Goal blitz helps Turloughmore put league titles back-to-back

Turloughmore 4-23

Oranmore-Maree 0-20

By Oisín Noone

At Duggan Park

FOUR first half goals put Turloughmore in a commanding position as they retained their Division 1 Hurling League crown on Sunday in Ballinasloe, with Oranmore-Maree unable to mount a sustained challenge thereafter.

The contest remained balanced for the opening 20 minutes with the runners-up trailing by just 2-5 to 0-10 before Turloughmore seized control with a 2-7 to two points scoring burst to carry a 12-point lead into the interval. It was early silverware for Tipperary native Eoin Brislane in his first season in charge following his move from Monaleen in Limerick.

The result mirrored last year’s championship quarter-final clash between the sides, when Turloughmore emerged 5-16 to 0-21 winners after overcoming a bright Oranmore-Maree start. The challengers were without 2017 All-Ireland winner Niall Burke, while Cathal Sweeney, Thomas Blake and Stephen Ruane were also late withdrawals from their starting XV.

Both of Turloughmore’s starting midfielders and all six forwards registered from play during the opening half, underlining the balance and efficiency of their attack. Oranmore-Maree impressed with a series of ambitious long-range efforts early on, but their accuracy faded as the contest progressed.

Turloughmore quickly exposed the spaces between Oranmore-Maree’s defensive lines with Matthew Tarpey opening the scoring with a goal after just two minutes following an incisive pass from the industrious Barry Callanan.

Anthony Keady responded for Oranmore-Maree before the in-form duo of Conor Walsh and Dara Whelan slotted points to increase Turloughmore’s lead. Ruben Davitt capitalised on a Turlough' error in possession to cut the deficit to three, but Daniel Madden quickly replied.

Brian O’Connell’s charges began to threaten from distance, with Gearóid McInerney sparking a scoring spell with an effort from inside his own 65. Goalkeeper Jack Grealish followed with a remarkable point from just outside his own 21-yard line before Colm Burke converted a free to leave the minimum between the sides.

While Bríon Connolly marshalled a full-back line that offered Oranmore-Maree little change, Barry Callanan produced a moment of brilliance at the other end, flicking the sliotar over his marker’s head before doubling on it to fire home Turloughmore’s second goal after just ten minutes.

Grealish added another superb long-range point before Burke and Cillian Costello found the target for Oranmore-Maree. Turloughmore continued to respond through Walsh and Whelan, while further scores from Ryan O’Donnell and Keady ensured the margin remained at the minimum.

Tom Quirke and Sean Loftus registered scores, with Callanan, Tarpey and O’Hanlon all increasing their tallies as Turloughmore asserted their dominance. Davitt and Burke provided a couple of responses for Oranmore-Maree during this period, but goals from Whelan and Walsh on the 23rd and 30th minute gave the men in blue a steep hill to climb in the second half. Turlough' led 4-12 to 0-12 by the break.

The scoreline’s complexion changed little during the second half as Oranmore-Maree never reduced the deficit below ten points. Ruben Davitt pointed shortly after the restart, though that would be his team’s last score from play for another 25 minutes as Turloughmore defenders stayed on top.

Burke and Walsh matched each other’s free-taking efforts with four each in the second half, while Callanan, Patrick O’Kane, O’Hanlon, Whelan, Gearóid Fahy and Darragh Walsh (free) helped cement the champions’ position, stretching the lead to 15 by full-time.

Conor and Ronan Hanniffy contributed three points off the bench combined for Oranmore-Maree, but there was never any danger of a comeback as Turloughmore closed out an emphatic victory to claim league silverware once more.

Their squad strength was evident on Sunday as they never looked in doubt despite being without their five Galway senior panellists in Daithí Burke, Cillian Trayers, Sean Linnane, Cillian Whelan and Dan Loftus. They will once again be among the contenders when this year’s championship gets underway.

Oranmore-Maree find themselves in this year’s ‘group of death’, alongside St. Thomas’, Sarsfields and Castlegar. They will look to rediscover the unbeaten league form that carried them to this decider in the weeks ahead.

TURLOUGHMORE: D. Walsh (0-1, free); L. Williams, B. Connolly, M. Morris; G. Fahy (0-1), J. Holland (captain), K. Hussey; D. Whelan (1-3), T. Quirke (0-1); C. Walsh (1-6, 0-4 frees), S. O’Hanlon (0-4), M. Tarpey (1-2); B. Callanan (1-2), S. Loftus (0-1), D. Madden (0-1). Subs: D. Clarke, for Morris, half-time; P. O’Kane (0-1), for Callanan, 43 mins; V. Doyle, for Hussey, 50 mins; A. O’Shaughnessy, for Holland, 50 mins; S. Lyons, for Tarpey, 52 mins.

ORANMORE-MAREE: J. Grealish (0-2); G. Carr, C. Whelan, P. Burke; D. Hanniffy, G. McInerney (0-1), T. Grealish; C. Burke (0-7, 0-7 frees), R. Malone (captain); R. O’Donnell (0-2), A. Keady (0-2), R. Davitt (0-2); C. Costello (0-1), C. Hanniffy (0-2), N. Geoghegan. Subs: J. Keady, for T. Grealish, half-time; M. Furey, for J. Keady, 38 mins; B. Commins, for McInerney, 45 mins; S. Bannon, for P. Burke, 56 mins; R. Hanniffy (0-1), for Costello, 56 mins.

REFEREE: Noel Quinn.

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Dara Whelan (Turloughmore).