Badger’s goals prove critical for improving Turloughmore

Turloughmore 2-21  Ardrahan 2-15

TURLOUGHMORE’S greater need – and desire – for the two ‘Group B’ points on offer saw them overcome an under-strength but spirited Ardrahan outfit to advance to the knockout stages of the senior hurling championship following this enjoyable tie at Kenny Park, Athenry on Friday evening.

Although Ardrahan, buoyed by victories over Gort and Mullagh, had already qualified for the quarter-finals, Turloughmore, also without a couple of key players, had to secure a victory to book their place at the expense of Gort in the knock-out stages. This they did with a fine display of attacking prowess.

It did take a few minutes for Micheal Donoghue’s charges to settle as the lively Conor Tannian, who caused the Turlough defence plenty of bother in the opening period, won a free off Galway captain Fergal Moore for Maurice Callanan to convert before Tannian himself capitalised on a defensive mistake by Mark Murphy to put Ardrahan two up after two minutes.

That, though, was the only time Ardrahan – fielding without four of their first choice forwards, including inter-county target man Jonathan Glynn – led and once the victors got up and running, there was a certain inevitability about the outcome.

Indeed, by half-time, Turloughmore led 0-12 to 0-9 with a purple patch in which they scored five unanswered points between the third and 13th minute laying the foundation. By the three-quarter mark, this advantage was extended to nine points, 2-18 to 1-12.

Playing into a strong sun in the opening period and recovering from their tentative start, Turloughmore set down to the task in hand in the first quarter as Ronan Badger, Conor Shaughnessy (2), Francis Forde and Garry Burke found the target.

While that run gave Turloughmore a platform going forward, it also hit a nerve with a resurgent Ardrahan side and, prompted to take action, they upped the ante and over the remainder of the half, Maurice Callanan (three frees), Stephen Whelan, Tannian and Brian Murtagh (2) all landed points to keep their side in touch.