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GAA
Dungarvan Observer | Friday, 6 July, 2018
Duggan saves Dungarvan JJ Kavanagh and Sons County Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 Dungarvan's Cormac Curran in action with De La Salle's Michael Doherty during the J. J. Kavanagh & Sons Waterford senior hurling match in Walsh Park. [Sean Byrne//Deise Sport
De La Salle …………………1-10; Dungarvan …………………0-13. IN roasting conditions in Walsh Park last Friday evening, two top class saves by Dungarvan goalie Darren Duggan, one in each half, helped in no small way for his side to gain a draw with City giants DLS in what was a relatively low scoring senior hurling championship encounter. At the same time DLS will be the happier of the two teams as they remain unbeaten and they are the ones from this group to qualify for the championship quarter finals. No team is out of contention yet in this new style system as Dungarvan still have the opportunity to progress while they could also be dragged into a relegation battle. An attendance of 838 shunned the seaside to watch this game and after Eddie Meaney and Kevin Moran had produced minor scores from play for DLS, Dungarvan settled down and after 11 minutes they led by 0-5 to 0-2. The game’s top scorer Cormac Curran opened their account in the 3rd minute and further points by Cathal Curran, Cormac Curran (f) and a brace from play in quick succession by Gavin Crotty gave Dungarvan the initiative. Starting at wing back, DLS’s Shane Ryan pointed his team’s first
score in six minutes and immediately Eddie Meaney caught the Blues’ defence napping when he received a quick line ball and claimed the only goal of the hour with a dipping effort from a distance, 1-3 to 0-5. Adam Farrell added a white flag and with a quarter of the game played, Eoin Dunphy’s charges were back in command at 1-4 to 0-5. WATER BREAK The directive from on high last weekend that water breaks be utilised every fifteen minutes was welcomed by the players and it was Dungarvan who received the benefits of the H2O first with two of their best players Kieran Power and John Curran levelling the match for the third occasion at 1-4 to 0-7 with 25 minutes on the clock. Eddie Meaney edged DLS back in front on 26 minutes when a goal was also very much on. Kevin Moran pointed a free in the 28th minute and Kieran Power kept his team in touch with his second point and the final one of the first half, 1-6 to 0-8 in favour of the favourites. On the call of normal time in the first half, Adam Farrell was upended and Kevin Moran’s penalty was well stopped by Blues keeper Darren Duggan, a vital save at this stage of the game. In the scorching conditions the
standard of play deteriorated in the second half with six of the nine scores coming from placed balls. Four minutes in Darren Duggan made his second save at another crucial stage before Kevin Moran (f) stretched DLS’s lead to 0-2. A needless altercation by those involved resulted in red cards being distributed to Dungarvan’s Darragh Lyons and Eoin Madigan of DLS and this left an edge to proceedings both on and off the field for the remainder of the game. Shane Ryan’s pointed free in the 43rd minute left a clear goal between the teams and one would have expected last year’s County finalists to drive on from there. However, Dungarvan were turning in one of their best performances in the past three years and their play produced two frees which Cormac Curran converted to leave just 0-1 the difference at 1-8 to 0-10. Adam Farrell scored his second point for DLS in the 50th minute before Cathal Curran brought a great save out of Shaun O’Brien at the expense of a ‘65’ which Cormac Curran pointed, 1-9 to 0-11. DLS increased their lead for the final time in the 53rd minute with their last score of the match from Paidi Nevin but it was Dungarvan who finished the hour the stronger and not only did they draw the match but they had good oppor-
tunities to win it. Top scorer Cormac Curran levelled matters from play in the 54th minute before he and Gavin Crotty shot wides inside four minutes. The Blues deserved equaliser came in the final minute of normal time after Jack Lacey was fouled in possession when Cormac Curran struck his seventh score. Dungarvan’s Top Three: Darren Duggan, Cormac Curran, Kieran Power. DLS’s Top Three: Eddie Meaney, Shane McNulty, Shane Ryan. Observer’s Man of the Match: Darren Duggan. Number of Scorers: Dungarvan 5. DLS 5. Scores From Play: Dungarvan 0-7. DLS 1-7. Frees For: Dungarvan 6. DLS 5. Wides: Dungarvan 10. DLS 14. Score of the Math: Eddie Meaney’s 14th minute goal for DLS. Scorers – Dungarvan: Cormac Curran 0-7 (4f, 1’65’), Gavin Crotty and Kieran Power 0-2 each, John Curran and Cathal Curran each DLS: Eddie Meaney 1-2, Kevin Moran 0-3 (2f), Adam Farrell 0-2, Shane Ryan 0-2 (1f), Paidi Nevin 0-1. Dungarvan: Darren Duggan;
John Curran, Kevin Daly, Jack Lacey; Jamie Nagle, Kieran Power, Kenny Moore; Cathal Curran, Conor Sheridan; Joe Allen, Colm Curran, Gavin Crotty; Cormac Curran, Darragh Lyons, Mike Kiely. Subs: Aaron Donnolly for Nagle (inj.52), Kealan Daly for Mike Kiely (55). DLS: Shaun O’Brien; Tom
Moran, Kenneth Byrne, Michael Doherty; Shane McNulty, Jake Dillon, Shane Ryan; Eddie Barrett, Paidi Nevin; Kevin Moran, Adam Farrell, Cormac McCann; Eddie Meaney, Dean Twomey, Eoin Madigan. Subs: Thomas Douglas for Dean Twomey (54). Referee: Noel Kelly (Erin’s Own).
