Roll out the red carpet – Waterford’s All Star winners

John Galvin (1974 & 1982)

The Portlaw man became Waterford’s first All Star at midfield in 1974. That year the under 21s reached the All Ireland final and the seniors got the better of Cork in Munster. That selection also included names like Noel Skehan, Ger Loughnane and Eddie Keher. Eight years later, he was picked at corner back alongside Brian Cody and Pat Fleury.  

Mossie Walsh (1980)

The Ballyduff Upper midfielder was paired with Joachim Kelly from Offaly in his All Star season. In 1980, Waterford made it to the semi final of the National League and lost out to Clare in the Munster championship. Three members of the Walsh clan represented the county at senior level and they were also key figures when the club won county titles during the eighties.

Jim Greene (1982)

1982 ended on a positive note for Jim Greene after the county endured Munster final humiliation at the hands of Cork. The Mount Sion man picked up his All Star at corner forward. Before the Rebels ran riot, Waterford had progressed to the league semi finals and narrowly got the better of Limerick in the Munster semi final.

Tony Browne (1998, 2006 & 2007)

Stylish displays in the drawn Munster final and the All Ireland quarter final versus Galway (when he shot seven points) persuaded the selectors not only to award him with an All Star but also the hurler of the year prize. He also kept Waterford alive in that agonising one point loss to Kilkenny by hitting 1-3. As the years progressed, he successfully made the move to the half back line under Justin McCarthy and collected awards in consecutive years.

Fergal Hartley (2002)

His leadership and expert reading of the game from centre back drove Waterford on to glory at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Only Ken McGrath’s magic at the other end denied him the man of the match award on that occasion. He was picked on the wing for the 2002 selection alongside Peter Barry and Paul Kelly.

Eoin Kelly (2002 & 2008)

Kelly instantly caught the eye in his debut season. He came off his wing to score three points in the Munster final and he burst from the traps in the All Ireland semi final to fire four white flags. As leader of the attack six years later, he was a genuine contender for hurler of the year before the ship sank in September. He streaked ahead in the scoring charts with a staggering 7-43.

Ken McGrath (2002, 2004 & 2007)

Outstanding Munster campaigns in 2002 and 2004 made McGrath a cert for both seasons as the selectors managed to accommodate him at wing forward and midfield. He won awards in three different positions as he took the number six shirt in 2007 where he was flanked by Tommy Walsh and Tony Browne. Only intense competition for the centre back slot from the likes of Ronan Curran prevented him from winning more.

John Mullane (2003, 2009, 2010 & 2011)

A Munster final hat trick and a one man resistance mission against Wexford earned Mullane due recognition in 2003. He had to bite his lip after that in the All Star stakes and could count himself unlucky to miss out on the 2008 selection. The following season he lit up Munster and scored the winner against Galway. He was in hurler of year territory before Kilkenny shut him out. He pursued lost causes in the semi finals of 2010 and 2011 which again gave the selectors little option. With four awards (and possibly more to follow) he leads the way.

Dan Shanahan (2004, 2006 & 2007)

6-4 in three Munster championship games nailed down Dan’s first All Star by late June. More goals followed and an impressive 1-5 in the 2006 All Ireland quarter final win over Tipperary went a long way to securing a second award. He couldn’t stop scoring a year later. 8-12 in five games including a Munster final hat trick made him a runaway hurler of the year receipt.

Paul Flynn (2004)

An overdue All Star arrived at Flynn’s door in 2004. He was overlooked in 1998 when Brian Whelahan was pushed up to the full forward line. His much heralded 1-7 on Munster final day six years on put him right in the frame. Thirteen points in a flawless Croke Park outing against Kilkenny sealed the deal.

Eoin Murphy (2006)

Eoin Kelly dismantled the Déise defence in the Munster semi final but when they renewed acquaintances in Croke Park, Murphy shadowed the Mullinahone man all afternoon. Another tight man marking job on Joe Deane in the semi final secured the corner back spot.

