Loughrea rise to challenge after Ryan’s sending off

Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 2-14

Ivan Smyth at Duggan Park

LOUGHREA secured a quarter final berth as a Martin McManus point in the fifth minute of injury time proved decisive at Duggan Park on Sunday. In an exciting conclusion to a game which Loughrea dominated, Padraig Breheny found the net in the 63rd minute to move Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry only one point behind.

With the Loughrea management and backroom team desperately keeping an eye on proceedings at Kenny Park between Cappataggle and Tommy Larkins, they knew that this margin of victory would not be enough for them to avoid elimination from the championship.

Moments later, Loughrea found the goal they needed when Johnny Coen raced through with his effort cannoning off the post but substitute Shane O’Brien was on hand to dispatch the rebound to the net. Loughrea managed to force a turnover moments after the goal with McManus firing over what proved to be an invaluable score with the final puck of the game.

When Shane Hynes blew the final whistle on proceedings in Ballinasloe, all focus turned turned the action at Kenny Park. Cappataggle’s three-point win in the other group game left them top of the table with Loughrea and Tommy Larkins both with an identical score difference of +5.

However, Loughrea progressed to the knockout stages by way of points scored. To cap off a good weekend for Loughrea, when the draw for the knockout stages was conducted, they were picked out of the hat to automatically qualify for the quarter finals having been on the brink of elimination when Breheny found the net. This defeat confirmed Tynagh/Abbey/Duniry’s relegation to the Senior B Championship after an underwhelming campaign in which they lost all three group games.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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