Hurlers lose out to London

LONDON 0-18 TYRONE 0-11

TYRONE Senior Hurlers made the trip to Ruislip on Sunday to face London in the fourth round of the Allianz League.

Whilst the aim going into the game would have been to secure two league points – and further assure their place in the division – a strong second half from the home team meant that Tyrone went home empty handed.

In a tight opening half it was London who opened the scoring through their star man, Jack Goulding. Tyrone responded with a series of scores from Joe McToal, Ben Gormley and Aidy Kelly to give themselves a slender lead after 20 minutes.

With conditions wet and slippery underfoot, both sides struggled with their movement and forward play. The teams exchanged a series of scores as the half progressed, Malcolm Flannery, Sean Glynn and Goulding all on target for the home side.

London were reduced to 14-men approaching the break, Matthew Barlow sent off for a strike on Tyrone’s Fionn Devlin. Scores from Lorcan Devlin
and Rory Weir followed however and as per the theme of the opening half, London responded, and the game was level at half time.

Tyrone’s aim in the second half would have been to build on their numerical advantage – and indeed to continue the gutsy performance they’d brought to the game. However, it was the home side who took control.

Five scores in the opening minutes, from Goulding, Glynn and Robbie Murphy, left Tyrone with it all to do. The Red Hands did eventually respond
through Kelly to narrow the gap, however the Ruislip-based side had their sights set on the win and it was Goulding who stepped up again, hitting several impressive scores from range.

At this point, Tyrone made some positional changes and moved Lorcan Devlin and Fionn Devlin closer to goal, aiming to create some goal scoring opportunities. That plan would have worked if it wasn’t for London shot stopper Tommy Wallace.

The keeper made a series of saves and was well aided by his full-back line who blunted out several promising Tyrone attacks. Cormac Munroe, Sean Og Grogan and Lorcan Devlin did keep the scoreboard ticking with points from play.

At the other end, London’s attack was well refined – Paul Kennedy, Adam Cunney and Goulding took advantage of space left from Tyrone’s press and converted several points from distance. In the end, it was London’s response to going a man down that secured their victory. Despite the best efforts of Tyrone, they couldn’t claw back the damage done in those opening five minutes after the break.

THE TEAMS
Tyrone
Conor McElhatton; Dean Rafferty, Oran McKee, Seamus Sweeney; Ruairi Devlin, Fionn Devlin, Mark McClean; Ben Gormley, James McCann; Cormac Munroe, Aidy Kelly, Lorcan Devlin; Joe McToal, Sean Og Grogan, Rory Weir. Subs – Anthony Crossan for Gormley, Cormac Taggart for R
Devlin, Ronan Maguire for Weir, Turlough Mullin for McClean.
London
Tommy Wallace; Cillian MacSweeney, Shane Stapleton, Matthew Barlow; Cathal O’Carroll, Sean O’Meara, Tom Millerick; Adam Cunney, Robbie Murphy; Owen Shiel, Sean Glynn, Niall Broderick; Malcolm Flannery, Jack Goulding, Eoin McGrath.