News

Lorrha GAA News

November 8, 2018

Intermediate: The semi-final is now fast approaching with the quarter-finals set to be played this weekend.

Minor Hurling: The Minor A Hurling semi-final took place on Monday evening last. See match report at end of notes.
The Club would like to wish Diarmuid Mannion a speedy recovery from a leg injury suffered over the weekend.

Poker Classic: Thomas MacDonaghs Gaelic Football Club of which Lorrha are a part of are holding a fundraising Poker Classic in The Western Pass, Ardcroney on this Friday evening, 14 September with registration at 9.30pm. €30 to enter and €10 buy backs.
The North Tipperary Senior Football Final takes place in Puckane under floodlights on Tuesday evening next, 18 September at 8pm.

Lotto: A new lottery ticket of the Lorrha GAA lotto will be coming on stream in the next couple of weeks. The new ticket will contain three boxes with numbers ranging from 1 to 30. Each player can play one box for €2, two boxes for €4 or three boxes for €5.
At last weeks lotto meeting, it was decided to hold the lotto draws in future on a Monday night with all lotto promoters to have their tickets left at the collection points on a Sunday night.
You can also play the Lorrha GAA Club Lotto Online by going to our website: lorrha-dorrha.tipperary.gaa.ie and clicking on the lotto icon or going to www.locallotto.ie. The number of players who have joined is growing by the week. You can register your numbers for 4 to 52 weeks and get free entries on the length of time you enter for.

Old Time Dancing: Our Old Time Dancing continues in the GAA Clubhouse on Friday night to the music of Footloose. Dancing 9.30pm to 12.30am.

Kilruane MacDonaghs 4-16 Lorrha 2-14
(After Extra Time)

Holders, Kilruane MacDonaghs needed extra time to reach the final of this year’s Ger Gavin North Tipperary Minor Hurling championship following a fantastic win over Lorrha in a pulsating semi-final game played at Gardiner Park, Borrisokane on Monday evening.

The sides finished level at 3-9 to 2-12 at the end of normal time after Lorrha made a great comeback having trailed by 3-5 to 0-6 at half time. By holding the champions to just four points in that second half, it looked as if Lorrha would cause a shock but a Jonathon Cahill free, almost three minutes into added time, made provision for extra time. Two further minutes of hurling were added and Lorrha’s Ciaran Duggan had a chance from sixty-five but his shot drifted wide.

The decision to play extra time came against the wishes of both sides as daylight was disappearing rapidly. But the added period of twenty minutes went ahead and the drama continued. Kilruane went 3-10 to 2-12 ahead through Justin Cahill. Tipp minor, Patrick Maher fired a great shot off the crossbar for Lorrha. Kilruane replied and hit four points in as many minutes with Jonathon Cahill, Brian O’Meara, Seamus Hennessy (free) and Niall O’Meara finding the range.

Five points separated the teams at the break and when Brian O’Meara got the vital overhead touch to Seamus Hennessy’s sixty-five, the lead had stretched to eight and the game was practically over.

Jonathon Cahill added a point but Lorrha never gave up. Noel Lane scored from forty metres. A lull in the level of play developed much of it through player fatigue – every player gave it and more – which was to be expected. The pace at which daylight disappeared may have been a factor also.

Jonathon Cahill added another point for MacDonaghs and as the game drew to a close, Willie Maher, who made an earlier switch from his goalkeeping position Lorrha attack, won possession to score a point. It was not enough as Kilruane held on to be worthy winners but will be the first to admit that they were lucky as hell to survive with a draw as Lorrha had them on the ropes during normal time.

Yes, Gardiner Park has seen many a great game over the years and this particular game will live among the best of them and it is fitting that this penultimate game would come at the end of a great minor championship for 2007.

To witness the work of Seamus Hennessy and Patrick Maher, two All-Ireland winning medal holders, was a pleasure for all those who saw it. But then, the closeness of these two teams was to be expected. An earlier meeting in the group stages saw Kilruane win by the skin of their teeth after Seamus Hennessy rescued them with a goal from twenty metre free on virtually the last puck of the game.

Monday evening’s game saw the Tipp Minor star continue in the same vein when he pierced the net with a penalty after sixty seconds. Kilruane looked well on top and the picked off the scores with Jonathon Cahill, Declan Barrett and Hennessy again helping them to take a 1-5 to 0-2 lead after 14 minutes.