Michael Walsh (2007, 2009 & 2010)

After a couple of seasons of musical chairs, the Brick settled down in the engine room and drove Waterford forward especially against a formidable Cork pairing. That outrageous catch in the quarter final will linger in the memory. In 2009, Davy Fitzgerald pushed him further back and he brought an air of calm to the centre back slot. Back to back All Stars came his way after keeping Cork at bay over two Munster finals.

Stephen Molumphy (2007)

Dan Shanahan always credits the man in the white helmet with his glut of goals in 2007. In his first full championship season at wing forward, Molumphy bloomed in the role of creator as he put scores on a plate for others. He also pitched with 2-5 of his own.

Noel Connors (2010)

The Passage man didn’t waste much time catching the attention of the All Star judges. In his debut season he earned a nomination before making the team a year later. He held Patrick Horgan scoreless in both Munster finals and also showed sharp defensive instincts to sweep the sliotar off the line in the replay.

The Nire advance as Dungarvan and An Rinn collect silverware

 

SFC semi final
The Nire 3-13 Clashmore 0-15
In a high scoring shoot out, The Nire packed a greater punch up front to progress to the final with a degree of comfort in the end. With Brian O’Halloran in flying form, Clashmore shaded a hectic first quarter by five points to four but The Nire found an extra gear for the remainder of the half. Shane Ryan, from the penalty spot, and Jamie Barron both rattled the net as they held a 2-6 to 0-7 cushion at the break. Thomas O’Gorman pounced for a rare goal early in the second period to give them a sufficient buffer to protect.

Minor hurling final
Dungarvan 2-21 St Carthages 4-13
An exhilarating minor decider was ultimately settled in injury time by late points from Patrick Curran and Ryan Donnelly after Stephen Bennett had levelled the tie with a goal. Forty scores were squeezed into sixty minutes of action but the Blues always looked the superior outfit. Eleven points off the stick of Cathal Curran gave wind assisted Dungarvan a 0-15 to 2-6 advantage at the break. St Carthages hung in there through goals from Adam Flynn and Stephen Bennett. With Bennett on song, they drew level mid way through the second half. Then in a frantic couple of minutes, Cathal Curran and Adam Flynn exchanged goals. Dungarvan moved three ahead with an Aaron Donnelly goal in the final minute of normal time before the injury time drama unfolded.

Intermediate hurling final

An Rinn 1-14 Portlaw 0-4
The Gaeltacht side returned to the senior ranks after a three year absence with a complete team display that overwhelmed Portlaw. They dominated in the half back line and at midfield and that laid the foundation for their first half masterclass. They led by 1-8 to 0-3 at the interval. Portlaw never emerged from the blocks and could only register one point from play all afternoon. Liam O’Lonain always offered an outlet at full forward and he contributed 1-2 in a man of the match display. Donie Breathnach also tormented the Portlaw defence and finished up with nine points to his credit. They were reduced to fourteen in the second half but the outcome was never in doubt.

One step away from the final – The Nire v Clashmore preview

20 October

The Nire v Clashmore (7.30 at Fraher Field)
The Nire are no strangers to the latter stages and they come up against the latest team to join the big three in the semi finals. Clashmore are back after a four year absence and their consistency from round one right through to the quarter finals gives them a shot at the decider. They have only lost one game in championship 2012.

The Nire lit up the group phase but they could only stumble over the line against Kilrossanty. They could yet pay a heavy price for the 140 minutes it took to shake off the challenge of John Kiely’s men. They will need to recover their form on Saturday night or else face elimination. Liam Lawlor knitted everything together last weekend while Shane Ryan also proved a handful in the corner and contributed 1-2. It will also take plenty of patience on the part of Clashmore to unlock a full back line containing Justin Walsh and the O’Gorman twins. Behind them stand goalkeeper Tom Wall, another player with inter county experience under his belt. On the minus side, a couple of injuries and niggles are staking up and Clashmore are a side brimming with pace and movement that will test any fitness issues.

Timmy O’Keeffe’s charges have moved steadily towards the semis after taking the scalp of Stradbally in round one. Clashmore’s six speedy forwards will seek to stretch the opposition rearguard. They all pose a scoring threat and two or three have always come up with the necessary scores in the championship to date. They are a well balanced side with no obvious weak spots. Their defence have only leaked three goals in six games.

