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 Examiner 16th February 2004 | |||
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A THRILLER in Thurles, an AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi final in which all the flowery pre-match predictions were fulfilled.
Newtownshandrum 1-16 O'Loughlin Gaels 0-19
First, the power and hurling skill of the Kilkenny champions as they raced into an 0-6 to 0-2 lead after eight minutes of almost total dominance; for the last twenty minutes of the first half, the near-perfect fluidity of the Newtownshandrum possession game as they ran and passed, passed and ran, pulled the Gaels apart with a pace and panache that would have done justice to any hurling arena.
Pat Mulcahy, Ian Kelleher, Alan T. O'Brien, David Mulcahy, John Paul King, the brilliant O'Connor twins Ben and Jerry, all combined with mesmerising effect, turned that four point deficit to a 1-10 to 0-9 half-time lead.
Indeed, it could have been more had all the point-scoring opportunities been taken, and had youngster James Bowles taken two goals instead of his two speared points in the two-minute spell that started that run, when put clear in point-blank range after some superb inter-passing.
For the first nine minutes of the second half Newtown continued where they'd left off before the break, the O'Connor twins, Ben and man-of-the-match Jerry still in scintillating form, Pat Mulcahy lording it at centre-back, and the Cork champions extended their lead to six points, 1-13 to 0-10.
It was then however, notwithstanding their fine show in the opening minutes, that we saw the best of O'Loughlin Gaels. Not their very best, because their two premium players, brothers Andy and Martin Comerford, were below par on the day, but their courage, their heart, the kind of fighting never-say-die spirit that saw this team come back from the brink so many times already in this campaign.
Free-taker Nigel Skehan was doing all the scoring, as the Gaels surged into a most unlikely one-point lead, 0-19 to 1-15, with less than six minutes left on the clock, but all over the field individuals were visibly raising their game.
Corner-forwards Maurice Nolan and Brian Dowling had been the front men in that early period of dominance, full-back Brian Hogan effective all through; they were joined by the likes of Sean Dowling, Alan O'Brien, Jimmy and Martin Comerford, Niall Bergin, Alan Geoghegan.
Now it was the turn of Newtownshandrum to show their mettle, their character. For the near twenty-minute period when they were being outscored nine points to one by O'Loughlin Gaels, the O'Connor twins had practically disappeared from play. It was revealed afterwards that both had been suffering at the break, Ben physically ill, Jerry caught for breath after a hit in the ribs, and there was a real fear that they would be unable to take their places for the second half; nevertheless both were still magnificent after the restart, Ben scoring all Newtown's five points in the third quarter.
It was at that point that the Newtown selectors decided to give him a break, moved him into full-forward for a breather, introduced Mike Morrissey to centre-forward. Big Mike is made to measure for bigger Andy, who began to make an impression on the game; more critically, the whole Newtown rhythm, their pattern of play, was broken. The Gaels crowded midfield, play by-passed Jerry to a large degree and thus, little by little, was the tide turned.
Those final nail-biting, nerve-wracking minutes however, Ben and Jerry re-appeared and with them, the Newtown challenge. The hitherto shaky last line of John McCarthy/Brendan Mulcahy/Gerdy O'Mahony stood up, Phillip Noonan appeared to support Ian Kelleher and Pat Mulcahy. Ultimately however, it all came down to Ben, a free from 35m wide left after Andy Comerford was adjudged to have killed the ball, nervelessly drilled down the centre. Justice served, a draw a fair result, in the circumstances.
Final word however; it's probably the most relevant of all, but because this was such an exceptional game, graced by two outstanding teams, best leave the sour wine 'til last. The major talking-point afterwards was the performance of the referee who, unfortunately, came nowhere near matching that of the players. Both sides can feel fairly aggrieved with several decisions (or non decisions), Newtown early, O'Loughlin's late. Thankfully, they each get another chance.
Scorers: Newtownshandrum: B. O'Connor 0-10 (0-7 frees); D. O'Riordan 1-0; J. Bowles 0-2; D. Mulcahy, P. Mulcahy, A.T. O'Brien, Jerry O'Connor, 0-1 each. O'Loughlin Gaels: N. Skehan 0-11 (0-9 frees); M. Nolan 0-4; B. Dowling 0-2; M. Comerford 0-2.
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: P. Morrissey; J. McCarthy, B. Mulcahy, G. O'Mahony; I. Kelleher, P. Mulcahy, P. Noonan; Jerry O'Connor, A.T. O'Brien; D. Mulcahy, B. O'Connor, JP King; J. Bowles, D. O'Riordan, M. Farrell. Subs: M. Morrissey (O'Riordan 41); J. O'Connor (Farrell 55).
O'LOUGHLIN GAELS: K. Cleere; B. Kelly, B. Hogan, B. Murphy; A. O'Brien, A. Comerford, S. Dowling; N. Bergin, A. Geoghegan; J. Comerford, M. Comerford, N. Skehan; M. Nolan, C. Furlong, B. Dowling. Subs: none used.
Referee: S. Roche (Tipperary) not one of his better days.
Att: 9,000.
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