High-scoring ’Bridge too much for Tulla

Sixmilebridge  4-25

Tulla  2-13

In a high scoring senior hurling championship tie at Cusack Park on Tuesday evening, Sixmilebridge proved too lively for Tulla and easily extended their unbeaten run in this year’s campaign.

It was by far their best performance of the season and has pushed them near the top again in the list of favourites for the title.
From the start they took a grip on the game and had put down a marker in the fifth minute by which time they were four points clear. In the next 20 minutes Tulla enjoyed their best spell of the evening and with six minutes to go to the break just a point separated the teams with the ’Bridge ahead 0-8 to 0-7.
Just as they had started the half at a blistering pace, outscoring their opponents by six points to one, they completed the half in similar fashion and again outscored their neighbours by the same margin to lead at the midway point on a score of 0-14 to 0-8.
Full-forward Niall Gilligan accounted for half of his side’s first-half total, while David McInerney and Aidan Lynch scored three points each for Tulla.
When the second half got underway, the winners took up where they had left off and Danny Morey quickly put his stamp on the game, scoring 2-1 in the first three minutes of the half.
The winners added six unanswered points as they outscored their opponents, 2-7 to 0-1 in the third quarter to open an 18-point lead at the three-quarter stage.
David McInerney got through for a good goal for Tulla at the turn of the final quarter but this was quickly cancelled as Danny Morey completed his hat-trick when he finished to the net after Philip Brennan had saved form Seadna Morey.
To their credit, Tulla kept battling on and a brace of points from Aidan Lynch were followed by a Darragh Corry goal but there was to be no way back for Tulla and the winners finished out the game strongly with Declan Morey scoring their fourth goal a minute from the end.
Sixmilebridge were livelier and sharper throughout the field and their tactic of constantly switching their forwards caused all sorts of problems for Tulla, whose defence just could not cope with the movement of their opponents.
Shane Golden and John Fennessy dominated at midfield before Fennessy switched to wing-back when Robert Conlon picked up an injury. The Moreys, Danny, Declan and Seadna, blended well with the experience of Gilligan and Carmody. While Jamie Shanahan didn’t get on the scoresheet, he played an important part in the setting up of some of his side’s scores, notably Danny Morey’s second goal in the fourth minute of the second half.
At the back, Páidí Fitzpatrick, Aidan Quilligan and Tadhg Keogh were always prominent.
For a disappointing Tulla side, Paul and Aidan Lynch and David McInerney did best.
Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Tadhg Keogh, Aidan Quilligan, Paul Fitzpatrick; Barry O’Connor, Páidí Fitzpatrick, Robert Conlon; Shane Golden, John Fennessy; Seadna Morey, Tony Carmody, Declan Morey; Jamie Shanahan, Niall Gilligan, Danny Morey.
Subs: Pa Sheehan for Conlon (inj, 22 minutes); David O’Connor for Shanahan (46 minutes); Brian Culbert for Gilligan (50 minutes); Trevor Purcell for Keogh (53 minutes); Rory Shanahan for S Morey (53 minutes).
Scorers: Danny Morey (3-3); Niall Gilligan (0-8, 4f); Declan Morey (1-2); Shane Golden (0-5); Seadna Morey (0-4); Tony Carmody (0-2); Pa Sheehan (0-1).
Frees for: 12; wides: 9
Bookings: Rory Shanahan (54 minutes).
“We are happy with the display in view of the long lay off. In the last few weeks we really didn’t have a full squad because they were gone with one team or another. We came up here expecting an awful battle because earlier in the year they tore us apart in the cup. We knew from then we had a lot of work to do but we are happy with that performance,” Christy Chaplin, Sixmilebridge manager.
Tulla: Philip Brennan; Eugene Cooney, Sean Torpey, John Brennan; Cian McInerney, Paul Lynch, Mark Quinn; Brian Lynch, Conor O’Halloran; Aidan Lynch, Michael Murphy, Kieran Brennan; Cathal Dinan, Darragh Corry, David McInerney.
Subs: Declan Murphy for B Lynch (46 minutes); Brian Quinn for Murphy (46 minutes).
Scorers: Aidan Lynch (0-7, 5f); David McInerney (1-3); Darragh Corry (1-0); Cathal Dinan (0-2); Conor O’Halloran (0-1).
Frees for: 14; wides: 7
Bookings: Cathal Dinan (60 minutes)
“They were way better than us, way faster on the ball and onto the ball. We just weren’t able to live with them. They pulled out backs asunder and ran up a massive score. We put up as good a score as we ever did but their forwards tore our backs apart and usually our backs are the stronger part of our team. Tonight we weren’t at the races with them. Lucky enough we have another chance,” Jim McInerney Tulla manager.
n Referee: Rory Hickey, Éire Óg.