The Nire hold the edge in terms of strength and experience and that should be sufficient after a couple of scares along the way. After earning promotion back to senior in 2010, Clashmore have made swift progress with some young talent on board like Tadhg Bourke and Paul O’Connor. They bring a different set of problems for The Nire to deal with but they can eventually come up with the solutions.

Odds: The Nire 2/5 Draw 7/1 Clashmore 5/2
Last meeting: 2008 – The Nire 0-13 Clashmore 0-10
Form guide: The Nire: WWWWWDW Clasmore: WWWWLW
Prediction: The Nire

De La Salle strike in the air and on the ground – De La Salle 1-21 Dungarvan 0-12

Once John Mullane sliced open the Dungarvan defence barely three minutes in, the writing was on the wall. He wasn’t going to settle for the edgy performances that had sufficed in the quarters and semis. Afterwards Mullane said: “We were hoping that we could hit them early and try to quieten the crowd because there was a big crowd from Dungarvan and thankfully that happened.” Jake Dillon finished with aplomb to the far corner and he had 1-3 to his name by the ninth minute. It quickly became men against boys. Dermot Dee would have pinned his hopes on a solid start but they played catch up hurling for the rest of the afternoon.

In fairness to the home side, they somehow managed to stay afloat and by the 20 minute mark they had pared the deficit down to a point. Shane Kearney and Kenny Moore swept up in the half back line and Cormac Curran dissected the posts with regularity from placed balls. They still needed the tonic of a goal and when Ryan Donnelly broke through one on one you could sense that the roof would come off the place if he could rattle the rigging. Stephen Brenner saved and when he smothered Eoin Healy’s effort a couple of minutes later, two golden opportunities had slipped through their fingers. De La Salle outscored them by seven points to one for the last ten minutes of the half. They made gains in all the areas that were well signposted before the throw in. Phelan, Moran and Madigan repelled anything Dungarvan threw at them and at midfield, Barrett and Twomey imposed themselves. Mullane roamed freely and produced his most effective club performance all season. Jack Kennedy’s aerial ability also caused problems at the edge of the square and he posted two points. They hunted in packs all over the field to disrupt Dungarvan’s short game. They also ruled the skies with some fantastic examples of high fielding from Moran, Phelan, Twomey, Nevin and Kennedy. Seven points clear by the interval with the wind at their backs in the second period, all the heavy lifting was completed.

Dungarvan made a couple of positional alterations but five De La Salle points on the bounce really silenced the strong home support amongst a healthy turnout of 5,500. The third of those from Eddie Barrett came as a result of some great vision from Dean Twomey who delivered an inch perfect pass to his unmarked midfield partner. The two men in the red and white helmets exerted almost total control in that area after Sean Ryan opened brightly. From there to the finish, the margin of victory was the only issue left to debate. Shane Kearney emerged with his reputation intact on the losing side and his consistency all season merits a county call-up this winter. Jamie Nagle and Gavin Crotty couldn’t get on enough to possession to offer the direction and leadership of previous matches. Nagle’s number of plays ended up in the low teens while Crotty only got motoring in the second half. Shane McNulty’s introduction spelled further danger for Dungarvan. The forward unit put together some dazzling combinations and a bit of overplay along with 12 wides (nine in the second half) prevented them from adding to their final total of 1-21. Nine different scorers contributed overall and 1-15 came from open play. Cormac Curran was another that didn’t shirk his responsibilities for the Blues but three points from play is a disappointing return on county final day with three forwards held scoreless.

So for the third year in succession, the county final finished up with a lop sided scoreline. It’s a steep learning curve for a young Dungarvan side that had contributed so much to an enjoyable championship. They needed many factors to fall in their favour including all of their big players to fire on all cylinders and unfortunately De La Salle never allowed that to happen. Derek McGrath made sure they brought their A game and even though Kevin Moran received the man of the match award, the likes of Dean Twomey, John Mullane and Jake Dillon weren’t far behind. Twomey made 15 plays (which was more than Moran), scored a point and played the final pass for two others. His shooting let him down slightly in the second half as he shot three wides. Dillon was on the fringes during their last foray into the Munster and All Ireland series but he is now a leader of that attack as a whopping 6-37 in eight matches proves. Their half back line and midfield gives them the platform for their success but their appetite for work all over the field was also evident on Sunday. Deep into injury time, John Mullane chased a lost cause into his own half. McGrath explained that they followed Brian Cody’s example in that regard. “We tried to take a leaf out of Kilkenny’s book in terms of the work rate of the forward line. That’s what we did and it paid off.” They will be a hard nut to crack and they have already been installed as favourites at 15/8 to collect a third Munster club crown.