Cahill was so influential and he put Pat Conway though for Kilruane’s second goal. The MacDonagh’s dominance continued and Conway found the net again leaving Kilruane 3-5 to 0-2 to the good.

Lorrha looked in trouble and the number of scoring opportunities that went a stray was palpable. The lack of a free taker was most obvious while they had a share of bad luck in hitting the MacDonagh’s crossbar while Kilruane keeper, Ger Corcoran was fantastic in goals as he made many saves and had to come off his line on a few occasions.

But things began to change for Lorrha. Graham Houlihan – who lined out at full back in the absence of the injured, Diarmuid Mannion – moved to centre back with Brendan Fogarty moving to full. Houlihan’s presence was visible from his first touch and his team responded to score four points on the trot leaving them trailing 3-5 to 0-6 at the break.

After the resumption, the game really began to lift. Ciaran Haugh pointed a free. Pat Conway replied for Kilruane. Lorrha moved up field and Sean Cleary got a vital touch for a Lorrha goal after earlier spadework by Patrick Maher.

In fact, Maher was really coming in to his own as his display was to become a feature of the game. A point by Lorrha full forward, Bob O’Brien helped reduce the deficit to four. From the puckout, Seamus Hennessy fed Jonathon Cahill who scored a point for Kilruane.

But Lorrha were on an upward curb and three unanswered points through Cian Hogan, Patrick Maher and a Ciaran Duggan long range free left the margin to two on a scoreline of 3-7 to 1-11. The decision by Kilruane to allow an extra man in the defence was a major factor in the development of the game and it backfired as Lorrha, having an extra defender in their own half worked in their favour with Graham Houlihan, Andrew Hoctor and Ciaran Duggan having loads of time to clear their lines.

Lorrha’s improvement was interrupted by a Brian O’Meara free after 46 minutes. But three minutes later, Lorrha were level when Sean Cleary had his second goal. Lorrha continued to raid the Kilruane goal area but their failure to covert chances was haunting them. By the end of normal time, Lorrha’s wides increased to fourteen – eight for Kilruane – but a 55th minute point by Sean Cleary put his team ahead and victory looked a possibility.

But instead, the score seemed to raise Kilruane’s fear that defeat was possible but the missed two real opportunities. Meanwhile, Patrick Maher continued to test the Kilruane defence. More scores were missed by both teams while the end to end hurling continued to enthral the attendance. Then, two and a half minutes into added time, Jonathon Cahill directed a twenty metre free to find the leveller for Kilruane and the teams finished level at 3-9 to 2-12.

Both teams left the field and headed for their dressing rooms before resuming for extra time. On the restart, Patrick Maher’s great effort was denied by the Kilruane crossbar. The champions were relieved and instead they began to dominate. The decision to bring Seamus Hennessy to centre back was another plus for them and after twenty more minutes they went on to outscore their opponents by 1-7 to 0-2.

Hurling and sportsmanship were the winners on a great evening for Tipp hurling.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Cahill (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
Scorers: Kilruane: Jonathan Cahill 0-8, 2 frees; Pat Conway 2-1; Seamus Hennessy 1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees; Brian O’Meara 1-2, 0-1 free; Declan Barrett, Justin Cahill 0-1 each.
Lorrha: Sean Cleary 1-2; Patrick Maher 0-4, 2 frees; Bob O’Brien 1-1; David Fogarty, Eoin O’Meara, Cian Hogan, Noel Lane, Willie Maher 0-1 each; Ciaran Haugh, Ciaran Duggan 0-1 free each.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Ger Corcoran; Timmy Walsh, Freddie Williams, Paudie Kelly; Kevin Ryan, Thomas Williams, William Cleary; Seamus Hennessy, Declan Barrett; Pat Conway, Jonathon Cahill, Jason Darcy; James Williams, Brian O’Meara, Justin Cahill. Subs: Niall O’Meara for J Williams; Eanna Hogan for T Walsh (inj); Scott Hodgins for F Williams (inj).
Lorrha: Willie Maher; Conor Haugh, Graham Houlihan, Sean O’Meara; Andrew Hoctor, Brendan Fogarty, Colm Duggan; Noel Lane, Ciaran Haugh; Cian Hogan, Patrick Maher, Eoin O’Meara; David Fogarty, Bob O’Brien, Sean Cleary. Sub: James Duggan for E O’Meara (inj).

Referee: Willie Clohessy (Drom-Inch)