Round Tower Inter hurlers will face Clontarf in the championship final this Wednesday after a 2-22 – 0-24 win over Erins Isle last Friday in their semi final replay in Parnell Park last Friday, writes Aaron Douglas.
After witnessing a classic two weeks previous between these two in O’Toole Park, another great game was promised and this is exactly what we got. It was Erins Isle who started off the better team and had the opening score of the game within 10 seconds of the opening whistle. The momentum was with the Finglas men right from the off and found themselves 0-06 – 0-01 within the first 10 minutes. Alex Darby then lifted the towers crowd that travelled out to Donneycarney with a lovely 60 yard score to reduce the gap to four points. However Isles kept opening up the towers midfield and defence along with the gap in the scoreboard and were leading by 0-13 – 0-05 after 25 minutes into the first half. Just on half time Eric Finn found the net of the church end goal of Parnell and reduced the gap to 4 points going into the break thanks to the goal and super scores from Alex O’Neill and Liam O’Connor slotting over difficult frees in windy conditions.
The second half started just like the first with an Erins Isle point coming inside a minute. Towers, needing a score then stepped up the game and leaders starting to emerge all over the field from Joe Murray in the goal making plays from puc outs and clearances to Eric Finn up front who scored his second goal of the game. Finn then dictated the next ten minutes of the game who scored 3 of the next 4 points from play along with an Eoin Moran worldie from the wing floating straight over the black spot and frees converted from O’Connor coming from a darting run from O’Neill and a courageous block from substitute Conan O’Broin. Towers now found themselves 3 points in front with only 5 left to play. Stoppage time hit with towers ahead by 3 until Barry Finn hit the insurance score from the 45 to put two scores between the team’s. Isles hit a free in the last minute but O’Connor with the last puc of the game hit a routine free over the bar to see towers complete a 12 point turnaround from one point in the first half to progress to the final with a four point win 2-22 – 0-24.