On a side issue, the shenanigans before the throw in were frustrating for all in attendance. For starters, so many substitutes and officials should never have been allowed down on the sideline. When the parade was underway, a total of 59 people (33 from De La Salle and 26 from Dungarvan) between managers, selectors, substitutes, etc were lined up. Far too many people are permitted down the sideline but the situation should have been ironed out long before the players were lined up on the field.

County final stats

Wides
DLS: 12 Dun: 7

65s
DLS: 0 Dun: 2

Frees
DLS: 10 Dun: 11

Yellow cards
DLS: 1 Dun: 1

Subs used:
DLS: 5 Dun: 4

Accuracy from placed balls
DLS: Jake Dillon 4/5, Brian Phelan 2/2 Dun: Cormac Curran 9/11

Top scorers
DLS: Jake Dillon 1-5(4f) Dun: Cormac Curran 0-9 (7f, 2 65)

Top scorer from play
DLS: Jake Dillon 1-1 Dun: Sean Ryan, Colm Curran, Gavin Crotty 0-1 each

Reds return to familiar surroundings as champions tumble

Stradbally 2-12 Ballinacourty 0-12

Stradbally will contest their tenth final in twelve years next month after taking care of the county champions in an entertaining and surprisingly high scoring semi final. Their full forward combination of Robert Ahearne, Shane Ahearne and Niall Curran contributed all but one point of their 2-12 total. Their simple tactic of supplying quick ball to the two Ahearnes reaped dividends all afternoon and Stradbally also made the most of their scoring opportunities when presented with them. By contrast, Ballinacourty were left to reflect on what might have been after leaving three goals behind them in the opening half. The Reds edged that first thirty minutes by 0-6 to 0-5. On the turnover, Shane Ahearne’s goal gave them breathing space of five points but Gary Hurney kept Courty in contention. An outrageous curling point off his left reduced the arrears to the minimum on 52 minutes but that was as close as they came. Stradbally outscored them by 1-4 to 0-2 for the remainder with Niall Curran finishing to the net in the last minute of normal time.

Scorers:- Stradbally: N. Curran 1-6 (1f), S. Ahearne 1-3(1f), R. Ahearne 0-2, G. Power 0-1.
Ballinacourty: G. Hurney 0-8 (4f), S.Briggs, S. O’Hare, P. Hurney, M. Gorman 0-1 each.

The Nire 1-8 Kilrossanty 0-9
In a drab quarter final replay, Shane Ryan’s second half goal and the leadership shown by Liam Lawlor brought The Nire a step closer to the Conway Cup. Kilrossanty were reduced to fourteen men in first half stoppage time when Michael Kirwan received a second yellow. Three Brian Wall frees and a point apiece from Shane Ryan and Seamus Lawlor gave the Ballymacarbry outfit a 0-5 to 0-3 lead after a forgettable half of football. Paul Whyte’s unerring free taking from a variety of angles and distances dragged John Kiely’s men level at seven points each entering the final quarter. Then on 45 minutes, The Nire struck for the crucial score when Shane Ryan palmed to the net after Jamie Barron’s goal attempt was blocked. Brian Wall and Shane Walsh both came off injured but The Nire soldiered on and set up a semi final meeting with Clashmore.

Scorers:- The Nire: S. Ryan 1-2, B. Wall 0-2 (2f), S. Lawlor, M. O’Gorman, J. Barron, L. Lawlor 0-1 each.
Kilrossanty: P. Whyte 0-7 (7f), J. Veale, P. Keating 0-1 each.

