Hurling Championship

[theman]

Carrig/Riverstown v St.Rynaghs IHC game fixed for Saturday in Kinnitty has been moved to this evening and will throw in at 7:30pm in Lusmagh.

Fair play to the management of the St Rynaghs team for agreeing to play the game on a date which was suitable to Carrig & Riverstown unlike Shamrocks Intermediate football team who took the game against Clonbullogue and Wheery (Ferbane, Belmont, Birr) who took the Under 21 football game against Shannonbridge.

I don't mean to hijack the hurling thread but as a clonbullogue man I don't think you can fully blame shamrocks. County board had agreed to keep the 20th May free for us a month in advance as we had requested. When the fixtures were released we asked shamrocks to change but they said they couldn't play it any other day that weekend and that Sunday was the only day they could. They agreed to play the game at a later time that Sunday but it was unfair to ask family's to leave communion celebrations. County board were in no way helpfull and I think their main objective is to turn young players away from the game. Shamrocks could of been helpfull and if clonbullogue were in there shoes I don't think we would have been proud of taking 2 points when we never earned them. Anyway personally speaking I don't think shamrocks are going to trouble many teams this year.

Back to the hurling. What are everyone's predictions for the weekend? Does anyone think drumcullen is a standout bet to beat belmont. They ran birr very close and although Belmont beat tullamore with a few starters missing as far as I know drumcullen have never lost to Belmont in senior championship (I could be wrong).

[Clint]

St Rynaghs 1-12 Birr 0-12. Any updates on this game lads? Interesting result.

[joe bloggs]

St Rynaghs 1-12 Birr 0-12. Any updates on this game lads? Interesting result.

a poor enough game overall.
Birr opened an early lead with the wind but a Diarmuid Horan goal mid way into the half brought Rynaghs into it.
Then the game turned after a couple of players were booked, the ball was thrown in. As players contested the ball it went over the line, but as the ball went dead the ref spotted Simon Whelahan hitting one of the rynaghs lads off the ball and gave him a straight red. A minute later there were a few more bookings but rynaghs finished the half stronger to lead by 3 points.
Having the extra man and the wind one would have expected rynaghs to push on in the second half but a combination of birr digging in and some poor shooting from rynaghs kept birr in the game right to the end when they got a great chance to snatch a draw

[Clint]

Thanks Joe,was Diarmuid Horan in the forwards again?Is Mick Verney back for Birr?Any one else play well?

[joe bloggs]

Thanks Joe,was Diarmuid Horan in the forwards again?Is Mick Verney back for Birr?Any one else play well?

Horan played at full forward for most of the game.
No sign of verney. They look like they need him and they also have a big Gary Hanniffy sized hole in their forward line.
I thought Stephen Wynne had a very good game at full back for Rynaghs, while as usual Rory Hannify was solid for Birr at centre back

[Plain of the Herbs]

Coolderry beat Clareen 2-12 to 1-7 in a drab game in Shinrone. Damien Murray scored a goal after about 10 seconds. Eoin Ryan added another midway through the first half.

It boiled over midway through the second half (that was coming too, and everyone saw it coming except Martin Kirwan). Kevin Brady was sent off on a straight red for a wild pull under a dropping ball. Dermot Mooney (who was Clareen's only good performer) was sent off late in the game, again on a straight red. He'll be a massive loss against Brosna Gaels. A fiar degree of 'chawing' on the hill as well.

Coolderry were sharper, quicker. Clareen were decent at gaining possession. Being creative wasn't a priority and most of the time they just hit the ball as far as they could. There was no handpassing, no stickpassing, no playing the ball into spaces. Just drive the ball in a straight line.

Lusmagh beat Ballyskenagh 0-25 to 0-9 in the intermediate Championship. See report here http://lusmagh.com/lusmagh-0-25-ballyskenagh-0-9/

[townman]

its hard to see Coolderry been stopped for there 3-in-a-row drive , Birr beaten by Rynaghs have it all to do now with Shinrone looking very good in this group
its all still to play for but Coolderry still look the team to beat.

another red card for Kevin Brady he will never learn

[Plain of the Herbs]

A case of new style versus new style at Banagher today, and new style won out. Drumcullen couldn’t cope with Belmont’s ball-control, movement, support play and striking.

It says it all that goalkeeper Damien Spain was Drumcullen’s first scorer, that that was after around 20 minutes and that was when they were hurling with the wind.

Belmont, with all the tourists back on board wasted no time. Colin Egan scored an early goal, Paul Egan added another soon after and Belmont had about 2-7 clocked up before Drumcullen got off the mark. Drumcullen couldn’t cope with David Cox’s movement from full-forward and Belmont led 2-9 to 0-2 at half-time. Alan Egan added a third goal. Niall O’Leary scored Drumcullen’s only goal.

Drumcullen will legitimately complain that Belmont’s second goal was scored after the ball was threw up and caught and that Tomás Bennett’s late point was wide (it was too) and the scoreboard awarded Belmont a ‘phantom point (purely academic). It can’t hide the fact that they are a long, long way off the middle-ranking Senior teams.

