Towers end 13-year wait for hurling championship glory
ROUND Tower GAA Club picked up their first hurling championship title in 13 years after they beat Na Fianna 1-14 to 2-10 in a thrilling Junior E decider in O’Toole Park on Saturday.
Indeed, it took an injury time strike by substitute Eoin Ryan to edge them over the line in this thriller, played in tough wet conditions.
Round Tower beat Na Fianna for the Junior E Hurling Championship title on Saturday
Towers hit the ground running and were a point up within a minute through full forward Alan Keogh before Na Fianna levelled.
The Clondalkin side did manage to open up some breathing space after Chris Kavanagh, Matthew McLoughlin, Darren Gilligan and Peter Nyhan all struck over the bar.
But the northsiders displayed great resolve and three frees and one point from play hauled them level six minutes before the break.
Yet Towers did managed to edge back in front before the halftime recess when Eoin McManus registered their eight point.
Na Fianna did find the back of the net early in the second half, but Towers responded well when Tom Cannon reduced the deficit to one before Kavanagh struck across the keeper for a crucial goal.
And they almost notched a second when Gilligan’s long ball was fumbled and Keogh’s strike from the ground was cleared off the line.
Yet with nine minutes to go, Towers suffered another setback when Na Fianna struck for their second goal of the match.
The Clondalkin side drew level when substitute Shane Young released to Gilligan and he fired over a point before Corless won a free in injury time and Kavanagh’s free from the sideline eventually fell to substitute Eoin Ryan who spun and fired over the winner.
The victory marked the club’s first hurling championship crown since the Intermediates delivered in 2006 while once has to go to back to 1998 for Towers’ last Junior Championship title win
TAGS Sport
