Éire Óg Ennis' Darren Moroney nets extra-time winner to break Loughmore-Castleiney hearts
ELUSIVE: Loughmore-Castleiney's Tomas McGrath gts possssion away from Eire Óg matchwinner Darren Moroney in Sunday's dramatic Munster Club SHC semi-final at Sixmilebridge. Pic: Natasha Barton, Inpho
Éire Óg Ennis needed a late leveller to bring this Munster semi-final to extra-time, but there was little doubt over the outcome thereafter as they secured a final berth against Ballygunner.
Darren Moroney netted the 77th-minute clinching goal to put an end to Loughmore-Castleiney’s resistance after a titanic tussle that was level 13 times.
Danny Russell struck the free to bring it to that extra period as part of a 1-14 contribution.
John McGrath nailed 0-12 for Loughmore, but they had too many missed across the second half when the game looked in their hands.
There was a surprise venue change 90 minutes before the original throw-in time. A burst mains in Ennis town cut off the water supply to Cusack Park. As a result, the game was moved to Sixmilebridge and pushed back 75 minutes for a 2.30pm start.
There was a quick turnaround at O’Garney Park where the host club had just played a Munster Junior C camogie match against a Killarney-Castleisland combination. The Massey Ferguson was still towing a mower up and down the field until the warm-ups began.
That diluted Éire Óg’s home advantage, although they began with the benefit of a strong breeze.
What ensued was a dour arm wrestle of a first half, which suited Loughmore more than the wind-assisted hosts. The half featured just four scorers and three scores from play.
John McGrath slung over an early point from play, but it was all placed balls for the next 22 minutes. That included three from McGrath, while also leaving two wide. The difficulty of judging the wind was underlined by the rare sight of Noel McGrath leaving two shots short.
The same wind extended Russell’s free-taking range and he clipped five between the posts across the half.
After Marco Cleary’s fine point from play, Russell’s fourth nudged them ahead for the first time.
Even a one-point lead wouldn’t have seemed adequate given the breeze. However, they would go in behind. In the third minute of added time, Ed Connolly floated a ball between the final defender and goalkeeper. Liam McGrath got between the two and took a big hit from Darragh Stack to flick the sliotar home.
A Russell free trimmed the half-time deficit to 1-4 against 0-6.
Shane O’Donnell had been well marshalled in the first half but sparked to life in the second. As did the match.
O’Donnell opened with two classy points either side of John McGrath’s fifth. McGrath added another before Russell tagged on a levelling free.
Éire Óg put the cat among the pigeons with a Russell goal, brilliantly created by O’Donnell’s catch and imaginative pass, for a 1-9 to 0-9 lead.
Loughmore responded with five of the next six points, including two from John McGrath and a first from Noel at his sixth attempt. Ed Connolly and John Ryan nabbed the other scores to edge one ahead.
A Cleary goal chance was saved by Aidan McGrath before the Loughmore keeper’s free almost crossed the line at the other end, only for Stack to scoop it to safety.
Every time Loughmore got ahead In that final stretch, Russell found a free to level. Two were won by O’Donnell, and when John McGrath looked like he’d found the winner, David Reidy was fouled by the sideline and Russell sent them to extra-time; 1-13 apiece.
A wide count of 13 wides to six documented Loughmore’s missed opportunities.
Cleary and Russell helped to eke out a 1-17 to 1-16 half-time advantage. And when Reidy powered onto Brian McGrath’s blocked clearance, he fed Moroney for the clincher.
: D Russell (1-14, 0-12 frees, 0-1 65); D Moroney (1-0); S O’Donnell, M Cleary (0-2 each); R Mulcahy (free), T Kavanagh (0-1 each).
: J McGrath (0-12, 5 frees, 2 65s); L McGrath (1-0); J Ryan, B McGrath, N McGrath, E Connolly (0-1 each).
D Stack; F Treacy, C Russell, J Collins; R Loftus, A Fitzgerald, L Corry; O Cahill, D Reidy; D Moroney, D McNamara, D O’Brien; D Russell, S O’Donnell, M Cleary.
: T Kavanagh for O’Brien (h-t), J O’Dwyer for Moroney (52), R Mulcahy for McNamara (55), A McGrath for Collins (58), E O’Regan for Cahill (60+3), Moroney for McGrath (70) Cahill for O’Regan (h-t e-t).
: A McGrath; E Meagher, W Eviston, L Egan; E O’Connell, B McGrath, J Ryan; N McGrath, C Connolly; T Maher, T McGrath, C McCormack; Ed Connolly, J McGrath, L McGrath.
: Ciarán McGrath for McCormack (40), L Treacy for Maher (49), P O’Connell for C McGrath (51-52, blood), P McCahey for E Connolly (60+4), McCormack for T McGrath (75).
: N O’Toole (Waterford).
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