Football starter before the main course

Not a bad way to start the weekend with a repeat of last year’s county final pairing followed by the replay of the best championship match of 2012. The future prospects of the big three will be raked over and by Saturday evening we should know one of the county finalists.

13 October
Stradbally v Ballinacourty (4.00 at Fraher Field) Semi final
This has all the makings of a goalless semi final defined by fine margins. Ballinacourty won by a point last year and Stradbally came out on top by the same slender gap in 2010. Stradbally took their time to get the wheels in motion but they are now beginning to steamroll teams in a familiar fashion. They almost kicked away the quarter final by amassing 21 wides until the introduction of a few experienced heads settled things down. Age is creeping up on them but they have made the semis for the fourteenth consecutive season. Robert Ahearne has been their best player to date and can perform to a high standard at either midfield or full forward. Niall Curran has also sprinkled some of the old magic in front of the posts. Slowly but surely Ballinacourty are rising to the challenge of defending their title. Alarm bells were ringing after decisive defeats to The Nire and Rathgormack but they have managed to pull themselves together and the win over An Rinn should bring them on. They must increase their application levels another notch to match the Reds. Last year’s win should instil the confidence and patience necessary to break down a dogged rearguard. Patrick Hurney has led the way up front all season and gradually other players are following his example. The battle around the middle may determine the outcome here. Michael Walsh, Robert Ahearne and John Coffey will probably all end up around that sector for Stradbally while Shane Briggs may help out Sean O’Hare for Ballinacourty like he did twelve months ago in the county final. If Courty can break even or better here, their superior attack can see them through this one.
Odds: Stradbally 5/4 Draw 13/2 Ballinacourty 5/6
Prediction: Ballinacourty

The Nire v Kilrossanty (5.30 at Fraher Field) Quarter final replay
The surprise element is now missing from Kilrossanty; The Nire now know what to expect. They also have an extra week of recovery after exiting the hurling championship. If Liam Lawlor went for the jugular instead of fisting over the bar at a crucial juncture, The Nire would be eyeing up Clashmore already. The full forward made hay up to that point and even when he doesn’t score himself, he lays on the killer pass for others. Their attack has been firing hefty totals all season and they will feel that something like 1-11 or 1-12 should be sufficient here. After suffering back to back defeats against An Rinn and Stradbally, Kilrossanty have started to gather momentum. With Tommy Prendergast excelling at midfield alongside scorer in chief Paul Whyte, they have grown in stature. Joey Veale is also enjoying himself at the edge of the square. John Kiely’s men stand a chance but that bit of breathing space should stand to The Nire.
Odds: The Nire 3/10 Draw 15/2 Kilrossanty 3/1
Prediction: The Nire

Guide To The County Hurling Final 2012

De La Salle v Dungarvan

3.45 at Fraher Field
Referee: Michael Wadding (Roanmore)

Betting
De La Salle 1/7 Draw 12/1 Dungarvan 5/1

Probable Teams
De La Salle: Stephen Brenner, Conan Watt, Ian Flynn, Stephen Daniels, Brian Phelan, Kevin Moran, Eoin Madigan, Dean Twomey, Eddie Barrett, Shane McNulty, Jake Dillon, Paidi Nevin, John Mullane, Jack Kennedy, John Keane.

Dungarvan: Darren Duggan, Luke Egan, Derek Barry, Kevin Daly, Shane Kearney, Kenny Moore, Conor Sheridan, Jamie Nagle, Sean Ryan, Cormac Curran, Gavin Crotty, Eoin Healy, Cathal Curran, Ryan Donnelly, Colm Curran.

Story To Date
Dungarvan recovered from a three point defeat to Lismore in round 1 and took seven points from their remaining four group games. This included a surprise win at over Ballygunner and that result spurred them on to finish top of the group. Tallow kept them on their toes in the quarters before pulling clear in the final quarter. Another strong second half showing against Fourmilewater saw them overcome their early nerves and create history. The only blot on De La Salle’s copybook came against Fourmilewater in the second game of the group phase. In response, they dished out three hammerings to Tallow, Roanmore and Dunhill as they finished in second spot. Ray Barry and Dan Shanahan found some gaps in their rearguard during the last eight rollercoaster ride with Lismore before Eddie Barrett eventually squeezed them through in injury time. They outgunned Mount Sion down the home straight to return to the final.

