Alan Tynan hits form for Roscrea to secure senior status in relegation semi win over Lorrha

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Relegation Semi-Final 

Roscrea 1-21 

Lorrha 1-18

By Liam Hogan 

Five unanswered points between the 50th and 57th minutes helped Roscrea get over Lorrha in an exciting FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Relegation semi-final at a sunlit Tomas MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan, last Saturday evening.

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The brilliant finish completed an improved second-half performance for the winners, who trailed by four points at half-time but were boosted by an Alan Tynan goal nine seconds into the second half. As the half continued, the comeback materialised bit by bit, as they reeled in Lorrha by picking off points from various angles and distances, with the Tipp All-Ireland winner finishing top scorer on 1-4 by the end.

In fairness, Lorrha never stopped trying. They played well in the first half, but the second half was a disappointment in that they failed to score from play, depending on free-taker Colm Fogarty to score all of Lorrha’s six second-half points from frees.

As well as scoring, Alan Tynan was Roscrea’s chief man as he popped up in all areas of the field. His brother Darragh was a free-ranging centre back and had more to offer, scoring two points from play.

Conor Sheedy added a point from a free but played a key role as sweeper, while wing-back Michael Campion also scored on a half-back line that grew in confidence in curtailing the Lorrha half-forward line of Niall McIntyre, Cian Hogan and Colm Fogarty.

Dan Ryan led the way at midfield with a prominent display, giving plenty of supply to a full-forward line of Evan Fitzpatrick, Conor Dooley and Jason Gilmartin, who combined to score six points from play.

Lorrha will have to do it all over again as they face Mullinahone in the relegation final in two weeks. Nobody could have asked any more of their defence, where Ciaran Hough rolled back the years with a great display, while Lee Hogan, Tom Duggan and Michael Dolan did not go missing in front of goalkeeper Michael Kennedy, who produced a very good save early in the first half.

Play ebbed and flowed from end to end in the opening 16 minutes as scores were level four times in that period. Back-to-back points by Donncha Meara and Cian Hogan had Lorrha in front, but Roscrea were level by the ninth minute after Jason Gilmartin and wing-back Michael Campion were each on target.

Over the next five minutes Lorrha twice took the lead through Niall McIntyre and Christopher (free), only to see Jason Gilmartin and Conor Dooley take turns in grabbing an equaliser. Evan Fitzpatrick gave Roscrea the lead for the first time in the 15th minute, but Colm Fogarty quickly equalised before Lorrha finally found a gap in the Roscrea defence, Conor Kennedy finding the back of the net after good build-up play by Patrick Maher and Eoin McIntyre.

The next 10 minutes saw nine scores shared by the teams, each taking turns to move the umpires into action, with Roscrea claiming the lion’s share of five thanks to Shane Fletcher (two, one from a free), along with Darragh Tynan, Alan Tynan and Evan Fitzpatrick. Niall McIntyre, Ciaran Hough and Conor Kennedy all scored from play, with Michael Dolan adding a long-range free, which had Lorrha leading 1-9 to 0-9. 

The fast scoring rate continued at pace as Evan Fitzpatrick and Eoin McIntyre swapped points before Lorrha’s lead increased to four for the first time, Colm Fogarty landing an 80-metre free on the half-hour.

It didn’t finish there, as Alan Tynan’s response was from halfway – his second such score – but an equally brilliant point by Donnacha O’Meara had the lead back out to four as the teams went to the dressing rooms with Lorrha ahead 1-12 to 0-11.

Roscrea won possession from the throw-in, with Dan Ryan going on a surging run and, having cut the Lorrha defence in two, Alan Tynan’s off-the-shoulder run earned him the chance to bury the ball in Michael Kennedy’s net. It took only nine seconds to complete the move. However, two Colm Fogarty frees within three minutes had Lorrha three in front before Roscrea cut the margin back to one after Kenny Lee replied from play, assisted by a 90-metre free from Conor Sheedy in the 35th minute.

After Fogarty extended the Lorrha lead to two, the quick score-for-score pattern began to dry up, as it was the 43rd minute before Shane Fletcher had the game’s next score, a converted free (his third), leaving Alan Tynan to level four minutes later.

The game remained in the balance as Fogarty’s next free had Lorrha in front, but Roscrea were back level thanks to a brilliant point by Darragh Tynan from halfway and under the covered stand. Another Lorrha attack was quelled by a close-marking Roscrea defence, and from defence to attack, Roscrea raced downfield for Dan Ryan’s great run, which ended in a well-taken point by the midfielder.

The score inspired Roscrea and over the next eight minutes they hit a great run of four more unanswered points through Shane Fletcher, Alan Tynan, Fletcher from a free and Conor Dooley, who caught a long Enda Moloney delivery, to see Roscrea five in front as the game entered the closing three minutes.

While Roscrea could play with more ease, they still faced a determined Lorrha attack, and injury-time frees by Fogarty brought them within three of the leaders. But after 64 minutes of action, referee Ciaran O’Donovan blew for full time, and Roscrea could look forward to action in senior hurling next year thanks to their 1-21 to 1-18 win.

Roscrea: Enda Moloney; Aidan Booth, Shane Davis, Luke Seacy; Michael Campion (0-1), Darragh Tynan (0-2), Conor Sheedy 0-1f; Alan Tynan (1-4); Dan Ryan (0-1); Leigh Loughnane, Shane Fletcher (0-5, 0-4f), Kenny Lee (0-1); Evan Fitzpatrick (0-2), Conor Dooley (0-2), Jason Gilmartin (0-2).

Subs used: Conor Booth for Seacy (33); Conor Phelan for Loughnane (HT); Luke Cashin for Gilmartin (45); Sam Dooley for Lee (55).

Lorrha: Michael Kennedy; Lee Hogan, Ciaran Haugh (0-1), Tom Duggan; Conor Hogan, Michael Dolan (0-1f), Brendan Fogarty; Eoin McIntyre (0-1), Colm Fogarty (0-9f); Niall McIntyre (0-2), Cian Hogan (0-1), Christopher Fogarty; Donnacha O’Meara (0-2), Patrick Maher, Conor Kennedy (1-1).

Subs used: Alan O’Meara for D O’Meara (49); David Fogarty for C Hogan (52); Oisin Guinan for N McIntyre (53).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess)

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