O'Loughlin Gaels hold on to book Leinster decider place
Paddy Deegan of O'Loughlin Gaels tussles with Conor Mahon of Kilcormac-Killoughey during the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship semi-final match in Tullamore. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Since knocking over Ballyhale Shamrocks in the Kilkenny final, O’Loughlin Gaels have been marked out as the most likely threat to Ballygunner in the race for All-Ireland honours this year. This afternoon the Hebron Road club produced a performance that had plenty of shades of last week’s game at the TUS Gaelic Grounds as they built up a big lead, then held firm in the face of a late surge from their opponents to secure their place in a provincial final.
Kilcormac-Killoughey may not have the profile or the proven firepower of Na Piarsaigh, but this up-and-coming Offaly side brought no end of tenacity and self-belief on their short trip up the N52. Their problem was that in the first half in particular, they lacked the precision and accuracy of their opponents, particularly in the middle third of the pitch.
Admittedly, nine first-half wides wouldn’t suggest accuracy on the part of the winners, but it was in their approach play where O’Loughlin Gaels put the sliotar exactly where they needed it to go, creating blue-chip scoring chances from frees and from open play.
Seán Bolger, Cian Loy and Eoin O’Shea struck excellent first-half points from play that will dominate the highlight reels, and overall there was a lot to like about the good work of Owen Wall and Seán Bolger in the corners for the Kilkenny club. It was events further back down the pitch however that proved to be the foundation of their success.
Close to their own goal, the Kilkenny city side had their hands full with the energy and tenacity of the Kilcormac-Killoughey forwards, and Huw Lawlor and Mikey Butler certainly didn’t have things all their own way.
However the Paddy Deegan-led half-back line was imperious, aided by the ferocious pressure exerted on Kilcormac-Killoughey players further outfield. That forced the home side to play a lot of high, hit-and-hope deliveries forward and they were duly hoovered up by the O’Loughlin Gaels backs.
With Jack Nolan and Conor Heary in incredible form around the middle third, picking up breaking ball and playing excellent targeted deliveries into the two corners, O’Loughlin Gaels came through a tense opening ten minutes and then opened up with some superb scoring on their way to an 0-10 to 0-3 interval lead.
Even though a breeze would favour Kilcormac-Killoughey after half-time, it looked like there was too much of a gulf in quality for Shane Hand’s side to make any meaningful inroads. However the Offaly club dug deep and found a spirit of real resilience, turbo-charged by a fast start. Jack Screeney got them going with a point after just ten seconds, and with just three minutes gone, they had doubled their tally, cutting the gap to four points, 0-10 to 0-6.
A fine score on the run from David Fogarty steadied the O’Loughlin Gaels ship, but all over the pitch, Kilcormac-Killoughey were faring better in their individual match ups and with the bulk of the 3,500 crowd roaring them on, they started to compete much better. Charlie Mitchell was a huge threat close to goal, Colin Spain was increasingly influential at midfield, and the strength of Oisín Mahon and Cillian Kiely along the spine of the defence gave the Offaly side a solid platform on which to build. Peter Geraghty added vim and vigour after coming on the pitch, and with O’Loughlin’s continuing to shoot inconsistently, bit by bit the lead was eroded O’Loughlin’s defensive strength in the full-back line ensured that Stephen Murphy never really had a save to make, but even at that, the Offaly club worked with ferocity and forced enough chances to cut the gap briefly to two points.
That was to be as good as it got as Seán Bolger earned a free that Mark Bergin converted, a clever flick and powerful run from Conor Heary served as the insurance point, and with the last puck of the game, Bergin struck his first from play to wrap up their victory.
M Bergin 0-7 (0-6f), S Bolger 0-2, O Wall 0-2, E O’Shea 0-1, P Butler 0-1, C Loy 0-1, D Fogarty 0-1, J Molloy 0-1, C Heary 0-1.
A Screeney 0-5f, C Mitchell 0-3, Cillian Kiely 0-2 (0-1 65, 0-1f), J Gorman 0-1, J Screeney 0-1.
S Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Forristal; D Fogarty, P Deegan, J Molloy; J Nolan, C Loy; C Heary, M Bergin, E O'Shea; S Bolger, P Butler, O Wall.
Subs: C Kelly for P Butler (half-time), L Hogan for O’Shea (38).
C Slevin; B Kavanagh, O Mahon, T Spain; E Grogan, Cillian Kiely, J Quinn; C Spain, D Kilmartin; J Screeney, C Mahon, L Kavanagh; C Mitchell, J Gorman, A Screeney.
Subs: Cathal Kiely for L Kavanagh (half-time), P Geraghty for Gorman (42), T Geraghty for Kilmartin (57), T Guinan for J Screeney (60+2).
: Seán Stack (Dublin).
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