Championship experience was the key to Loughrea's victory over Turloughmore

By JIM CARNEY Loughrea 1-12 Turloughmore 0-7 IT simply wasn't meant to be for gallant Turloughmore at Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday. Maybe the sporting gods were so cold and wet on a dreadful day for hurling that they tossed a coin to decide the outcome of this Salthill Hotel-sponsored Senior Hurling Championship semi-final and the spirit of some old, long-gone Loughrea hurler called correctly and helped the team known as â€ËœThe Town' to their sixth County final of the new century. The reality, of course, was that a battle-hardened Loughrea team had too much Championship experience for Turlough' and they were always doing enough to stay comfortably ahead. It wasn't that Turlough' flopped, having gone unbeaten all year, although they will feel their team should have offered more on such a big day. It was more a case that they were chasing the game from the first whistle to the last and that scenario rarely provides an opportunity to produce the fluent, strong performance that's planned on the training ground. On the evidence of what we witnessed on Sunday, even taking the bad weather into account, Loughrea will take all the beating in the final. Neither Gort, the reigning champions, nor a rapidly emerging young St Thomas's team are likely to stop Loughrea's well-oiled machine. If it's Gort, with their suspended captain Andy Coen back on sentry duty at right full-back, it would be quite a battle and Gort would be hugely determined to keep their crown and put in a better effort in the All-Ireland Club Championship than they did last year, while St Thomas' youth and speed would trouble the Loughrea defence. We'll have fresh thoughts on that next week, after the Gort vs St Tom's replay at Athenry on Sunday (1.00 o'clock), followed at 2.30 by the County Intermediate Hurling Championship final between Ahascragh-Fohenagh and Killimordaly. Fergal Moore showed All-Star class A notable feature of the first half of Loughrea vs Turloughmore was the dynamic play of county team captain and newly crowned All-Star Fergal Moore in the Turlough' full-back line. One short run across the line and crunching tackle was reminiscent of the 'hit' Fergal made on Conor Lehane of Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final on August 12th. But there was only so much that one man could do against the power and attacking thrust of these Loughrea forwards and two midfielders, Gavin Keary and Emmet Mahony, who were also confident when they took the sliotar on runs into the heart of the Turloughmore defence. Daithí Burke, who's had a great County Cup campaign at centre half-back, didn't have the freedom to assert himself in this game, such was the pressure exerted by Loughrea, but two more of Turlough's very good younger players, Kevin Hussey at No. 7 and midfielder Matthew Keating (one fantastic point, from play), were excellent. Once again, big full-forward Johnny Maher was the winners' key man. He's much more than a freetaker, of course; there's danger every time the ball comes in and he's as willing to lay it off to a better placed colleague as he is to dip his shoulder and go man-to-man in a physical battle. No matter who provides the opposition in the county final, Johnny Maher is likely to be top scorer and maybe the leading provider, too. It was 1-6 to 0-4 in favour of Loughrea at half-time. The only goal of the game came in the 19th minute, expertly finished to the net by the fast man at top of the left, Kenneth Colleran, after brilliant approach work by raiding midfielder Emmet Mahony. Interestingly, in Loughrea's quarter-final replay win over Mullagh those two players had also combined to equally good effect, so there's method in how Eamonn Kelly's team go looking for goals. On the change of ends and needing scores, â€Â¨Ã¢€Â¨Turloughmore put in huge effort but Loughrea kept working hard and restricted the Black and Whites to three points. Loughrea's young right half-back Seán Sweeney pointed a huge free from inside his own half of the field, to show that they have brilliant freetakers from far out and close to goal, while they also have strength-in-depth with some very good hurlers in the subs. Turlough' must look to their young talent It's a disappointing end to a great Championship run by Turloughmore, conquerors of Portumna in their previous outing, but they have much to look back on with satisfaction. Reaching the County Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2004, they played every Championship and League game this year with pride in the famous Black and White jersey, and they gave their large army of loyal followers great days out. There is a huge amount of hurling talent coming through in the parish, from minor down through U-16 to the U-12s who are featured inside Herald Sport this week. Some of the older players will know there are youngsters waiting in the wings. It might take a few years â€â€ and if they win the Minor final replay it would be great to bring that team to challenge for an U-21 title in two or three years' time â€â€ but undoubtedly the future for Turloughmore is bright. Loughrea: N. Murray; Eoin Mahony, D. McClearn, S. Sweeney (0-1, free); J. Coen, Paul Hoban, B. Mahony; G. Keary, capt., Emmet Mahony; J. O'Loughlin (0-1), V. Maher, Pa Hoban (0-2); N. Keary (0-1), J. Maher (0-7, six frees), K. Colleran (1-0). â€Â¨Ã¢€Â¨Subs., J. Dooley, for Emmett Mahony, 59 mins; T. Regan, for B. Mahony, 61 mins. Turloughmore: P. Dullaghan; M. Casserly, R. Burke, F. Moore; B. Holland, D. Burke, K. Hussey; C. Burke (0-1), M. Keating, captain (0-1); M. Morris, D. O'Shaughnessy, G. Burke (0-1, free); F. Forde (0-1), R. Badger (0-3, all frees), B. Murphy. â€Â¨Ã¢€Â¨Subs., D. Forde, for Badger, 50 mins; C. Moore, for Morris, 54 mins; B. Cullinane, for Murphy, 57 mins. â€Â¨Ã¢€Â¨Referee: Leonard Fay. Herald Sport Man of the Match: Johnny Maher (Loughrea). * Gort and St Thomas's goes to a replay: Page 19