Roscrea physicality the difference in North U21 decider against Toomevara

North Tipperary Under 21A Hurling Championship Final 

Roscrea 1-20 

Toomevara 2-13 

By Liam Hogan

In an impressive display, Roscrea claimed their eighth North Tipperary Under U21A Hurling title and their first since 1984 when they defeated a game Toomevara side following a well-contested final played in Templederry last Sunday at noon.

The winners won because they had the better all-round team which had some very good individual displays of skill and brilliant scores. 

Four of the Roscrea forwards made the scoresheet all except Leigh Loughnane and Conor Dooley but that pair made huge contributions especially Loughnane whose ability to win highball was an asset. 

Further out the field, Conor Donovan was an expert from the placed ball when he was his teams’ top scorer in an unerring display with 0-11 including ten frees and a spectacular sideline cut early in the second half when Roscrea were on the ascendency. 

The Roscrea defence was solid all through with Brian O’Rourke and Conor Shanahan shoring up the half backline in partnership with Luke Seacy who enjoyed the role as sweeper come centre-back to give a man-of-the-match display. 

Contrast that with Toomevara where Darragh McCarthy was their biggest asset with the number eleven supplying 1-11 (0-9f) to his credit. 

He began in the attack but was switched to midfield after 20 minutes as Roscrea were gaining the upper hand and he impressed ever more with two massive long-range points from play at a time his side needed them approaching half-time.

Earlier in the first half McCarthy scored Toome’s first goal in the seventh minute when his speculative high shot from out on the right wing underneath the covered stand deceived Roscrea goalkeeper Harry Loughnane with the ball slipping from the outstretched hand of the Tipperary minor custodian. In his defence, the bright sunshine to his left didn’t help.

The goal gave Toome a 1-1 to 0-2 lead with the Roscrea scores coming from Diarmuid McLoughlin and a free by Conor Donovan. Mcarthy increased Toome’s lead to three with a free, a lead that could have been better but four wides in the opening twelve minutes didn’t help. 

On the other, the Roscrea attack showed much more potential. Leigh Loughnane impressed with a string of high catches as Diarmuid McLoughlin added two back-to-back points to leave the minimum between the teams. 

Helped by the stiff breeze, Toomevara increased their lead to four with Jake Hackett supplying Toome’s first score from play in the 13th minute quickly followed by two McCarthy frees. However, Roscrea managed to curb the Toome headway with Kenny Lee springing to life with a score before Conor Donovan added another free.

Led by Dan Farrell, Cian Ryan and Cathal Frend the Toome defence didn’t make too many errors but bringing Darragh McCarthy to the middle sector was handsomely repaid with two spectacular points from inside his own 65 giving Toome a four-point lead for the second time with six minutes to the break.

However, Roscrea refused to let Toome out of sight and two Donovan frees from outside the fifty-five-metre mark kept them close. Darragh McCarthy added another free but a similar Donovan which made the half-time break reading Toome in front 1-8 to 0-9. 

With Roscrea now helped by the breeze, didn’t waste much time in reducing the deficit with Donovan on target once more aided by an equalising score from play by Dylan Hogan after an assist by Leigh Loughnane after 38 minutes.

Little was to separate the teams as scores would be level twice more in the next nine minutes with Toomevara taking the lead each time through Cian Ryan and Darragh McCarthy (free) only to be matched with two Donovan points, the first a brilliant sideline cut. 

The next three minutes, however, was a game changer with Roscrea taking over, and were handsomely rewarded with three unanswered points by Diarmuid McLoughlin, Donavon from a free and Sam Dooley securing the third in the 50th minute. 

Daragh McCarthy’s pointed free reduced Toome’s worries but Roscrea’s defensive play of Eoin Larkin, Brain O’Rourke, and Liam Seacy proved much too good for the remainder of the Toome attack and upfront the Roscrea attack made hay as Donovan secured two more frees before Sam Dooley scored spectacularly from the left-hand touchline to give Roscrea a five-point advantage 0-19 to 1-11. 

Toome would give anything for a reprieve and four minutes from time they found it when Jake Hackett, now operating on the inside forward line, fired first time to the back of the Roscrea net. 

An exciting finish was in prospect as Toome came forward once more but a critical intervention by Liam Seacy saw Roscrea initiate an attack with Kenny Lee’s high ball from midfield was flicked to the net from close in by Jamie Ryan.

It took a minute before the goal stood as referee John Cleary went in to consult his umpires who had kept a close eye on things while John was keeping check on an altercation of the ball close to the midfield area. 

Suddenly Roscrea’s five-point advantage was worth much more but Toome kept in the frame with Darragh McCarthy posting his tenth point in the 59th minute leaving Roscrea under pressure but that pressure was relieved when Dylan Hogan doubled his account in the 63rd minute with the five point advantage enough to ward off a Toome fight back with Darragh McCarthy eleventh point, a free coming too late. 

With the final whistle sounding the big Roscrea support who were relieved to see the title back after a gap of 39 years. The defeats in the 1987, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2006, and 2021 finals were now a faded memory as team captain Liam Seacy accepted the silverware from North Board chairman Michael Tierney. 

Roscrea: Harry Loughnane; Lee Doran, Eoin Larkin, Cathal McDonald; Brian O’Rourke, Luke Seacy, Conor Shanahan; Conor O’Donovan (0-11, 0-10f, 0-1 s-cut), Kenny Lee (0-1); Diarmuid McLoughlin (0-4), Dylan Hogan (0-2), Leigh Loughnane; Sam Dooley (0-2), Conor Dooley, Jamie Ryan (1-0).

Subs used: Josh McMahon for McLoughlin (58).  

Toomevara: Cormac Hogan; Cathal Frend, James Duff, Joshua Powell; Cian Ryan (0-1), Dan Farrell, Oisin Troy; Kenny Ryan, Jake Hackett (1-1); Adam Hall, Daragh McCarthy (1-11, 0-9f), Kieran Boyle; Tim Flaherty, James Meagher, Conor Grace.

Subs used: Eoin Healy for Flaherty (41); Joseph Coffey for Meagher (49); Jack Doran for Grace (57). 

Referee: John Cleary (Knockshegowna)