Loughrea1-19

Kilconieron 0-18

By Ivan Smyth at Duggan Park

IN the end it wasn’t perfect. But on the opening round of the senior hurling championship, sometimes it doesn’t need to be. Even with the group stages seeing three of the four teams secure knockout hurling, opening round games bring a level of tension that often isn’t felt until later in the competition.

Loughrea came through a tricky local derby to commence their title defence on the right note. This wasn’t a vintage performance, but the champions can take satisfaction from grinding out the win against a hungry and written off opponent.

Tommy Kelly’s side will be targeting improvements across the coming weeks and months but after Friday night’s affair, there was a sense that Loughrea were relieved to come away with the spoils while also knowing they had plenty to improve upon going forward.

This was a ‘game of two halves’. In GAA circles, this normally refers to a game where one team controlled a first half and the other dominated the second period. On this occasion, neither team held decisive control of either half but rather the quality and rate of scoring was vastly different. Loughrea led 1-11 to 0-13 at half time after a first period played at a blistering pace.

In fact, the two sides combined for 15 scores in the first 14 minutes of the contest. However, the second half was a different affair as Loughrea outscored their foes 0-8 to 0-5 in the final period. Loughrea scored 1-7 from play in the first half but just three points outside of placed balls in the final period. Meanwhile, Kilconieron bagged 0-9 from play in the first 30 minutes but just a point from play in the final half.

Loughrea’s defence got to grips with Kilconieron’s attack in the second half as Shane Morgan impressed at centre back. But Loughrea struggled to apply the finishing blows as seven wides in the final period meant Kilconieron were able to hang on even though they struggled to carve out chances of their own.

Even though the absence of Sean Connaughton, who bagged 0-12 for Kilconieron in their preliminary quarter final last year, was felt in the second half, James Burke’s side can take positives from this showing. With five players making their senior championship debuts, their younger players showed what they could do with Eamonn McGlynn, in his first game at this level, impressing as he finished with four points from play. Shane Caulfield, Peter Martin and Ultan McGlynn also showed well.

For Loughrea, they will likely benefit more from a tight contest where Kilconieron held hopes of victory in injury time rather than by winning at a canter. Shane Morgan produced some important plays from centre back while Kieran Hanrahan stood outl in defence. Ian Hanrahan, Jamie Ryan and Tiernan Killeen all got on plenty of ball.

Pictured: Loughrea’s Jamie Ryan is surrounded by Kilconieron players Daniel Keane, Eamonn McGlynn and Shane Caulfield during Friday’s Senior A group tie at Duggan Park. Photo: David Cunniffe.