Carnmore.net
Larkin's Sparkle in County Decider
Tommie Larkins………5-2 Carnmore………1-12
IT was a fairytale come true at Pearse Stadium on Sunday - a team four years in existence, the surprise packet of the Championship, took the rest of the county by storm and won for themselves the Galway Senior Hurling title. Tommie Larkins - representing Woodford and Ballinakill - won their first title with a display of speed, skill and verve which coupled with the spirit of youth thrilled the attendance of over 7,000.
Their tremendous new attitude to hurling blew like a fresh wind through the hitherto "cob webbed corridors" of Galway hurling during the championship and it rapidly transformed the game in the county: a game that is fast becoming as popular once more as it was in years gone by. One example of the tremendous new attitude that is sweeping the county is the really incredible series of "gates" which championship has yielded - over 6,000 at the semi-finals and £1380 taken at Pearse Stadium Sunday. Again the new attitude was typified by the atmosphere after the win with the almost Wembley like cheering crowds and the lap of honour of the Stadium as the cup was held aloft.
ON WAY BACK
I think it was then that many people realized that hurling in Co. Galway is on the way back and it is no longer the poor relation of sport in the county. This was clear all through in the standard of hurling served up with the quality of striking and play really improved tremendously in the past while, and it all went to provide an extremely enjoyable game right through. For some of the players in Tommie Larkin's this was especially true. Certainly for left back Tony Brehony it was. He played a really tremendous hour and policed "the star" Padraic Fahy out of the game. Everywhere Fahy went Brehony followed, much to the former's discomfiture.
But if I single out one player it was that he was really standing. For this was above else a team victory: a win for a side that was yards faster to the ball all through and never looked anything but winners all the way. In view of the two points margin, and this may sound strange but I think the unquestioned superiority of Larkin's must have impressed everyone there. And though Carnmore did take the lead in the first half and come back late in the second half to grab a goal it would have been "daylight robbery" had Carnmore edged them out.
Monopoly
Right through Larkin's had practically a monopoly of the ball through their sheer appetite for work and their infectious enthusiasm for the job in hand. They seemed at stages to have two men on the field for every Carnmore man, such was their speed. But, if they were slower to the ball Carnmore never gave up fighting as is witnessed by their dogged determination all through and their forcing a goal minutes from the end which for some must have awoken hopes' of a comeback.
Their particularly strong sector was in defence where Jack Hession and John Long starred in the half back line. For despite the fact that Larkin's scored five goals, they were repeatedly repulsed in dangerous situations. But to my mind one of the deciding sectors for Larkin's was at centerfield where Sam Stanley and Paddy Kelly were dominant. They did have real trouble from the tough-as-nails Sean Murphy but established the upper-hand very much in the second half.
OUTSTANDING
In the half forward line, of the Stanley's brother, Fr. Cathal was one of the outstanding players of the hour. He showed a tremendous willingness as to work and his scores were vital in Larkin's win. Other highly impressive forwards were Eamon Donoghue, Paddy Madden, Tom and Paddy Donoghue. In defence Jim Finn with full back Martin Fahy and goalie Cathal Dervan were best with Brehony. In attack Carnmore were decidedly weak and may have been banking too much on Fahy. But they did have hard workers in John Conroy, Matt Greaney and Tom Madden. Pick of their defenders were Madden, Hession and Long.
Carnmore started with the wind but had a real shock in the first minute when Larkin's crashed home a goal. The move was finished by Padraic Donoghue who took the ball on the run and with a quick flick pf his stick the ball was in the net. Seconds later Cathal Stanley was wide with a good attempt at goal. Carnmore opened their account two minutes later with a point from Willie Greaney and in the eighth John Conroy had a fine point from near centerfield. Cathal Stanley was wide from a free in the twelfth and Carnmore came back three minutes later with a point from a free. But in the seventeenth back came Larkin's. Paddy Madden sent a rasper across the goalmouth. It was blocked back across again by a Larkin's man. The goalie Walsh seemed to have it covered and sent it back out but the ball went to Fogarty who crashed it to the net.
TREMENDOUS
Sean Murphy replied in the eighteenth with a tremendous point from well over seventy yards. Then followed a period of Carnmore revival. Long sent in a shot which the goalie fumbled and was lucky to get away with. In the twentieth Padraic Fahy had a point from a twenty one yard free. Madden had a point from play to level scoring once more at 2-0 to 0-6. Murphy gave them the lead with a point from fully seventy five yards and Madden increased it with another after Padraic Fahy had fluffed a free. Cathal Stanley missed with a shot at goal from a free for Larkin's before Carnmore increased their lead with a point from play.
Larkin's crashed back into the game in the twenty ninth with a great goal from Cathal Stanley from a twenty one yard free. Just before half time Larkin's missed a chance of scoring to leave the sides level 3-0 to 0-9 at half-time. There were no lapses in the second half by Larkin's. Two minutes after the resumption Cathal Stanley had a point from a free. Larkin's had a hotly disputed wide a minute later. In the fifth Tom Donoghue increased their lead with another point. In the thirteenth minute Tom Donoghue sent to the net to put Larkin's 4-2 to 0-9 ahead. Padraic Fahy replied with two points from frees for Carnmore but in the fifteenth Paddy Madden sent in a speculative shot to the Carnmore square and it bounced across the line. A desperate attempt to get on terms began for Carnmore in the twentieth with two quick points from Tom Madden. Two minutes from time John Conroy had a goal for Carnmore but it was too late and Larkin's were winners by two points.
Teams:
Carnmore: P. Walsh, M.Cooney, J.Hession, P. Fahy, F. Madden, M. Greaney, J. Long, S.Murphy, J. Duggan, T. Madden, J. Hughes, P. Fahy, J. Conroy, T. Lenihan and W. Greaney.
Larkins: C. Dervan, T.Fahy, B. Dixon, J.Finn, F. Donoghue, T. Brehony S. Stanley, P. Kelly, T. Ryan, C. Stanley, C. Farrell, T. Donoghue, P. Donoghue, M. Fogarty.