Gardiner grabs the winner as Tommy Larkins edge it

Tommy Larkins 0-9

Cappataggle 1-5

Patrick Earley at Duggan Park

TOMMY Larkins atoned for their defeat to Cappataggle in last year’s minor B county final with a last gasp one-point victory over the same opposition in the 2019 U21 B county final played at Duggan Park.

On that occasion the better side won out and last Saturday it was no different, even if it did take a superb 64th minute point by full-forward Tomás Gardiner for the Woodford/Ballinakill outfit to secure the spoils.

With seven members of the Cappataggle starting line-up from that minor final, and six from the Larkins side, there was a sense of familiarity between the two teams with Larkins no doubt driven on by that defeat just three months ago.

Throw in players of the calibre of Michael Egan, Michael Garvey, Daniel Reddan, Donal Mannion and David Malone on the Cappy side, along with the Murphy twins, Eanna and Ronan of Larkins, into the fray and the quality on show was clear to see.

It was a day where playing styles would be crucial and Larkins were unquestionably the more physical of the two sides, which played a huge part in them taking the win.

Larkins tackled hard but fair by and large, with Cappataggle scoring only two frees over the course of the hour, a statistic offset somewhat by the wastefulness of Cappy from the placed ball, having struck three poor wides from frees and tried to work another short when the better option was to fire directly at the target.

At the other end, particularly in the first half, Cappataggle gave away some soft frees on a day where the better course of action was to force the opposition to shoot from open play.

Too often, they afforded Ronan Murphy cheap opportunities near goal, which the Larkins captain and Man of the Match duly slotted over the bar more often than not.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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