Thomas Davis 4-15 v Round Tower 2-15, AHL3, Kiltipper, Sunday 12th August 2018
Our Senior Hurlers chances of promotion suffered a crushing blow Sunday morning against Thomas Davis. With one game to play, they lie fifth in the table and are dependent upon results going their way elsewhere if they are to make the play-offs. Striking just three points in the second half and the concession of three goals in the first half ultimately proved their undoing. Despite their concession, we were in a strong position at the break, leading by four points.
With just a minute on the clock we were a goal down. A Thomas Davis sideline cut from the right evaded all and found the back of the net. The home side followed it up with a point before Eoin Moran opened our scoring with a point from the left. Liam O’Connor then fielded the keeper’s clearance and struck successfully in an instant. Davis registered their second but we struck three on the run courtesy of Paidi Stapleton, an Alex Darbey free and Gary Quinlivan to level the game. Davis edged a point ahead but a superb Podge McGeever win in the full back line led to Barry Whelan release Darbey on the right and he pointed on the run. He was then fouled and picked himself up to point the free and edge us ahead for the first time in the game in the 10th minute. Adam Doyle great win in the air then led to Douglas Faughnan driving over from 50 yards. But a sucker punch followed another Davis point when a 21 metre free evaded the Towers defenders on the line. Towers responded when Darbey controlled Whelan’s inside pass and was hauled to the ground before picking himself up narrow the deficit to a point. The equaliser arrived when Eoin Walsh drive into the half forwards was fielded by Gary Quinliva. He released to supporting Stapleton to strike off his left. Our first goal arrived on the 23rd minute mark. Walsh again fed into the inside forwards and Stapleton won well. His handpass released Darbey and he struck across the keeper to the corner of the net. But another sucker punch followed. Failure to clear our lines led to a low strike past Towers keeper Fergal McDonagh. It left us trailing by a point, 3-5 v 1-10, with five minutes of the half remaining. But we dominated the closing stages of the half to go in four ahead at the break. Alex pointed a long-range free, Quinlivan latched onto a ball inside by Moran to point. Our second green flag arrived with the last play of the half. Stapleton fielded on the 21 and despite losing the hurl he handpassed off to Moran and he struck low across the keeper.
Disappointingly the first half performance was not replicated. Davis laid down a marker with a point within a minute of the restart and another left two in it. The Davis keeper pulled off a great save from a Whelan strike but the ball was succesfully recycled for Darbey to drive over. When Quinlivan won a puck out and drove over we were five ahead, 3- 7 v 2-14. Davis struck two on the run and Darbey then pointed his fifth, following an excellent lay-off by Stapleton. But with eight minutes remaining it was our final score of the game. Davis won primary possession around the middle and put the Towers defence under consistent pressure. Davis struck eight without reply. Towers trailed by three moving into the dying minutes and needed a goal. But a long-range free with two minutes remaining evaded all and left the margin at six. With the last strike of the game Towers went for goal and did find the net but the referred had blown up a split second beforehand. It would have proven futile. Davis running out 4-15 v 2-15 winners.
Round Tower: Fergal McDonagh, Kevin Scott, Pádraic ‘Podge’ McGeever, Luke Currivan, Eoghan Young, Eoin Walsh, Adam Doyle, Barry Whelan, Douglas Faughnan, Gary Quinlivan, Eoin Moran, Liam O’Connor, Alex Darbey, Paidi Stapleton, Brian McLaughlin. Used sub: Eoghan Fitzgerald
