Moyne Templetuohy     1-14

St Mary’s                             0-16

By Mark Dunne PRO

A single point was all that separated these two teams following a ferocious battle in Cashel to give Moyne Templetuohy their first win in the County Intermediate Championship.

With both teams eyeing this fixture as a must win, it was no surprise that the game opened at the pace it did. Both teams vying for possession, Moyne Templetuohy through the stick of Diarmuid Leahy were first to get onto score board. A low ball into the corner saw Leahy rise, turn and score to get Moyne Templetuohy of the mark. Work rate was the order of the day and Moyne Templetuohy certainly brought this at times. Another high ball this time into full forward Denis Kelly saw his shot blocked and Dee Fogarty expertly put over the resulting 65. Wing back Pierce Meade was next to add to the scoreboard when he caught a high ball and scored from seventy plus metres out. Three points to no score after six minutes. Mary’s needed to wait until the 8th minute when free taker Sean Kennedy scored to settle them into the game. Further indiscipline from the Moyne Templetuohy defence saw Seamus Kennedy point to narrow the gap to one. Dee Fogarty got the next two and a superb long range point of his left for Donnacha Dunne saw Moyne Templetuohy push their lead to four points. However St Mary’s as expected fought back and scored the next two but what Mary’s can do Moyne Templetuohy can do better. Tom Meade and Diarmuid Leahy scored to leave the score board reading 0-08 to 0-04 with 10 minutes left in the half. Moyne Templetuohy now began to dominate, Liam Butler, John Coughlan and Thossie Hamill all hurling well and they were further rewarded when Dee Fogarty and Louis Everard pointed to give Moyne Templetuohy a six point lead with the break shortly approaching. A familiar foe crept back into the Moyne Templetuohy camp as further indiscipline saw Mary’s score three points before the break to reduce the gap to three. Dee Fogarty then pushed this out to four with a close range free. A tantalizing run through the Mary’s defence by Dee Fogarty saw him set up Leahy for what looked like a certain goal only for the Mary’s goalie to save. Half time followed with the score line reading Moyne Templetuohy 0-11 St. Mary’s 0-07.

The second half began with the same vigour and venom as the first. With only two minutes on the clock a long range free into Mary’s defence found its way to Mark Ryan who finish neatly to the net to give Moyne Templetuohy some breathing space. Mary’s though dug deep and with a changed approach saw them play long high balls into the Moyne Templetuohy defence. Some questionable frees allowed Mary’s back into the game. Things then began to heat up, the importance of the game now visible and following a side line scuffle a missed opportunity from Dee Fogarty would have pushed Moyne four points to the good, but a goal was all that separated the sides. Both teams worked extraordinarily hard to get scores but the stop start nature to the half made this difficult. Mary’s had now reduced the gap to two, but the ever hard working Dee Leahy scored from the distance to keep three points between the sides. With nerves nearly shot on the side line Mary’s worked hard and got to within one point of Moyne Templetuohy. With the game very much in the melting pot the many hours of hard training stood to the Moyne lads as they held on to claim a one point victory. Final score in Cashel Moyne Templetuohy 1-14 St Mary’s 0-16. 

The importance of seeing out a tight game will most certainly stand to the lads going forward. A terrific team effort from number one to number fifteen saw them deservingly claim the two points on offer. Niall Russell, Thossie Hamill, Tom Meade, Mark Ryan and Dee Leahy all hurled well giving Moyne Templetuohy a good start to this year’s Intermediate Championship. However a familiar foe unfortunately began to creep back into their game. St Mary’s scoring nine of their sixteen points from placed ball will leave some worry in the minds of the management team but for now their attention turns to football as the Mid Intermediate Final looms.

Team and scorers: Paul Maher, Joe O’Grady, Liam Butler, John Coughlan, Niall Russell, Thossie Hamill (0-01 free), Pierce Meade (0-01), Louis Everard (0-01) (C), Donnacha Dunne (0-01), Mark Ryan (1-00), Tom Meade (0-02), Dee Fogarty (0-02 frees, 0-02 65m, 0-01), Tomás Hassett, Denis Kelly, Dee Leahy (0-03). Subs used: John Hassett for Denis Kelly, Sean Maloney for Mark Ryan and Jason Bergin for Tomás Hassett 

Referee: TP O’Sullivan