Tuohy’s sprint finish too much for Murphy
The pair had slipped clear of the field early in the race with Murphy, ‘fresh’ from finishing third in an international cross-country race in Belgium last Sunday week, setting the pace and Tuohy, the Irish schools 800m champion, hanging on in his slipstream.
On the last lap Murphy launched an attack that almost took him clear but the Waterford athlete fought his way back and they were still locked together when they emerged from the fog that swept in from the sea. It was then Tuohy’s turn to attack and when he got in front, there was no time for a rally and he held on to win by the narrowest of margins.
Last year Tuohy missed out on the European junior championships when he failed to achieve the qualifying standard until shortly after the cut-off time, but he finished fourth in the inter-county championships, one place ahead of Murphy, to claim his place on the team for the European junior cross-country championships.
Yesterday he displayed remarkable versatility, having beaten David McCarthy by the narrowest of margins to win the 800m at the Munster schools track and field championships in Limerick last summer, before going on to claim the Irish schools title over that distance.
“It is tougher over the country,” he admitted. “It is much longer and it demands a lot more concentration. I knew today that there was just one way I was going to win it and it worked out well for me.
“I will compete in the national inter-club championships in Belfast on March 1 — they will be my priority — and then in the All-Ireland schools a week later. I think Ferrybank have a very good chance of winning the inter-club.”
It was disappointing for Murphy who was second to David McCarthy last year, but he was philosophical about it.
“I knew Niall had the finishing speed so there was just one way I was going to win this race and that was from the front. I tried a break at the back of the course on the last lap but, in fairness to Niall, he hung on.”
Ryan Creech (Glanmire Community College) was a very impressive winner of the intermediate boy’s race, comfortably clear of Christy O’Brien (Thurles CBS) with John Harrington (MICC, Dunmanway) third.
Creech dominated the race right from the start, chased initially by a group of four runners, with O’Brien and John Harrington surviving.
Lorraine McCarthy (St Augustine’s Dungarvan), sister of David McCarthy, added the senior girls’ title to the intermediate title she won last year, pulling away from Ciara Madigan (Kilrush Community School) and Kitty Walsh (Ujrsuline, Waterford) on the climb to the finish.
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