Colaiste Choilm win emphatically without hitting top gear

COLAISTE Choilm, Tullamore advanced to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Colleges Senior “B” Hurling Championship with a very easy win over Colaiste Mhuire, Mullingar on Monday afternoon.

Leinster Colleges Senior “B” Hurling Championship preliminary round

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 3-13

Colaiste Mhuire, Mullingar 0-4

The win was every bit as easy as the 3-13 to 0-4 final scoreline suggests and the fact that Colaiste Choilm's win was achieved without truly hitting top stride tells its own tale.

Their victory was never in peril as they controlled the game from start to finish. They had the game won at half time as they led by 1-6 to 0-4 after playing into a strong wind – Colaiste Mhuire were heading for defeat anyway but the loss of Thomas Meehan to a second yellow card a minute into injury time really sealed their fate.

The Mullingar visitors didn't manage a score in the second half as Colaiste Choilm sauntered to victory. There was no need for them to hit top gear on the day and it was impossible to avoid the impression that the Tullamore students were playing within themselves. However, they also produced some very good hurling and they were capable of upping the ante at any stage.

In some ways, it was a non event of a game as it was clear almost from the start that Colaiste Choilm would win handsomely. They did what they had to do in a professional, efficient manner and this was a game where it was all about getting the job done, getting the win and getting out of there without injuries or sending offs.

After Cillian Martin flirted with a red card early on, the winners showed great discipline as they didn't really react to some rash strokes by the Mullingar side – Colaiste Mhuire could very easily have finished with 12 or 13 men and Colaiste Choilm got on with things as the tackles flew in. Cillian Martin and the superb Dan Bourke deserve particular credit in this regard, quickly dusting themselves off after being scythed out of it on a couple of occasions in the second half.

While Colaiste Mhuire were reckless in the way they used the hurl at times, a percentage of it was clumsiness rather than dangerous intent while the conditions were not conducive to free flowing hurling.

Played in Tullamore's Dr Kelly's Field, it was Winter hurling at its best with a heavy pitch, the grass a fraction long and it was very much a day for physicality, work rate and getting dug in.

Colaiste Choilm's win was fashioned on a super defensive display while Niall Furlong had a super first half at midfield and Dan Bourke shone the whole way through.

They made a dream start with a fine Thomas Grace goal inside the first minute and they had the better of the first half. Dan Bourke and Niall Furlong got their only first half points from play as Colaiste Choilm won most of the individual battles. They led by 1-3 to 0-2 after 20 minutues, 1-6 to 0-4 at half time and with Colaiste Mhuire down to fourteen men, it was a done deal.

Without being spectacular, Colaiste Choilm quickly pulled out of sight in the second half. Dan Bourk converted four frees before Steve Doran flew through for a 47h minute goal, despite an attempt to take him out of it as he bore in on goals.

Dan Bourke got a deserved goal two minutes later, breezing by another careless challenge and Colaiste Choilm added another three points for a very facile win.

Colaiste Mhuire tried hard on the day and had a fairly big looking team but hurling wise, Colaiste Choilm were much better. The losers did miss a few frees that would have made the scoreline a tad kinder on them but even with that, they would not have got into double figures and would still have been heavily beaten.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dan Bourke (Colaiste Choilm): There was a lot more to Dan Bourke's display than his 1-9 tally, 1-1 from play, tells. He won a few of the frees that he converted and his speed, movement and work rate was very good. While he missed one free and should have got a second goal late on, his striking was out of the top drawer and he pulled the trigger on a day when the Colaiste Choilm defence was superb.

THE SCORERS

Colaiste Choilm: Dan Bourke 1-9, (8f), Steven Doran 1-0, Niall Furlong 0-2, Cillian Bourke and Donal Dooley 0-1 each.

