McGrath Oil West U19B Hurling Shield: Lattin Culle claim the title

Lattin/Cullen 1-14

Rockwell/Rosegreen 1-13

By John O’Shea at Clonoulty

Lattin Cullen are the McGrath Oil West Under 19 Hurling Shield winners for 2022 following their one point victory over the Rockwell Rosegreen combination at Clonoulty on Saturday night. This 13- a – side competition, for teams who didn’t make the knockout stages of the championship, served up an exciting hour’s hurling with very little separating them throughout.

The combination had three excellent score getters in Podge Quinlan, Oisin Cummins and free taker Andrew Tobin, but Lattin were a more balanced outfit.

The opening period was even enough with Diarmaid Looby getting off the mark at the near end, with a well taken point inside the first minute. Andrew Tobin levelled from a placed ball five minutes later, before Looby eased Lattin back in front, only to be cancelled out with a Podge Quinlan point for the combination. All square after ten minutes.

Lattin got the first break on the quarter hour when Willie Perry finished off a good move, crashing to the net with a one-handed pull. Rockwell Rosegreen came right back into the game and hit the next four points with two each from Podge Quinlan and Oisin Cummins. Darragh Quirke equalised six minutes before the break.

The combination were back in front with five minutes remaining, following points from Andrew Tobin and Oisin Cummins but a late flurry from Lattin resulted in Tomas O’Shea and Diarmaid Looby putting over the equalising points to leave the half time score Lattin Cullen 1.5, Rockwell Rosegreen 0.8.

Above: Tommy Hayes presented the winning Lattin Cullen captain, Diarmaid Looby, with the West Board Shield

The second half started with three points inside the opening two minutes with one each coming from Podge Quinlan, Willie Perry and Tomas 0’Shea. Andrew Tobin got on the end of a good Rockwell Rosegreen move to crash the ball past Paddy Chapman giving them a two-point advantage after four minutes.

Gary Quirke hit back with two points in succession to tie the game for the sixth time at 1.9 each. Podge Quinlan and Andrew Tobin then eased Rockwell Rosegreen back in front by the three-quarter mark with two excellent scores. This lead was short lived as as Seanie Bourke and Darragh Quirke got in for the equalising scores at the far end. T

obin converted two close in frees to put the combination two up with six minutes remaining. However, these were to be their last scores as Lattin finished the stronger, hitting the last three points of the game, with Gary Quirke and Tomas O’Shea hitting their third points before captain Diarmaid Looby send over the winner three minutes from time.

After the game West Chairman Tommy Hayes presented the winning Lattin Cullen captain, Diarmaid Looby, with the West Board Shield, much to the delight of their faithful followers.