ORANMORE/MAREE1-20

CAPPATAGGLE 0-16

By DAVID CONNORS AT KENNY PARK

ORANMORE-Maree have begun their 2025 senior championship campaign in impressive fashion, registering consecutive victories over two of the competition’s perennial contenders from this past decade.

On opening day, they avenged last year’s defeat to Sarsfields and followed that up with a commanding seven-point win over last season’s beaten finalists Cappataggle in a tense and ill-tempered affair on Saturday evening. That second outing, however, will be remembered just as much for the ugly melees involving players and management from both sides as for the result itself.

From Cappataggle’s perspective, they can have few complaints about the result on the back of this sloppy performance. They were wasteful in possession – especially when building from deep – and repeatedly coughed up turnovers in uncharacteristic fashion. Their tally of just 16 points, only five of which came from play, simply won’t suffice in modern-day championship hurling, especially in perfect conditions.

One of those poor clearances led to the game’s only goal. Oranmore-Maree’s Conor Hanniffy was gifted a straightforward finish in the 45th minute after a defensive lapse, putting crucial daylight between the teams for the first time in the contest.

For much of the game, scores were at a premium. Oranmore-Maree led 0-8 to 0-6 at the break in a stop-start first half where tensions escalated gradually. Cappataggle’s key forwards –Ja Mannion and the Collins brothers, Niall and Liam – were largely kept quiet by an aggressive Oranmore-Maree rearguard, led by the ever-reliable Gearóid McInerney.

The early stages saw the sides trade points, with Oranmore-Maree taking the lead on three occasions, only for Cappataggle to peg them back each time. Rory Burke, lively throughout operating as a third midfielder, contributed two early points (one from a free), while Ruben Davitt also got in on the act.

Cappataggle’s replies came via two Cian Bowes frees and a fine solo score from Mannion, who used his trademark acceleration to create space before firing over from near the terrace sideline.

Oranmore-Maree then edged into the lead with scores from Burke (two frees), Niall Burke, and Davitt, but Cappy again drew level by the 28th minute, thanks to two more Bowes frees and a long-range Niall Collins effort.

Pictured: Cappataggle’s Cian Bowes getting his strike in despite the presence of Ross Malone and Colm Burke of Oranmore-Maree during Saturday’s Senior group tie at Kenny Park. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.