Lorrha survive mighty extra time challenge from Borrisokane to secure final four spot

FBD Insurance Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Lorrha 1-23

Borrisokane 0-25 AET

Lorrha received the scre of their lives earlier today as they were taken all the way and then some by near neighbours Borrisokane in an exciting intermediate quarter final in Nenagh.

Despite having had the better of a tame first half and taking a seven point lead into the break, Borrisokane got on top in the second half and very nearly could have snatched victory late on, only for some ppor shooting.

But in fairness to Lorrha, they dug deep while under the cosh and a late Brian Hogan free five minutes into added time took the game to two more periods of ten minutes, where they just about managed to hang on for a narrow win.

A really subdued start to the game ensued in the first few minutes of the contest, with the first score coming after five minutes from a nice Cian Hogan strike to get the ball rolling in the Lorrha men’s direction.

That nearly acted as a spark to the Borrisokane efforts as they responded in kind with two quick points in succession in the following two minutes, both coming from the stick of captain Mike Heenan who was set up by clever passes on both occasions from Conor Ryan and Stephen Gavin.

However, the fare was settling down into a fairly scrappy spectacle with both teams swarming in the tackle, but Lorrha looked the most dangerous in spells with Patrick Maher pointing aftert a brilliant drilled stick pass from Colm Fogarty, which was added to in the eighth minute from a free from Brian Hogan.

Jack Larkin got his first opportunity from a placed ball a minute later, which he took to level proceedings again, but after a shortage stoppage for an injury, Lorrha turned it on for two minutes, with Cian Hogan firstly pointing after a quikcly taken sideline, before Patrick Maher produced the deftest of hand pass to the overlapping Christopher Fogarty to bare down on goal and finish from close range.

That opened a four point gap after the first quarter, and Borrisokane continued to struggle to get any sort of possession in the forward line, with the remainder of the half proving extremely dis-jointed all bar one of the final eight points of the half coming from frees traded between Brian Hogan and Jack Larkin; Lorrha in a commanding position going into the second half ahead 1-10 to 0-6.

Whatever was said at half time by the Borrisokane management seemed to work a treat, and after Jack Larkin (free) and Niall McIntyre traded points in the opening minutes the town team went on a four point run with two Jack Larkin scores, with points from Gary Ryan and a beauty from Mike Heenan had the game back to three points by the 40th minute. 

Lorrha looked asleep after the restart but they eventually re-opened a four point lead with two frees in a row from Colm Fogarty in the next five minutes, but the exchanges thereafter continued to go the Borrisokane way, as they hit another scoring burst with three frees in a row from Jack Larkin to bring it back to two points by the 50th minute.

Colm Fogarty was looking to drag his side over the line as he picked off two lovely points from play either side of a fine team score from Borrisokane, finished by Dylan Power after linking up with Philip Austin as the men in blue held a precarious three point lead with five minutes to go.

But all the momentum seemed to be with Borris’ as they were winning most of the duels around the pitch and  Jack Larkin was the man to step up in the final minutes of the half, scoring three points in a row inclding an absolute beauty from in three minutes had the game level with only added time to come.

Colm Fogarty notched yet another from play for his side to regain the lead, but it wouldn’t separate the teams, as two more Lorrha scores from Christopher Fogarty and Brian Hogan (free) were responded too by three Jack Larkin frees to send the game to extra time.

This was now a very tense affair but Lorrha got off to the better start in the first period with captain Michael Dolan finding his range from distance before another Brian Hogan free sending to two ahead early doors.

But Borrisokane were still battling, as Lorrha continued to foul and give Jack Larkin opportunities as he bagged two frees in the half, either side of a close range Colm Fogarty free to give the Lorrha men a slender one point advantage going into the second period.

It didn’t take long for Borris’ to draw the game level through yet another Jack Larkin free - which he manufactured himself - but with the energy used so far by both sets of players beginning to take its toll, chances were hard to come by, but Lorrha managed to find a lead score again Martin Gorman controlling a high ball brilliantly to power over from close range.

But Jack Larkin was a man in a mood to dig it out for his team, and won yet another free for himself to convert with four minutes gone, however, they wouldn’t be able to claw back Lorrha’s winning point in the 78th minute from a long range Brian Hogan free, which sends Lorrha into a semi-final after a massive scare from their neighbours.

Scorers: Lorrha: (0-8, 0-4f), Brian Hogan 0-6f, Christopher Fogarty 1-2, Cian Hogan 0-2, Niall McIntyre, Martin Gorman, Michael Dolan, Darragh Guinan, Patrick Maher all 0-1 each.

Borrisokane: Jack Larkin (0-20, 0-18f), Mike Heenan 0-3, Gary Ryan, Dylan Power both 0-1 each.

Lorrha: Kevin Hough; Tom Duggan, Michael Dolan, Oisin Guinan; Denis O’Meara, Brian Hogan, Daniel O’Donoghue; Darragh Guinan, Alan O’Meara; Niall McIntyre, Cian Hogan, David Fogarty; Christopher Fogarty, Patrick Maher, Colm Fogarty.

Subs: Martin Gorman for A O’Meara (51); Conor Hogan for O Guinan (51); Ronan O’Meara for D Fogarty (67, ET).

Borrisokane: Colm Larkin; Brian Dooley, Shane Nevin, Jimmy Hough; Peter Collins, Liam Cleary, Bryan Davis; Stephen Gavin, Mike Heenan; Dylan Power, Philip Austin, Oisin Larkin; Jack Larkin, Gary Ryan, Conor Ryan.

Subs: Liam Dooley for Gary Ryan (43); Sheody Cleary for Collins (63, ET); Kevin Cleary for Gavin (64, ET); Gary Ryan for Heenan (HT ET).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)