Colaiste Mhuire: Conor Heffernan 0-2 (2f), Josh Murtagh and Thomas Meehan 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

COLAISTE CHOILM: Kieran Coonan; William Grace, David O'Rourke, Jack Daly; Cillian Bourke, Ter Guinan, Ben Heffernan; Steven Doran, Niall Furlong; Brian Guinan, Cillian Martin, Eoin Dunne; Oisin Boland, Dan Bourke, Thomas Grace. Subs – Killian Wynne for Boland (38m), Aaron Rattigan for Thomas Grace (46m), Donal Dooley for Martin (52m), Eoin Gaffey for Daly 56m), Anthony Lawlor (for Dunne (58m), Alex Sheridan for Coonan (58m).

COLAISTE MHUIRE: Scott Murray; Ben McNamee, Sean Hoctor, Oisin McGauran; Kevin Hogan, Jack Murtagh, Lorcan O'Mara; Shane Ormbsy, Oisin Kelly; Conor Leech, Josh Murtagh, Craig Neville; Conor Heffernan, Thomas Meehan, Jack Duncan. Subs – Robbie Cleary for Duncan (27m), Darragh Hughes for McGauran (H/T), Nathan Cornally for Kelly (42m), Senan O'Driscoll for Heffernan (45m), Darragh Smith for Neville (58m), Daniel Hogan for Ormbsy (58m).

Referee – Noel Cooney (Erin Rovers).

REFEREE WATCH

Offaly's most experienced referee Noel Cooney had a very busy afternoon. There were plenty of robust challenges not to mention a few hairly pulls with the hurl. He sent off Thomas Meehan for a second yellow card before half time and another two or three players could very easily have seen red. Cillian Martin threaded on thin ice in the 9th minute, man handling Lorcan O'Mara but getting away with a yellow: O'Mara's helmet came off in the altercation and had Cooney seen that and felt it was deliberately pulled off, Martin would have been gone. However, the referee gave the benefit of the doubt all afternoon and Martin showed great discipline afterwards, walking away from a couple of reckless challenges. Mullingar would have had no grounds for complaint had they got a couple of more reds but there was merit in allowing for the conditions and time of year. Cooney kept control well, let players know who was boss and got the vast majority of the normal calls right.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Conceding an early goal with the wind on their backs was an absolute disaster for Colaiste Mhuire. They never recovered from Thomas Grace's strike in the first minute and it set Colaiste Choilm up very well.

VENUE WATCH

The game was played in Dr Kelly's Field after Colaiste Choilm's preferred choices, O'Connor Park and Faithful Fields were ruled out on Monday morning. Fair play to Tullamore GAA for making the field available, even if it was very exposed to the elements for spectators. The grass was a small bit long for hurling but at this time of year, there are very limited opportunities for cutting and it held up well. It was a pity that O'Connor Park and Faithful Fields were unavailable – the County Board can't facilitate every school team on their playing pitches but the marquee teams competing at a high level should be looked after as much as possible. In fairness there were games in O'Connor Park and Faithful Fields on Sunday.

TALKING POINT

Colaiste Choilm have now made their players available for the Offaly schools team who are playing St Peter's of Wexford in the Leinster senior “A” quarter-final on Wednesday. They weren't available earlier and the combined schools management now face a big call over whether to start them or not. The issue here isn't Colaiste Choilm's players not being available before now. Several of this team are also playing “A” schools football and throwing a third team into this would be too much – people do a lot of talk about player burnout but often, it is only lip service. There is now a gap for them to play but the real question is should combined teams be allowed into schools competitions. It certainly suits Offaly at the moment as they are using it to help prepare the county U-20 team but it is very hard on individual schools and the fairness of it is questionable.

WHAT'S NEXT

Colaiste Choilm go into the quarter-finals which will take place after Christmas.

STATISTICS

Wides: Colaiste Choilm – 8 (3 in first half); Colaiste Mhuire – 5 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: Colaiste Choilm – 2 (Cillian Martin and Dan Bourke); Colaiste Mhguire – 4 (Thomas Meehan 2, Oisin Kelly and Darragh Hughes).

Red cards: Colaiste Choilm – 0; Colaiste Mhuire – 1 (Thomas Meehan 2 yellows).