McCarthy double-act inspires Toomevara into first Tipperary final since 2008
LONG TIME COMING: Toomevara vs Moycarkey Borris in the Tipperary SHC semi-final. Picture: Padraig Hogan
Two Darragh McCarthy goals inspired Toomevara past the challenge of Moycarkey Borris, and into their first Tipperary senior hurling final since 2008.
The goals arrived in quickfire fashion just before the interval, giving Toomevara a 2-9 to 0-11 lead at that stage.
An Eoghan Hayes inspired Moycarkey Borris pushed hard in the second half, reducing the lead to two points with ten minutes to go but Ken Dunne’s Toomevara side rose to the challenge, with Kevin and Darragh McCarthy steering them home.
The sides went point for point in the first fifteen minutes before three-in-a-row from Moycarkey Borris gave them the most comprehensive lead of the day, 0-10 0-7 after 22 minutes.
Centre back and captain Eoghan Hayes was prominent in their strong start, while the evergreen Kieran Morris also chipped in with two rousing points from play.
Centre forward Kevin McCarthy kept Toomevara in touch with three from play while his namesake Mark swung over a trademark sideline.
But it was the third McCarthy, Darragh, who did the most damage of all.
Toome’s young talisman had been relatively quiet up to that stage but he exploded into life in decisive fashion.
For his first, he showed pace and strength to break away from the close attention of Tom Ryan. His shot had a lethal combination of top-spin and power, ensuring goalkeeper Rhys Shelly stood no chance.
He followed it up with a second seven minutes later, finishing after a neat one-two with Adam Hall. Hall laid off to McCarthy just outside the 21 and his low snap-shot was again perfectly measured, finding the bottom corner.
Competing in a first county semi-final since 1984, Moycarkey Borris faced an uphill battle but midfielder Kieran Cummins brought them back into the game with two fine points just after half-time.
Substitutes David Costigan and Kyle Shelly also had an impact for Eddie Brennan’s team, but the goal they craved never came.
They pushed hard, and Toome’s goal led a charmed existence at certain stages with goalkeeper Rory Brislane and substitute Jake Hackett making brilliant last-ditch blocks.
But it wasn’t to be for them, and the McCarthys pointed the way to the final for Toome.
By their standards, as Tipperary’s second most successful club, fifteen years is a long time away, and manager Ken Dunne says the team are chasing their own piece of history.
“Tradition only goes so far,” he said afterwards. “You have to hurl it out. This is a new team, and they want to create their own bit of history.”
D McCarthy 2-7 (4f, 1 65), K McCarthy (0-5), M McCarthy (0-2, 1 sideline), C O’Farrell (0-1), A Hall (0-1), R Quirke (0-1), J Delaney (0-1), D Delaney (0-1)
K Morris (0-5, 3f), K Shelly (0-4, 3f, 165), K Cummins (0-3), J Maher (0-2), M Hackett (0-1), B Flanagan (0-1), E Hayes (0-1), J Hayes (0-1), R Shelly (0-1f), D Costigan (0-1).
R Brislane; B O’Connell, A Ryan, S O’Farrell; J McCarthy, L Ryan (captain), J Ryan; R Quirke, C O’Farrell; J Delaney, K McCarthy, M McCarthy; D McCarthy, A Hall, D Delaney.
J Hackett for O’Farrell (blood, 38-43), C O’Meara for M McCarthy (45), J Hackett for J Ryan (47), C Canning for J McCarthy (57), J Powell for S O’Farrell (59)
R Shelly; S Walsh, P Melbourne, T Ryan; T Hayes, E Hayes (captain), K Hayes; K Cummins, J Fallon; K Morris, M Hackett, J Maher; J Hayes, J Egan, B Flanagan Subs: D Costigan for Flanagan (37), K Shelly for Morris (40), N Heffernan for Fallon (48), J
Doran for J Hayes (60)
Conor Doyle.
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