CullinaneÕs late points steer Craughwell U-21s into final

Date Published: 11-Apr-2012

Craughwell 0-10

Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-8

Alan Dooley in Athenry

THE prospect of the second semi-final in the Swan Leisure Centre U21 A hurling championship also ending deadlocked appeared a real possibility until Craughwell’s Keelan Cullinane shattered Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s dreams with the final two scores of a titanic struggle at Kenny Park, Athenry on Monday evening.

They may not have overworked the scoreboard operator, but these two sides served up a rousing encounter given the cold and blustery conditions and the decent sized crowd were on the edge of their seats right to the finish as no more than two points separated the teams at any stage of the contest.

Aside from Cullinane’s heroics from placed balls, a sideline cut in injury time being the highlight, Craughwell are indebted to half forward Mark Horan, who managed to win possession and a crucial free when Cullinane mis-hit an attempted ’65 in the final minute, giving the free-taker a routine chance from in front of the posts to nudge Craughwell into the lead.

Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, who started with eight of their minor winning side of 2011, had a couple of chances at the death to launch balls in around the square in search of a winning goal, but even with all of their outfield players in the Craughwell half as the final ’65 was delivered, they were unable to breach the defensive wall.

A scrappy opening quarter began with a well-struck free by Craughwell’s Keelan Cullinane, while at the other end Shane Moloney, the Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry danger man and normally deadly accurate free taker, was off target on two occasions in the opening five minutes.

Left corner-forward Michael Dervan eventually opened Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s account before Moloney found his range in the 15th minute with a free. Soon after, though, a mis-hit free suggested that the full-forwards’ confidence had been dented by the earlier misses, and he was eventually removed from free-taking duties late in the second half.

Moloney was also being denied the chance to work his way into the contest by some diligent marking from the energetic John Martin and the sweeping role in front of the full back line employed by Cathal Greaney, who mopped up possession on countless occasions as Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry were careless in their deliveries forward.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.