Commercials 1-7 v Round Tower 1-11, Rathcoole, 15/09/2013
Round Tower Minor hurlers battled the elements and local rivalry on Sunday morning to overcome Commercials in this Minor Hurling C Championship Group 1 clash, writes Mick McGlynn.
With us a man down and ten minutes remaining, Towers showed resilience and leaders emerged to see them edge the contest by four points. The sides were level at seven points apiece when Shane Boland picked up a crossfield pass from Gary Quinlan and kept his nerve to point from the left. Micheál Walsh, who was one of a number of excellent performers for Towers, then ran at the Commercials defence and pointed on the run. Towers were now two ahead and effectively finished the game with four minutes remaining when Dublin Minor Gary Quinlivan netted. Full back Wayne Brennan was strong in defence throughout the second-half and his puck outs carried considerable distance with the strong wind at his back. Another dropped on the 40 and Adam Doyle’s pressure on the Commercials half-back line led to it dropping to Quinlivan. He quickly picked the sliotar and carried before striking across the Commercials keeper from the left to the back of the net. Commercials needed two goals with a minute remaining and they pulled one back when a breaking ball was pulled to the net. But Walsh won the subsequent puck out and despite slipping initially, Doyle recovered his footing to turn and drive Walsh’s pass over the bar.
Playing with the wind in the first-half, Commercials went into the break two points ahead. Towers were two ahead in the first ten minutes through two Quinlivan points – a free and a drive over the bar from 20 metres after he’d won a breaking puck-out. Commercials edged ahead before another Aaron Wynne won possession in the half-backs and found Cianan Ryan in the half forwards, whose lay-off to Walsh led to the midfielder being fouled. This led to Qunilivan pointing the visitors final score of the half but two Commercials scores left the home side two clear at the break.
Towers resolve was evident from the opening seconds of the second half when Walsh scooped possession from the throw-in and pointed from distance. They survived an injury scare to Brennan and a foul on Boland allowed Qunlivan to level by pointing from 50 metres. He made his next score when he reacted quickest to a Commercials clearance and a high challenge brought him a free he converted. Towers keeper Davey McCarthy was shown a straight red with the game at six apiece and 12 minutes remaining. Sean Sammon deputised in goal. Commercials edged ahead but Quinlivan won a free that he converted after a quick-pick up from a throw-in on the 21 ended with him being hauled to the ground. At seven points apiece and with ten remaining it was a tie that either side could have won but Towers won crucial 50/50s and their resolve saw them return from the wind and rain with a valuable win behind them. Next up for the Minor Hurlers is Championship action v Erins Isle in the Community Centre on 29th September.
Round Tower: Davey McCarthy, Ciaran O’Brennan, Wayne Brennan, Adam Clarke, Michael Cleary Burns, Eric Murphy, Aaron Wynne, Micheál Walsh, Shane Boland, Gary Quinlivan, Fergus Callaly, Adam Doyle, Shane Young, Cianan Ryan, Rory Keogh. Used subs: Sean Sammon, Darren Gilligan. Unused subs: Dean Graham, Conor Hart, Gavin Quinn, Aaron Whelan.
