double threat of Kevin O’Loughlin and Brian Hartnett was neutralized by the close marking of Nial Muineachan and Donal Moore.  Early in the half Tom’s keeper Fergal Hynes made a cool save from Brian Hartnett.  Both teams hurled well, but Tipp were guilty of conceding too many frees and paid the penalty.  Kevin O’Loughlin was the free taker for Tipp and accounted for more than half of his side’s tally.  At the end of a high scoring first half Tom’s led by 0-12 to 0-10.

Tipp's Brian Cleary and Tom Corcoran for Tom's.

The second half continued to be tit for tat as neither side managed to impose themselves on the game.  Tom’s threatened to do so on a couple of occasions but could never inch more than a point or two ahead.  Tipp had brought the team back on level terms within 5 minutes of the restart.  O’Loughlin and Jamie Dwyer accounted for Tipp’s early scores.  The score of the game,however, came from Shane Howley who brought the teams level at 0-17 each with 10 minutes to play.  The teams were happy to take their points, though had either side gone for it a goal would have been the winning of the game.  It was a fitting end when O’Loughlin’s free made it twenty points each.  Should Wexford win next week it will be the model county at the top of the table.

Referee:  Jason Long (Co. Cork)

Man of the Match:  Eanna Murphy (Fr. Tom’s)

Tom’s:  F. Hynes, N. Muineachan, D. Moore, E. Cummins, S. Higgins, C. Horan, P. McGrath, E. Murphy, S. Howley, T. Corcoran, D. Mahoney, C. Moore, F. McDonagh.  Tipp:  S. Delaney, B. O’Carroll, J. Kindregan, J. Doughan, A. Hannigan, B. Cleary, C. Dempsey, A. Callinan, S. McGrath, J. Dwyer, P. Haughey, K. O’Loughlin, B. Hartnett.

By Rory O'Donnell