Scorers: Belmont: Alan Egan 1-2, Colin Egan 1-1, PAul Egan 1-1, Mark Egan 0-4 (3f), Leon Fox 0-3 frees, Damien Egan 0-2 (1 pen), David Cox 0-2, Shane Nally 0-1, Tomás Bennett 0-1.
Drumcullen: Niall O’Leary 1-0, Conor Gath 0-2 (1f), Damien Spain (free), Ray Gath, John Cashin 0-1 each.

[Plain of the Herbs]

There’s a bit of steel about Shinrone this year that hasn’t been seen before. They could have folded after being denied the services of leaders Daniel Hoctor (abroad) and Derek Morkan (broken thumb) but they got stuck in and refused to cave in after they went behind late in the game.

Dónal Morkan got them off the mark with an early goal in in what was an intense struggle. The younger morkan made some fine catches early on as did Seán Cleary.

Backed by the wind, Tullamore came into it and led by a point at half time, 0-9 to 1-5. Unfirtunately the game’s biggest talking point was the performance (or non-performance) of both linesmen, neither of whom seemed to know what they were there for. One Michael Cordial point seemed to be over the sideline, everybody stopped, the linesman didn’t flag, the referee didn’t blow and cordial saw the opportunity and sliced the ball between the posts. Crazy stuff.

Shinrone had withdrawn an attacker in the first half and Tullamore did likewise in the second. That allowed Shinrone to have Denis Coonan mark Shane Dooley with Colin O’Meara staying close by. The two lads carried out their job to perfection, and Tullamore’s only second half scores were four Dooley frees.

Tullamore led by a point as the clock ticked towards 60. Mark Morkan, who hurled well, pointed from distance for the equaliser. Late in the first half Dónal Morkan was forced off with a shoulder injury. He recovered sufficiently to be re-introduced during the second half. In stoppage time Shinrone were awarded two long frees which Dónal Morkan pointed.

With their third win, Shinrone qualify for the quarter-final. Tullamore need to beat both Birr and Drumcullen if they are to save their season.

Scorers: Shinrone: Dónal Morkan 1-5 (0-3f), Michael Cordial 0-4, Mark Morkan 0-1, Seán Cleary 0-1, Eddie Bevans 0-1.
Tullamore: Shane Dooley 0-8 (0-5 frees, 0-1 ’65), Declan Hogan 0-2, Shane Kelly, Mark Conlon, Ger Treacy (lineball), 0-1 each.

[timber]

Would have to say that unfair blame been labelled on Shamrocks by theman. They offered to play the game at a time that day that suited Clonbullogue. Its not their fault. You have to remember they are a dual club and fixtures are a big problem for them and all dual clubs like Brosna gaels, Belmont, Tullamore. Its very easy to try pin the blame on them when in fact from what I have heard they were very helpfull and contacted Clonbullogue a number of times to try facilitate them on the day. They are the one party totally not at fault.

Back to the hurling, Yes Belmont were very good at the weekend. Really hurled well as a team with the Egan's on fire. I would like to see them push on as a team. They have some very good performances and then some below par ones. That could be due to dual commitments which are very hard on players with little time between codes fixtures.

Coolderry Clareen was a right battle. Coolderry had the classier players to pull through but Clareen were well up for the game. No love lost it would be very fair to say. And some very heated words between spectators. Coolderry have to be favourites for the championship still.

Good win for Shinrone with the absentees. Cordial hurled quiet well and showed some of the form we have been use to. Tullamore are struggling and look very average. I dont know if its the dual thing but Tullamore seem to hurl alot better when the football is finished for them. Shinrone have come on alot and are making gains every year. Some nice young hurlers coming through. Reaping the rewards of good underage teams that have been strong in the recent years.

[townman]

was talking to a man from Clonbullogue who is a sales rep, and he was telling me the whole problem was that Clonbullogue went to Pat Teehan first over Tommy Byrnes head
who is the man for the fixtures, so Bryne stuck his heels in over it, and done everything he could to get Shamrocks the game.

he said the club were wrong going to Teehan and should have went to Tommy Byrne first.

[theman]

Clonbullogue went to Tommy Byrne first, like they always do when they have a request for a fixture change. He said that that date would be kept free and we would be playing either the friday evening or saturday. I know Shamrocks are a dual club but that doesnt give them the right to not help facilitate us. Why couldnt they play the saturday? 24 Hours wasnt gonna do any harm to the players? Anyway we shouldnt be talking about clonbullogue on a hurling forum

[Plain of the Herbs]

Clara's win over Ballinamere in the IHC must rank as a mild surprise, although in fairness Ballinamere don't possess a scoring forward. What went on there?

[joe bloggs]

Clara's win over Ballinamere in the IHC must rank as a mild surprise, although in fairness Ballinamere don't possess a scoring forward. What went on there?

POTH why don't you set up a dedicated intermediate hurlin thread to keep us all up to date on how lusmagh and the rest of the teams playing intermediate are getting on:-)

[shannonbanks14]

Should be interesting run in from here in, Coolderry the team to beat but they havent been tested yet.hard to look past the same four as last year for the semis when it all comes down to it, who knows after that.