Impressive Loughrea march into club final but red card mars day
Referee Johnny Murphy shows a red card to Cullen Killeen of Loughrea, 9, during the AIB GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship semi-final Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Majesty and misery all rolled into one second-half performance for Loughrea at Parnell Park.
Ultimately, the Galway champions are through to next month's All-Ireland club decider and will face Ballygunner or St Martin's at Croke Park.
The 13-point win didn't flatter Tommy Kelly's side either who backed up their favourites tag by surging through to the club's first final since 2007.
Beaten by Na Fianna at this stage last year, the back-to-back Galway champions turned on the style in the second-half at Dublin's Parnell Park to ensure there'd be no repeat result.
Vince Morgan's 37th minute goal was the gamebreaker, allowing Loughrea to put significant daylight between the teams.
And the westerners hit the afterburners then, reeling off nine points in a row in the final quarter to see off a Sleacht Neill side desperate to make it to a first ever final.
But the game ended on a low note from Loughrea's perspective as midfielder Cullen Killeen was shown a straight red card in the 62nd minute.
Referee Johnny Murphy ruled that Killeen, younger brother of star attacker Tiernan, was guilty of a dangerous pull and didn't hesitate with the card.
The teenager was inconsolable at the final whistle and manager Kelly made an immediate beeline to the ref at full-time but, for now, the sanction stands and the player is suspended for the January 17/18 final.
Loughrea will feel they need to tidy up on their shooting because despite firing 2-22, they also registered 15 wides.
Darren Shaughnessy struck the crucial goal for Loughrea in their county final win over St Thomas' back in early November but he missed out this time, underlying the depth of their panel.
Shaughnessy was named to start at full-forward but was replaced by Morgan, a like-for-like switch in terms of goal-poaching ability as it transpired.
Morgan was immediately powerful and direct and won an early free that Tiernan Killeen converted, helping Loughrea to open up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after seven minutes.
Tiernan Killeen was exceptional initially, at the hub of everything positive that Loughrea did in an attacking sense.
The Leinster SHC finalist with Galway had three points on the board by the 11th minute, set up Caimin Killeen for Loughrea's opening point and drew the foul that led to Meehaul McGrath's 18th minute booking.
That left McGrath in a sticky situation and the Sleacht Neill management responded by switching Shane McGuigan across to mark Tiernan Killeen.
That move, along with a noticeable upping of the ante by Sleacht Neill generally, led to the game shifting in the Ulster champions' direction.
They battled back to level terms in the 23rd minute at 0-7 to 0-7 and were level again at 0-8 apiece before Loughrea registered their goal.
Chrissy McKaigue, wearing number nine but starting at full-forward, had just pointed for Sleacht Neill and from the resulting Loughrea puck-out, the ball broke loose and Anthony Burns pounced, darting in to gather up the ball before blasting it to the net.
Loughrea hit the interval 1-9 to 0-10 ahead but rued their seven first-half wides.
That figure stretched to nine misses early in the second-half and with four Loughrea players also on yellow cards at that stage, opportunity knocked for Sleacht Neill.
Four-time Galway champions Loughrea weren't about to let the opportunity slip, however, and put in a commanding third quarter to lead 2-13 to 0-13.
Points from Burns, Tiernan Killeen and Martin McManus preceded the Morgan goal in the 37th minute.
It was a cracking goal too as he took off on the left and kept going until he got a powerful shot away that flew across Oisin O'Doherty to the far corner of the Sleacht Neill net.
Sleacht Neill did their best to grab a foothold in the game, reeling off points from Mark McGuigan, Shea Cassidy and Eamon Cassidy.
But Loughrea then reeled off those nine points in a row to set the seal on a terrific win, substitute Neil Keary making his own case for inclusion in the final with three points. It was just unfortunate for them that the day ended with that red card which they will almost certainly appeal.
Tiernan Killeen 0-6 (0-4f), Anthony Burns 1-1, Vince Morgan 1-1, Jamie Ryan 0-3 (0-1 s/l), Neil Keary 0-3, Caimin Killeen 0-2, Martin McManus 0-2, Shane Morgan 0-2 (2f), Kieran Hanrahan 0-1, Cullen Killeen 0-1.
Shea Cassidy 0-8 (0-7f), Chrissy McKaigue 0-2, Ruairi O Mianain 0-2, Conor McAllister 0-1, Mark McGuigan 0-1, Eamon Cassidy 0-1.
Gearoid O'Donoghue; Paul Hoban, Johnny Coen, Joe Mooney; Shane Morgan, Kieran Hanrahan, Brian Keary; Ian Hanrahan, Cullen Killeen; Caimin Killeen, Tiernan Killeen, Jamie Ryan; Anthony Burns, Vince Morgan, Martin McManus.
Neil Keary for McManus 45, Alan Kelly for Ian Hanrahan 53, Gavin Maher for Brian Keary 57, Luke McInerney for Ryan 58, Mikey Murray for Vince Morgan 60.
Oisin O'Doherty; Conor McAllister, Paul McNeill, Fionn McEldowney; Ruairi O Mianain, Meehaul McGrath, Shane McGuigan; Cathal O Mianain, Cormac O'Doherty; Mark McGuigan, Se McGuigan, Brendan Rogers; Eamon Cassidy, Chrissy McKaigue, Shea Cassidy.
Conor Coyle for Cathal O Mianain 19-22 blood, Coyle for Cathal O Mianain 39, Jerome McGuigan for Se McGuigan 39, Peter McCullagh for Mark McGuigan 55, Gerald Bradley for Shea Cassidy 55.
Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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