Turloughmore men on the march

Turloughmore   1-19

Beagh                   0-16

AN efficient, hard-working performance enabled Turloughmore to claim a place in the last eight of the Galway senior hurling championship on Sunday,as they advanced from Group C at the expense of previously unbeaten Beagh at Kenny Park, Athenry.

Having turned around level with seemingly little between the sides in a high-scoring opening half, Turloughmore hit a purple patch on the resumption and stretched six clear by the 41st minute with a string of fine scores. Startlingly, around the same time, Beagh’s shooting became highly erratic and they went through a 20 minute spell where they managed just a solitary point from six attempts.

The usually reliable Kevin Keehan missed a couple of, by his standard, regulation frees for Beagh and while Turloughmore themselves went through a 13 minute scoreless spell until the impressive Brian Murphy cracked over two in a minute for Turlough, it left Beagh chasing two goals in the closing stages to draw level, a result which would have seen them through on scoring difference.

On only one occasion though, in the final minute, did they threaten a recovery when, with four between the sides, Joe Gantley bore down on goal with one thing on his mind. His shot, however, surprisingly failed to call ‘keeper Paul Dullaghan into action as it went harmlessly wide, and points in injury time from Turloughmore’s Conor Shaughnessy and Shane Burke sealed the outcome.

These sides are becoming used to encountering one another in do-or-die contests in recent years, with Turloughmore coming out on top in a defining group clash in 2012, before Beagh gained sweet, unexpected revenge last year with a hard fought quarter final victory.

Despite not having seen championship action for close to two months, Turloughmore were still rated as favourites against Brendan Gantley’s side, who had beaten Craughwell at the end of August. Throw in the fact that Turloughmore started without the influential Fergal Moore, Jamie Holland, or Seán Linnane, and it was no surprise that a close to full strength Beagh side, with Kieran Diviney their only absentee, would strongly fancy their chances.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.