Monaleen 1-17 Tooreen 1-15
Donnacha Ó Dálaigh's second-half performance inspired Monaleen to AIB All-Ireland intermediate club glory over Tooreen in an absorbing final of hurling.
Tooreen led all the way until the 54th minute, agonisingly for the Mayo men, Ó Dálaigh reeled them in with five second-half points from play, each one as good as the next.
Having toiled on the wing in the first half, it was a positional masterstroke by Eoin Brislane to move Ó Dálaigh into the square where he no doubt swung the final’s momentum.
Not singlehandedly however, as Mark O’Dwyer was excellent throughout for the winners.Tooreen looked set for silverware in the opening stages, playing some spellbinding hurling. Shane Boland and Seán Regan found the range while at the back keeping Monaleen scoreless up until the 12th minute.
Monaleen first showed their match-winning resilience in the first half when Dan Power found the net to level the game entirely against the run of play.Tooreen kept focus and Eoin Delaney was quickest to react to goalkeeper Bobby Douglas’s long free and he set Liam Lavin in for a well taken major in front of the Hill.
The final was nicely poised at the interval with Tooreen leading 1-09 to 1-07, with late O’Dwyer and Andrew La Touche Cosgrave points keeping Monaleen within striking distance.
Upon the resumption Delaney smacked over a beaut and topped up shortly after with a Boland free. Donnacha Ó Dálaigh opened his account with a nippy point, yet the Mayo men were still looking the better side.
For work rate alone, Tooreen were in the ascendancy, hassling and harrying Monaleen into snapshots from awkward angles suited them too. With the Munster men flustered, Tooreen could not capitalise.
Dropped off the Mayo football panel two weeks ago, Fergal Boland did find the range but O’Dálaigh added his second, finishing off an excellent move and O’Dwyer made it a one-point game after Daniel Huane could not grasp possession.
Such was the pressure the final quarter was error ridden, but highly entertaining. Cathal Freeman rose above the mistakes to clip over his second score, a crucial effort that seemed to only inspire his opponents.
O’Dwyer surged onto the next couple of possessions that swung the game in his team’s favour, a free and a wonderful effort under the Hogan Stand to level the absorbing affair.
Ó Dalaigh in the 54th minute then put the Limerick men in front and with the lead for the first time in the game they would not be caught.
Monaleen: Jamie Power; Simon Griffin, Bryan Canny, Jamie Porter; Leo Morrison, Lorcan Lyons, Ronan Lyons; Joseph Fitzgerald (0-01), Lochlann McHale; Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (0-05), Mark O’Dwyer (0-07, 0-04f), Andrew La Touche Cosgrave (0-02); Dan Power (1-00), Ed Doyle (0-01), Luke Murphy.
Subs Used: David Maloney for D Power (54), Eoghan O’Driscoll for O’Dwyer (60).
Tooreen: Bobby Douglas; Conor Henry, Michael Morley, Oisín Greally; David Kenny (0-01), Stephen Coyne, Joe Boyle; Seán Kenny, Fergal Boland(0-02); Liam Lavin (1-01), Daniel Huane, Cathal Freeman (0-03); Seán Regan(0-02); Shane Boland (0-04, 0-02f), Eoin Delaney (0-02).
Subs Used: Kenny Feeney for Huane (51), Gary Nolan for C Henry (59).
Referee: Colum Cunning (Dunloy Cúchullains)
