Round Tower 1-13 v Thomas Davis 0-11
Round Tower Senior Hurlers are off to a winning start in AHL3, writes Mick McGlynn. Some excellent point scoring and a decisive strike by goal-getter Eric Finn were enough to see off local rivals Thomas Davis. VIEW MATCH PICTURES HERE.
Towers showed they’d missed the being out of the third tier, starting with immediate urgency. The game was not passed the minute mark when Paidi Stapleton had struck a point from the half-forwards and Jack Whelan then struck from the left sideline two minutes later. Davis almost netted with their first attack but the strike went beyond the right post of keeper Fergal McDonagh. Stapleton in the half forwards was stamping his authority on the game and seizing upon a puck-out he pointed from distance. Davis pointed their first on ten minutes before Alex Darbey registered his first from a tight angle on the left. Eoin Walsh made a crucial interception with Davis forward set to bear down on goal and from following play the visitors struck their second point. Centre-back Gary Quinlivan found Darbey in the corner and he found the supporting Eoin Moran to strike the fifth point for home side. Darbey lined up a free but went short to Stapleton who advanced the scoreline – 0 – 6 v 0-2. Davis tagged on two points before Stapleton again intervened, evading his marker from a Walsh sideline cut and driving over. Darbey struck another long-range free and then Finn, who had been relatively subdued, sprung to life on 24 minutes. He broke free on the 40 and struck powerfully beyond keeper at his near post. Two minutes later the goal was almost replicated but the result on this occasion was a Finn drive over the bar. It left Towers well in control at the break 1-9 v 0-5.
The cushion was sufficient. The second half was a more subdued affair in the scoring stakes. Brian McLaughlin registered his point on the run off his left and a pull back on Finn enabled Darbey to capitalise. There was a ten minute lull for the home side when Davis narrowed the deficit to five – 1-11 v 0-9 – but an away success never looked likely. A goal may have created some consternation for Towers but keeper Fergal Power showed quick reflexes to block and clear the visitors best goal opportunity. McLaughlin was fouled to enable Darbey extend the advantage to six. A brilliant piece of skill from Finn – when he controlled a driven pass with a touch of the hurl and in swift movement broke away from marker – led to another free that Darbey pointed.
Round Tower: Fergal McDonagh, Niall Byrne, Shane Byrne, Luke Currivan, Pádraic ‘Podge’ McKeever, Gary Quinlivan, Eoin Walsh, Brian Gregg, Eoin Moran, Jack Whelan, Eric Finn, Paidi Stapleton, Adam Doyle, Brian McLaughlin, Alex Darbey. Used subs: Aaron Wynne, Cónán O’Broin, Adam Clarke
