Struggling Kiltormer bounce back with critical group win

Date Published: {J}

Kiltormer 3-11

Loughrea 1-15

STEPHEN GLENNON

IN KENNY PARK

THE late Laurence Larkin would, no doubt, have loved this one. For Larkin – who was part of Cyril Farrell’s backroom team when the Tribesmen won the historic 1980 All-Ireland – always had a smile on his face when his beloved Kiltormer were in full flow.

It may be a stretch to say that this was a throw-back to the good old days, but even Larkin – who sadly passed away last January – would have revelled in the spirit shown by the class of 2010 in this keenly contested third round senior hurling championship tie at Kenny Park on Saturday evening.

For, during a 10-minute spell, a wind-assisted Kiltormer outfit played some outstanding hurling to outscore a shell-shocked Loughrea by 2-5 to a point to lead 2-9 to 0-7 at the change of ends. On a weekend when Killimordaly had already sprung a major surprise in accounting for Kinvara, Kiltormer were in pole position to knock another recent county finalist back on their heels.

That said, by 19 minutes, it was Loughrea who held the upperhand, leading 0-6 to 0-4. Patrick Hoban, Johnny Maher, Gavin Keary and Johnny O’Loughlin (free) all traded points with Keith Kilkenny (2), Shane Tierney and David Hayes in the opening quarter, before a brace of O’Loughlin frees nudged Loughrea into a two-point lead.

However, within 30 seconds of those frees, Brendan Kenny had secured Kiltormer’s first goal – and the lead – when he showed good instinct to pull on his effort first time beyond Loughrea keeper Nigel Murray. Suddenly, one of the sleeping giants of Galway hurling awoke.

In the ensuing minutes, the powerhouse that is Keith Kilkenny clipped over three fine points, two from frees, before a subsequent swift counter resulted in Kenny registering a fine point.

Although a Kenneth Colleran effort sought to stop the rot for Loughrea, Kiltormer were now in the ascendancy and on 28 minutes an incisive handpass from Kevin McKeigue put full-forward Conor Ryan into the clear and he made no mistake in dispatching his strike to the Loughrea net.

A minute later, corner forward Michael Dolan squeezed over a superb point from the tightest of angles to leave the victors cradling an eight-point lead heading into the second period.

Incredibly, by the 41st minute, Kiltormer’s advantage had ballooned to 11 points, 3-10 to 0-8, after Kenny collected a Kilkenny delivery and he intelligently used the boot to finish his effort to the Loughrea net. When Kilkenny added a point from a free shortly after, it seemed Sean McKeigue’s charges were well on their way to a comfortable victory.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.