Hurling semi is too close to call

Date Published: 16-Oct-2008

LOUGHREA’S Gavin Keary will miss his side’s semi-final clash with Gort at Kenny Park this Sunday (3:30 pm), after the powerful midfielder broke a finger in the 2006 county champions’ quarter-final tie against Craughwell.

Keary has been one of Loughrea’s great leaders in recent years, underlined by his first half display against Craughwell, when he helped his side into a 2-5 to 0-8 lead, before he had to retire at the interval through injury.

Aside from Keary, the Loughrea management team of Padraic Duddy, Mike Kelly, Pat Donohue, and Pat O’Connor have a full panel of players to select from, although they are closely monitoring the fitness of corner forward Keith Daniels, who has been carrying a back injury.

Loughrea’s strength in recent years is that they have a settled team, which, at this stage, almost picks itself. Nigel Murray is a very fine goalkeeper, while the defence – comprising of household names like Thomas Regan, Damien McClearn, Dermot Melia, Johnny Dooley and Nigel Shaughnessy – is one of the most miserly in the business.

Brothers Johnny and Vinnie Maher have returned to training this week, following the funeral of their mother Mary last Friday. Vinnie will more than likely line out in the middle of the park, but it remains to be seen – given Keary’s injury – who his midfield partner will be. Raymond Regan and Eddie McMahon would be viable options.

In attack, Loughrea will look to Johnny Maher and Johnny O’Loughlin, who have scored 2-44 (1-14 from play) and 3-15 (3-14 from play) respectively in the championship. Other notable contributors have been the in-form duo of Gordon Glynn and Kenneth Colleran, both of whom found the net in Loughrea’s 2-15 to 1-15 quarter-final victory over Craughwell.

“Gordon Glynn and Kenneth Colleran both played very well against Craughwell and I also thought that Greg Kennedy was extremely effective at centre-forward,” says Loughrea mentor Pat O’Connor. “I think we are coming into form at the right time, after just scraping through a lot of our games earlier in the year.

“I also think, though, that anything we have done so far in our games will be no way good enough to beat Gort. So we will have to work very hard on Sunday if we are to make it to the county final.”

For their part, Gort …