We were beaten 2:12 to 0:15 AET. Hard luck to our lads who fought hard all the way.
Team:
1. Brian Sherlock
2. Willie Ryan
3. John O'Dwyer
4. Declan O'Donoghue
5. Bill O'Flaherty
6. Johnny Mulqueen (0-1)
7. Peter Gill
8. Mike O'Flaherty
9. Damien Maher
10. Tadhg O'Halloran (0-1)
11. Danny Ryan
12. Tommy Walsh
13. Eoin Hogan (0-3)
14. John O'Brien
15. Stephen Murray (0-10; 0-2 from play)
Subs Used: Jack O'Flaherty, Tony Hogan, Vincent Kearns and James Coady.
Below is the Guardian match report, minus the glaringly inaccurate paragraph.
Toomevara prevail in ill-tempered encounterToomevara 2-12; Burgess 0-15 Unsavory scenes marred what proved a tempestuous and ill-tempered North U21 'A' hurling semi-final encounter between Burgess and Toomevara on Sunday afternoon.
Disappointingly the game will be remembered for a nasty row which broke out mid-way through the second half, a row that resulted in the red carding of two players from each side but in truth it could have been ten players from each side such was the nature of the altercation.
Tempers were teetering on the brink of boiling point throughout with a number of refereeing decisions raising the ire of both sets of supporters but referee, Liam Hogan would have been well within his rights to abandon the game after it threatened to spiral out of control in the 43rd minute.
Hogan had already brandished a raft of yellow cards in the opening half in an attempt to keep a lid on matters, but with the escalation of intensity in the second half it was only a matter of time before the game boiled over.
However, he managed restore calm to proceedings with the dismissals, and for the remainder of the game and the ensuing extra time period both sides gave their all in their efforts to book a spot in the final.
In fairness, this was a game that saw both sides manufacture some sublime scores while the hurling at times was fast, frenetic and hugely riveting. Both sides went into the game determined to get one over on each other and with the intense rivalry between the clubs the large crowd in attendance were treated to over an hour’s hard, committed hurling. Indeed, such was the crowd on the sideline that they continually encroached onto the field of play making line ball decisions very difficult for the officials.
Burgess went into the encounter without the services of a number of players with Jack Flaherty, Kevin Seymour, Tony Hogan, Kieran Ryan and Kevin Flaherty unavailable to start. Despite this, Burgess fielded a side with plenty of experience and backboned by John O’Dwyer, Johnny Mulqueen, Eoin Hogan, Stephen Murray and Peter Gill.
Toomevara had no injury worries prior to throw-in and like Burgess they also fielded a side brimming with experience.
Burgess started brightly with Stephen Murray opening his side’s account after six minutes before Paddy Grace retorted with a Toome’ free less than 60 seconds later. With Murray roving out the field for puck-outs and picking up loose ball, Burgess had Toome’ under the kosh in the opening quarter.
While both defences were on top in the opening stages three unanswered frees from the stick of Murray between the seventh and twelfth minutes saw Burgess surge three points clear before a 20th minute free, again from Murray, put Burgess four clear after Colin Hall was deemed to have fouled Murray.
The closing ten minutes of the half saw Toomevara come to terms with Burgess’ tactics and cut the deficit to three thanks to a Paddy Grace effort from range. Toomevara were back on terms in the 21st minute after a scything attack cut the Burgess defence wide open. Conor O’Meara started the attack before a neat hand-pass sent Mark McCarthy through on goal. McCarthy spotted Padraic Shanahan all on his own inside and his neat flick into the path of Shanahan resulted in Toome’s first goal.
As the interval approached Burgess edged back in front with an Eoin Hogan point but two points from Paddy Grace, the first from play and the second a well-struck free, together with a fine Mark McCarthy effort, put Toome’ back in the driving seat. Grace added another free deep in injury time to ensure Toomevara took a 1-6 to 0-6 lead to the dressing room.
Burgess emerged determined to set down a marker and prior to the re-start some off the ball shenanigans set the tone for the coming 30 minutes. However, it was Toomevara who were first to add to their tally with Paddy Grace converting a 34th minute free before a minor schemozzle in the middle of the field saw Jason Ryan, Stephen Murray and Conor Delaney all booked.
Toomevara continued to turn the screw with Paddy Grace converting a 37th minute free after Johnny Mulqueen was adjudged to have fouled Kieran Ryan. Burgess responded with their first point of the half in the 41st minute with Stephen Murray’s close range free deflected over the crossbar by Jason Ryan on the Toome’ goal line.
In a flash the resulting altercation descended into an allout row involving over 20 players from both sides. The row spilled out over the sideline as respective mentors ran to calm matters down.
However, this was no minor schemozzle and the unsavoury nature of the scenes saw both fists and hurleys flying. The row continued for a good minute or more as more players became embroiled and when eventually some semblance of calm was restored, Liam Hogan brandished straight red cards to Toomevara’s Aidan Cahill and Mark McCarthy while Burgess defenders, Peter Gill and Bill Flaherty also saw red.
The row appeared to affect Toomevara more than Burgess and the rejigged 13 aside format saw Burgess seize the initiative. Successive points from Johnny Mulqueen and Stephen Murray and another 54th minute Murray free brought Burgess to within one point. Burgess started to turn the screw and continued to mount attack after attack with Tadgh O’Halloran finally restoring parity with a sublime 56th minute effort.
Toomevara responded with a Padraic Shanahan point with two minutes remaining before up stepped Burgess cornerforward, Eoin Hogan to level matters right on the stroke of full time.
However, many expected there to be a least five minutes of injury time considering the length of the row but referee, Liam Hogan called a halt to proceedings after thirty seconds of injury time to send the game to extra-time with the scores tied at 1-9 to 0-12.
With both teams restored to 15 for extra time, Shane Nolan and Luke Ryan came on for Toomevara while Tony Hogan and Vincent Kearns were drafted into the fray for Burgess.
Toomevara seized the initiative in the first period of extra-time and although Stephen Murray edged Burgess in front after three minutes Toome’s responded with a Conor Delaney goal after Shane Nolan delivered a timely handpass to put the midfielder through on goal.
Paddy Grace quickly added another Toome’ point before Nolan almost linked up with Delaney again for a third goal only for his hand-pass to loop just too high for the inrushing Delaney. Stephen Murray added a closerange free for Burgess as the interval approached but at the break his side trailed by 2-10 to 0-14.
Both sides really emptied themselves in extra time with Darren Delaney and Johnny Mulqueen both in commanding form for their respective sides. However, it was Burgess who were dealt an injury blow straight after the restart with Jack Flaherty forced off with a leg injury.
Burgess went in search of an all important goal and Vincent Kearns came oh so close and as the sliotar bounced around the small square Burgess desperately tried to poke the sliotar past Brian Delaney in the Toomevara goal. The attack came to nothing though and Toomevara surged back upfield with successive points from Pady Grace and substitute, Mark Harty putting the game beyond Burgess’ reach. Toomevara progress then to the North final following an absorbing, contentious and controversial encounter.
Taking out the unsavoury incidents this was an encounter that had supporters on the edge of their seats. Both sides gave their all with Toomevara’s Cathal Kennedy, Darren Delaney, Andrew Ryan, Colin Hall, Colm Canning and Jason Ryan all impressive in defence. Both Kieran Ryan and Conor Delaney impressed at midfield while in attack Paddy Grace and Padraic Shanahan really caught the eye. •
For Burgess Johnny Mulqueen, Eoin Hogan, Stephen Murray, Damian Maher, John O’Dwyer, Declan O’Donoghue, Tadgh O’Halloran all impressed.
