The O’Loughlin Gaels senior hurlers travelled to the famous Buffers Alley club on Saturday last for their final Group three game against the Wexford outfit. Buffers Alley has had somewhat of a makeover recently and after the game, the justifiably proud members showed us around their magnificent new centre of excellence.
Mark Bergin started in typically lively fashion and struck two sweet points from either wing, before getting on the end of a John Doyle lay-off and batting to the net for an MB special – Cul! Paddy Cantwell and John Doyle then got in on the act with neat points of their own. Mark Bergin then converted a sixty-five to make it 1-05 to no score after twelve minutes. Buffers Alley are nothing if not dogged though and they then enjoyed a five minute spell that yielded four points on the trot – the pick of them coming from the hurl of full forward – Keith Bourke. The Continent’s defence dug in for the battle ahead. Stephen Tyrrell, Padraig Meaney and Eddie Kearns all put in heroic blocks to stem the tide. Mark Bergin finished the half as he started with three in a row (one sixty-five) to leave six between the sides at half time. H/T Score: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-08, Buffers Alley 0-05
Paddy Cantwell fired straight and true for a wonder score at the start of the second half. This was then followed by one of the scores of the game. An intricate move involving Paddy Cantwell and Conor Bergin led to John Doyle being free (ball in hand) on the edge of the square. John rifled his shot to the far right corner. The net shook, the green was raised and the Continent was rolling now! Buffers Alley grabbed a point in desperation before Danny Lenehan drilled one over the crossbar to restore OLG’s ten point lead. It was at this point though that Buffers Alley were rewarded with a period of dominance that in truth – they deserved. They fired 1-04 without reply to narrow the gap to three. Then up stepped Alan Geoghegan (as he’s done many times before). Alan dispatched a bullet off his left to the top right hand corner of the net – Cul! The Alley men tagged on two late points before Stephen Murphy (goalkeeper) pulled off a wonder save at full stretch to deny the Wexford side a certain equaliser. Points at the end from Martin Comerford and Danny Lenehan meant the gap was five at the full time whistle. F/T Score: O’Loughlin Gaels 3-12, Buffers Alley 1-14
Stephen Murphy, Brian Murphy, Eoghan Grant, Eddie Kearns, Stephen Tyrrell, Paddy Butler, Padraic Meaney, Mark Bergin 1-06 (2 65’s), Jack Nolan, Danny Lenehan 0-02, Martin Comerford 0-01, Paddy Cantwell 0-02, John Doyle 1-01, Alan Geoghegan 1-00, Conor Bergin, Subs used: Ricky Leydon, Evan Walsh, Fergal Brennan. O’Loughlin Gaels are now through to the quarter final of the Leinster League, to be played on April 5th – opposition and venue TBC.
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