Leading Scorers
De La Salle are no longer dependant on John Mullane’s goals and points but they would still like a more prolific return from the four time All Star. He has scored 1-8 in seven games so far. Jake Dillon is their leading marksman on 5-32 with Jack Kennedy and Dean Twomey sharing second spot with 3-13 apiece. The Blues’ free taker Cormac Curran holds top spot for them with a tally of 1-49 so far. The chasing pack includes Gavin Crotty (2-13) and Colm Curran (1-13).

Key Battles
Jamie Nagle and Dean Twomey played starring roles a fortnight ago but will their paths cross on Sunday? Nagle likes to sweep up around the half back line and plays a much deeper role than his inter county colleague. Twomey can also cover a lot of ground but he prefers to join in the attack whenever he can as his high scoring returns confirm. Both players carry a weight of responsibility and whoever can get their hands on enough ball will influence proceedings. The hard working supporting cast of Sean Ryan and Eddie Barrett will also have their say in which pairing comes out on top. The battle between the Dungarvan half forward line and De La Salle’s formidable half back line will also be worth watching. Gavin Crotty cut loose in the second half of the semi final and it will be interesting to see if Kevin Moran polices the man in the white helmet. Will the De La Salle captain be forced to curb his attacking instincts to keep tabs on a forward that looks determined to regain his spot on the county panel? If Moran, Madigan and Phelan start to dictate, Dungarvan will be in all sorts of bother.

Under The Radar
The young forwards on both sides can prove match winners this weekend. Shane McNulty usually operates on the wing and he struck seven points from play against Tallow and 1-15 in the championship overall. He forced his way onto the starting fifteen as a result of these sharp touches in front of goal and he will hope to produce another free scoring display. For Dungarvan, Ryan Donnelly received an overwhelming supply of ball against Fourmilewater and probably should have raised more than two white flags. His pace can hurt De La Salle but his accuracy requires attention. In the other corner, Cathal Curran has made a positive return from injury to pop over three points from play in his last two outings.

Off The Bench
Both teams seem reluctant to use their back-up options. De La Salle put on one substitute against Mount Sion (despite listing numbers up to 39) and Dungarvan didn’t roll the dice at all against Fourmilewater. If the Blues decide to change tack on Sunday, Karl Duggan and Michael Power look most likely to get the call. Oran Keevers, David Greene and Thomas Kearney have been on the fringes of the De La Salle team and they can also look to stars of the future like Adam O’Sullivan.

Prediction
Dungarvan simply cannot afford to crawl out of the blocks like they did in the quarters and semis. They will obviously need the sort of leadership shown by Shane Kearney and Jamie Nagle throughout this championship and some spectacular high wire acts like Darren Duggan’s shot stopping in the semi final. The game plan is unlikely to change. They picked out their corner men last time around and eventually held their nerve in front of a goal by shooting ten second half points. They depend greatly on Cormac Curran and how he would like a couple of early tap over frees to settle him down. He hasn’t let the side down so far. The imponderable is how all their young players will react to the heat of a county final considering their average age of twenty. The evidence from their seven games so far suggests that they can handle the pressure and not roll over like Tallow twelve months ago.

De La Salle also realise that their performance levels in the knock out stages haven’t been up to scratch. The concession of six goals in those two games will probably grate with them the most. Doubts persist over the full back line and Dungarvan can target them for pace in this sector. The Blues cannot match De La Salle in terms of power and physicality however. They also hold the edge in experience. It’s a totally new ball game for the entire Dungarvan squad while the majority of Derek McGrath’s charges will be lining out in their fourth county final. And even if one or two of their forwards misfire, there is enough quality available to take up the slack.