Dungarvan's Kenny Moore delivers the sliotar into his forward line ahead of DLS's Cormac McCann.
Lynch save sends Passage to quarter-finals Passage ……………………1-11; Roanmore ………………… 0-13. BOTH sides had it all to play for in Walsh Park on Sunday evening where a win for either could secure top spot in the Group and an automatic quarter final place, depending on the result of the other Group game in the Fraher Field. In the event we had a game that went right down to the wire with goalkeeper Eddie Lynch emerging as the Passage hero having brilliantly saved a Billy Nolan penalty in added time to preserve his side’s one point lead and send them into the quarter finals as Group winners based on their head to head win over Mount Sion. From the start, there was nothing spared by either side in the heat and on a rock hard surface as Passage had first call on a cooling breeze blowing into the Keanes Road end. A point by Dale Hayes directly from the throw-in gave Roanmore the perfect start but within two minutes Passage were
in front with points from Thomas Connors and Stephen Lynch. Roanmore drew level in the 5th minute with Dale Hayes setting up Emmet O’Toole for his first score but points from Owen Connors (2Fs) and Killian Fitzgerald had Passage three points clear after ten minutes. Fouls on Brian Nolan and Richard Hurley were punished with points from frees by Emmet O’Toole and Owen Connors respectively as Roanmore’s Brian Cooke was forced off with a hamstring injury to be replaced by David Barrett. By the 16th minute Roanmore were just a point behind after O’Toole sent over two more points from frees. Passage’s Sean Hogan was denied a goal by a brilliant Billy Nolan and strong Passage pressure came to nothing with Sean Treacy shooting badly wide in front of an open goal. Roanmore were forced into a second early substitution with fullback Shane Mackey being forced
off injured to be replaced by Stephen Grant and in the 23rd minute the sides were level for the third time with Billy Nolan sending over a free from the halfway line. An Owen Connors effort from a 20 metre free in front of the posts was deflected for a ‘65’ by Nolan, from which Connors put his side back into the lead. Emmet O’Toole levelled matters yet again from a free and after another free on the stand side was signalled wide the umpire was over-ruled by the referee on the intervention by the linesman and Roanmore were in front by 0-8 to 0-7 at the break. On the resumption it was Passage who hit the ground running with Thomas Connors putting Sean Treacy in for a goal inside a minute and from the puck out Liam Flynn returned the ball over the bar for a three point lead. Roanmore hit back with David Barrett sending over a great point from distance and Emmet O’Toole was denied a goal with Darragh
Lynch making a goal line block for a ‘65’ which O’Toole converted. ALL ACTION It was all action now as Killian Fitzgerald nudged Passage back into a two point lead in the 39th minute and it was end to end action without a score for the next ten minutes before Owen Connors, from a free, gave his side a three point lead again in the 50th minute. With five minutes remaining Roanmore had cut the Passage lead to the minimum with points from frees by Billy Nolan and Emmet O’Toole but an Owen Connors point from play kept Passage in control and after Connors shot wide from a close in free the game was still in the melting pot going into the closing minutes as David Barrett’s second point from outfield left just one between the teams. With the tension mounting and the game going into added time Roanmore sub Conor Ryan was through on goal but was grabbed
by Eddie Lynch for a clear penalty. Billy Nolan was summoned forward to take the shot and with Roanmore needing the win to have a chance of making the quarterfinals the odds were in favour of Nolan putting his side two points clear. With the goalkeepers squaring up to each other Nolan’s low drive was stopped by the diving Eddie Lynch at his left hand post and put out for a ‘65’. Roanmore declined the shot for a point and in an effort to manufacture a late goal went short. The move broke down and Passage held out to make it into the quarter finals. It was a dramatic climax to a very tight group with Roanmore and Mount Sion both making it into the second tier for the playoff draw. Scorers – Passage: Owen Connors 0-6 (4Fs,1’65’), Sean Treacy 1-0, Killian Fitzgerald 0-2, Thomas Connors, Stephen Lynch and Liam
Flynn 0-1 each. Roanmore: Emmet O’Toole 0-8 (6Fs,1’65’), Billy Nolan (2Fs) and David Barrett 0-2 each, Dale Hayes 0-1. Passage: Eddie Lynch, Darragh Lynch, Jason Roche, Jason Flood, Pa Walsh, Noel Connors, Adam Roche, Killian Fitzgerald, Stephen Lynch, Richard Hurley, Thomas Connors, Liam Flynn, Sean Hogan, Owen Connors, Sean Treacy. Subs: John Whitty for Hogan (48), Patrick Flynn for S. Lynch (60). Roanmore: Billy Nolan, Chris Dempsey, Shane Mackey, Charlie Chester, Colm Burke, Eamonn Power, Ray Connolly, Frank McGrath, Eoin Madigan, Brian Nolan, Gavin O’Brien, Dale Hayes, Brian Cooke, Emmet O’Toole, Daniel Murphy. Subs: David Barrett for Cooke (14), Stephen Grant for Mackey (20), Conor Ryan for Hayes (48), Harry White for O’Brien (BS.60). Referee: Alan Kissane (Dunhill).