Minor A Hurling Championship - Round 4

Broadford Smith O’Briens            1-16
Sixmilebridge                                 0-10

25/07/2015 @ 1:00pm                    Referee: Jim Hickey

A smashing afternoon for hurling saw the combined clubs of Broadford Smith O’Briens overcome a confident and improving Sixmilebridge minor A team in Killaloe this afternoon.

Jim Hickey through in the ball at 5 minute passed the hour and it took some 8 minutes for the first point to be registered from the stick of Colin Balfe for the home side. In fact for the first 15mins or so of this game, one could have thought that they were at Wimbledon, such was the dominance of both Sean Phelan and Pa Mulready in their respective centre back positions. During the period, Colin Balfe was gifted a goal and followed it with another point after which the Bridge side-line moved Cathal Lynch on to Phelan. This move unlocked the gates for the Bridge lads as they now started to attack the opposition’s goal with more intensity. Cathaoir Agnew, who was now starting to get on the end of more ball, registered his first point. But for a fine save by Jack McMahon in the Broadford Smith O’Briens goal from a rasper of a shot by Colm Fitzgerald, , the teams could have gone in all square at half time rather than 1-6 to 0-6.

With only a score in the difference, the Bridge lads came back on the field determined to reel in the lake siders. The score line remained a 3pt game right up to the 48th minute with the Cathal Kinnane ruthlessly clearing his lines on numerous occasions. However, the Lakesiders registered 4 quick points from play between minutes 48 and 50 which seemed to completely deflate the Bridge lads. Michael O’Shea was now almost in total control of midfield despite the terrier like attention of Ronan Touhy and either took or was instrumental in creating the following scores. In that last period of 12mins, the home side outscored their opponents 8 points to 1 which was registered off the hurley of Jason Loughnane.

Despite the score line, the Bridge lads can take many positives from this game, in particular that they were able to hold the table toppers to one score for over ¾’s of the game, and also that they conceded only 2 scores from frees.  With their ever improving form, a favourable quarterfinal draw in two weeks’ time might just reward the lads the lads deserve.

Sixmilebridge: Shane Flynn; Jack O’Grady, Cathal Kinnane, Brian O’Sullivan; Oisin Fitzpatrick, Patrick Mulready, Niall Hogan; Cathal Lynch 0-2, Ronan Touhy; Stephen Slattery, Colm Fitzgerald 0-5 4F, Ronan Cahill; Cathaoir Agnew 0-2, Jason Loughnane 0-1, Mark Gaule.

Subs: Jamie Lyons 1-0 for Stephen Slattery (HT), Gerard Mullins for Ronan Touhy (56mins), Tadgh Donnellan, Cian Hogan, Pairic Ryan, Jordan Ryan, Joseph Hogan

Smith O‘Briens: Jack McMahon; Colin Balfe 1-2, Cathal Stritch, Michael Hogan; Mathew Troy, Sean Phelan 0-1 1F, Declan Power; Diarmuid O’Brien 0-3, Michael O’Shea 0-6; Diarmuid Whelan 0-1, Darren Chaplin, Patrick Gough 0-1; David O’Shea, Seamus Monaghan 0-1, Jack Dillon 0-1 1F.