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HURLING|Hurlers Suffer Narrow Defeat.

Monday 14.03.2016
Team Talk Mag
Club


Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A

Louth 2-19 Tyrone 2-16

 

A BATTLING second half display from Tyrone failed to yield the desired result as Louth emerged deserving three point winners in a high scoring National Hurling League encounter, at Darver on Sunday.

 

A raft of suspensions arising from the Warwickshire game forced manager Kevin Ryan’s hand somewhat for this round four fixture, but his dwindling squad produced another gutsy display that narrowly fell short as Louth joined Tyrone, Monaghan and Fingal in second place on four points with one round of fixtures remaining.

Dungannon sharpshooter Damian Casey drove the visiting challenge. Unerring from placed balls and from play Casey contributed 1-11 to the visiting tally, but in Liam Dwan, Louth had the perfect response as the contest developed into a free taking bout between the two players.

 

Dwan rattled over six frees for a personal return of 1-7 with Nigel Stanley delivering a man of the match performance on day Shane Callan and Gerard Smith also played leading roles for Dee McCarthy’s men.

 

A Gerard Gilmore goal handed Tyrone the early inititive with Casey twice splitting the target to augment fine efforts from the hurls of Aidan Kelly and Gilmore, but it was soon evient that Louth were up for the challenge.

 

With Darren O’Hanrahan and Ronan Byrne mopping up a lot of loose possession Louth clawed their way back with Smith and Holycross star Dwan knocking over points. Casey managed a free for a 1-5 to 0-6 advantage before Louth’s enterprising approach play yielded a goal from Dwan.

 

Sean Og Grogan and Casey hoisted over scores as the lead changed hands again, but the Leinster men were dominating the central channels and five of the final six points before half time helped them into a narrow 1-11 to 1-8 interval lead.

 

Casey’s sixth of the afternoon minutes into the second half hinted at a competitive tussle and even though Louth retorted with successive strikes from Dwan and Callan, Tyrone were on the rise. With Justin Kelly, Tiernan Morgan and Aidan Kelly responding to the leadership of Casey the visitors reeled off four successive points to level the argument by the 14th minute.

 

It was full back Kelly, who ignited the recovery with a quality point from play and after Gilmore registered a fine individual point, Casey weighed in with two more for a 1-13 to 1-13 stalemate.

 

Crucially though Louth stole another march on their guests with a second green flag courtesy of Andrew Mackin.

 

Twice Casey and Dwan traded scorers before Casey powered the sliothar to the back of James Connolly’s net for a 2-16 to 2-15 score line. McCarthy’s men remained focussed with Dwan and Callan adding the defining points that rendered Casey’s third 65 of the half as a consolation score.

 

Tyrone travel to Roscommon in round five where a win could see them through to the league final. Fingal meet Louth and Monaghan host struggling Warwickshire, but with any one of four capable of joining the Rossies in the final it is all to play for next Sunday.

 

Louth scorers – Liam Dwan 1-7, Shane Callan 0-4, Gerard Smith 0-4, Andrew Mackin 1-0, Nigel Stanley 0-2, Diarmuid Murphy 0-2,

 

Tyrone scorers – Damian Casey 1-11, Gerard Gilmore 1-2, Sean Og Grogan 0-1, Aidan Kelly 0-1, Justin Kelly 0-1

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