Christy Ring & Lory Meagher Round-Ups: Roscommon And Offaly Into Ring Cup Semi-Finals; Louth Reach Lory Meagher Decider
By Daire Walsh
Roscommon and Offaly can look forward to Christy Ring Cup semi-finals next weekend, after overcoming the respective challenges of Sligo and Derry in Round 2B of the competition.
Following the disappointment of their opening round defeat to Wicklow, the Rossies got their campaign back on track with a hard-fought 0-20 to 0-17 victory against their Connacht rivals at Waldron Park, Athleague this afternoon.
Cathal Dolan was the star of the show for the hosts, finishing with an outstanding tally of 0-13 (0-11 from placed balls). Gerard O’Kelly Lynch was equally adept for Sligo, contributing 12 points over the course of the contest.
There was little to separate the teams for much of the action but with Johnny Coyne and Conor Mulry posting two points apiece from open play, Roscommon had just enough in reserve to get over the line.
The Nicky Rackard Cup champions in 2019 (and the Lory Meagher Cup winners the year before that), Sligo had a delayed introduction to life in the higher grade of championship. Due to a Covid issue within their camp, the Yeats County were forced to hand a walkover to Derry on October 25.
While the county’s footballers had a similar issue that led to them pulling out of this weekend’s Connacht semi-final meeting with Galway, the hurlers arrived in enemy territory intent on claiming the spoils. It certainly began in fine spirits for Sligo, with Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (two) and Conor Hannify registering unanswered points.
Roscommon maintained their composure during these early exchanges, and four Dolan frees in quick succession gave them a slender lead on the stroke of 15 minutes. Shane Curley and Dolan chipped in with additional dead-ball efforts, before the latter bagged his side’s first score from play.
After a lengthy barren spell, Tony O’Kelly Lynch, Andrew Kilcullen and Gerard O’Kelly Lynch were on target to move Sligo within a single point of their opponents. In a tense conclusion to the opening period, Dolan (free) and Coyne points preceded a Hannify free for the visitors.
Coyne and Mulry raised white flags for the Rossies in stoppage-time, but yet another Gerard O’Kelly Lynch free left them just three points adrift (0-11 to 0-8) at the break and still very much in contention. Though Gerard O’Kelly Lynch added a brace on the resumption, Oisin Kelly and Dolan found the range either side of it.
Yet Sligo’s challenge was beginning to rise and three points in quick succession courtesy of Hannify and Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (two) wiped out the Roscommon advantage. The teams were still on parity with 20 minutes played in the second half, after Gerard O’Kelly Lynch’s two-point salvo arrived in response to Dolan and Mulry contributions.
With the game in the melting pot, Dolan took the game by the scruff of the neck – grabbing three successive points to edged Roscommon within touching distance of a precious win. They were reduced to 14 men in the closing moments when Mickey Joe Egan received his marching orders but in spite of another Gerard O’Kelly Lynch brace, Eoghan Costello and the imperious Dolan (free) ensured the Rossies are now just 70 minutes away from reaching their first final at this level.
At Páirc Esler, Newry on Saturday afternoon, Offaly marked their belated Christy Ring bow with a convincing 0-32 to 1-12 triumph over Derry.
Having been forced to give a walkover to Kildare in the first round – following a positive Covid-19 test for a player, which led to 27 squad members being listed as close contacts – the Faithful County’s first game in this third-tier competition was a do-or-die affair.
Derry lost out narrowly to provincial rivals Down at Ballycran seven days earlier. With a full 70 minutes of action under their belt, the Oak Loaf were a dangerous proposition for Offaly on paper. However, powered by an inspirational display from Eoghan Cahill, Michael Fennelly’s Leinster charges book a spot in the final-four.
On the same day that his uncle Adrian sadly passed away, the Birr ace finished the contest with 0-17 to his name – building on his impressive league form in Division 2A. Assuming free-taking duties from the talismanic Shane Dooley, he registered 50 points over the course of five appearances in the spring.
In addition to his dead-ball prowess, Cahill posted four points from play. In total, 11 Offaly players got their name on the scoresheet and this aspect will undoubtedly please Fennelly as he plots an immediate return to the Joe McDonagh Cup with his adopted county.
Cahill and midfield partner David Nally provided the Leinster men with a powerful platform and when the whistle sounded for the first water break of the contest, they were 0-8 to 0-3 in front. Derry did their utmost to address this deficit and if it wasn’t for a number of missed free opportunities by the normally reliable Cormac O’Doherty, there may well have been a way back into the reckoning for the 2015 finalists.
Instead, Offaly brought a 0-16 to 0-6 buffer into the interval and already had one foot in the next phase. To Derry’s credit, they continued to work hard at both ends of the field and were duly rewarded with a 41st-minute goal courtesy of Richie Mullan.
Still, Offaly remained in control and the subsequent dismissal of opposition corner-back John Mullan effectively placed the outcome beyond all doubt. Cahill immediately extended their advantage and with Cillian Kiely deployed as the spare man in defence, the Faithful comprehensively dominated the remaining minutes of the tie.
Supplementing Cahill’s extraordinary final tally, corner-forward Liam Langton came away with an excellent three-point haul for Offaly. Oisin Kelly, Colm Gath and Peter Geraghty claimed two points apiece, while Ben Conneely, Jason Sampson, Nally, Sean Cleary, Brian Duignan and Thomas Geraghty completed their list of scorers.
Despite those first half misses, O’Doherty did slot over 0-8 for Derry. Fintan Bradley (two), Conor Kelly and Jerome McGuigan were the other point scorers for the Ulster side, who will now look to forge another promotion bid from Division 2B of the National Hurling League when it gets back underway in 2021.
Meanwhile, Louth will face Fermanagh in the Lory Meagher Cup final after they overcame Cavan on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-16 at Kingspan Breffni this afternoon.
Following their draw with Fermanagh at Enniskillen seven days earlier, Cavan just needed to avoid defeat in order to qualify for the competition’s showpiece next weekend. They fought back late on to move within a single point of the Wee County, but fell just short in their quest for a maiden final appearance at this grade.
Louth will now renew acquaintances with Fermanagh, who defeated the Leinster men by a single point (3-10 to 1-15) at Darver on October 24.
In an even start to the action, Darren Geoghegan (two), David Kettle and Liam Molloy were all on target for Louth. Cavan also enjoyed a good return from their attack with Brian Fitzgerald (two), Sean Keating and Fiachra Hughes raising white flags.
However, Louth created daylight courtesy of points from Geoghegan (two) and Ryan Walsh, before Andrew Mackin rattled the Cavan net on 19 minutes. Another Geoghegan placed-ball effort stretched them seven points clear and while Philip Brady responded at the opposite end, the Breffni outfit were finding it increasingly difficult to put tabs on their eastern counterparts.
With Paul Matthews and Kettle adding points, Louth were 1-10 to 0-7 in front at the midway stage. The 2016 champions remained on course for a final spot when they led by six points on the third-quarter mark.
There was some anxious moments in the Louth ranks, however, as a result of David Kettle’s dismissal for a second yellow card offence. This consequently put a spring in Cavan’s step and five points without reply – three for Fitzgerald and one piece for Sean Keating and Cillian Sheanon – set up a grandstand finale.
Another Cavan point would have put them in the decider at the expense of Louth. Instead Geoghegan’s seventh and final point deep into time added on sealed the deal for the Wee County.