For a shock to occur, Dungarvan need to maintain a high tempo and keep the ball moving. They will try to use their mobility and run at the De La Salle defence like Lismore did. A positive start is mandatory for them to sustain a challenge and keep the home crowd buzzing. All that said, De La Salle have already displayed this year that can ride out a bumpy patch and emerge on the other side. They know that they must improve however. After blitzing inferior opponents at the tail end of the group stages, they have taken the foot of the gas. They may be ready to unleash a big, all round team display on Dungarvan this Sunday. Mullane will also emerge from his barren scoring run sooner rather than later. Dermot Dee has assembled a fine team that have captured the imagination and they won’t let him down on Sunday. They come up against a battle hardened bunch however that have the scars to prove it. That half back trio should offer a platform for Twomey and that dynamic attack to shake off Dungarvan’s resistance.  De La Salle should have matters under control by the final quarter and reclaim the News & Star trophy but may not beat the six point handicap.

Waterford SHC Top Scorers 2012 (As of October 9)

1. Martin O’Neill (Mount Sion) 3-56
2. Eamonn Murphy (Dunhill) 2-46
2. Cormac Curran (Dungarvan) 1-49
4. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater) 2-45
5. Brendan Hannon (Ballyduff Upper) 1-46
6. Jake Dillon (De La Salle) 5-32
7. Maurice Shanahan (Lismore) 2-40
8. Gavin O’Brien (Roanmore) 0-40
8. Mark Gorman (Abbeyside) 2-34
10. Owen Connors (Passage) 0-33

Nagle and Duggan illuminate night to remember for Blues

After a forgettable first half, the second hurling semi final burst into life on the resumption as Dungarvan upset Fourmilewater and advanced to the county final for the first time in 61 years.

When the chips were down their main men took charge. Jamie Nagle made 21 plays over the sixty minutes but really made his presence felt in the second half where he fired two glorious points, made some inspirational catches and covered around his half back line. Gavin Crotty was another to make amends for a quiet opening half hour as he fired over three second half points. Shane Kearney and Kenny Moore in the half back line kept Dungarvan on the straight and narrow even in the early stages where both sides showed nerves. The star of the show however was goalkeeper Darren Duggan who produced an extraordinary double save from Craig Guiry and Shane Walsh when the game was tied approaching injury time. From the resulting clearance, the Blues went down the field to earn a free and take the lead. With Michael Ryan watching on from the stand, Duggan may earn a county call-up sooner rather than later.

Fourmilewater will look back on five opportunities from placed balls that went awry. They also struggled to cope with the pace of Ryan Donnelly in the corner throughout. Their attack failed to scale the heights that got them to this stage of the championship. Too often Shane Walsh was left isolated and outnumbered as Fourmile withdrew Shane Ryan and Jamie Barron out the field. This tactic backfired on them as numerous deliveries inside were cut out by unmarked Dungarvan defenders. Three of their six starting forwards failed to register on the night. At the same time, entering the three minutes of injury time they were all square and closing in on what seemed like an almost certain goal. Determined displays from Maurice O’Gorman, Liam Lawlor and Seamus Lawlor (who finished with a personal tally of 1-2) put them in that position while Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron showed persistence up front even when things went against them. The little details like those missed frees and tactical tweaks ultimately derailed their double bid.

Dungarvan will go into the final as rank outsiders against De La Salle. Derek McGrath’s men were glad to see the back of Mount Sion on Saturday evening. They trailed at half time and found themselves in arrears again heading towards the final quarter when Anthony Kirwan made an immediate impact off the bench with a goal. Kevin Moran, Brian Phelan and John Mullane kept their heads in the heat of battle and De La Salle outscored their opponents by six points to one in the closing stages to quench any hopes of a surprise result. Dean Twomey again put forward his case as one of the top midfielders in the county by contributing four points from play. Like the Lismore game, this win didn’t come with the bells and whistles that some might have predicted. For the second game in succession, they didn’t register a goal and they appeared vulnerable at stages.

Fraher Field will be packed to the rafters on October 14 for a historic final. Dungarvan must take a step back from the tide of emotion that swept over them on Sunday night to come up with a plan to trouble a battle hardened De La Salle. The raging hot favourites also have issues of their own to address in the space of the next fortnight. It’s a fresh final pairing that presents a real contrast in style and experience. A team that always expected to reach the final against one that has exceeded expectations throughout the championship.