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*Darragh Lohan latches onto the sliotar for Wolfe Tones. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
JACK Cunningham struck the final score of the game to secure a share of the spoils between the reigning intermediate champions Wolfe Tones and senior champions Feakle.
Feakle 0-19
Wolfe Tones 1-16
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg, Ennis
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Ahead of the meeting of champions Feakle and last year’s intermediate winners Wolfe Tones in the opening round, there were varying opinions as to the likely outcome.
Wolfe Tones didn’t have a good league campaign and there were rumours that all wasn’t well in the camp but a quick glance at the match day programme and the list of players available to them clearly indicated that the potential was there to make an impression.
Feakle had left it late to return to training and they were facing into a campaign without a number of regulars due to injury, they were down Con Smyth, Eoin Tuohy, Steven Conway and Enda Noonan from their championship winning team with Tuohy and Conway introduced in the final five minutes.
The initial odds that had suggested a comfortable Feakle victory had changed greatly by matchday. The fact that supporters of both sides will feel that their favourites could have won this one suggests that a share of the spoils was a fair outcome.
Feakle played against the wind in the opening half and they took a one point advantage to the interval, 0-9 to 0-8, Wolfe Tones having struck for the final two scores of the half.
Feakle returned for the second half without goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan who had suffered a knee injury in the final minute of the opening period. He was replaced by Liam O’Connor.
With their panel already stretched because of a number of injuries, they suffered a further blow midway through the second half when Martin Daly hobbled from the field.
Even though they had lost Quilligan, Feakle still had the wind at their advantage in the second half. They landed the opening two points via Shane McGrath.
A crucial score arrived in the fourth minute of the new half when the Shannon men were awarded a penalty, a harsh call in the view of some, as Evan McMahon was penalised. Darragh Lohan superbly drilled the free to the net to level the tie for the third time and the first of eight times the sides would be level in the second half.
Two superb McGrath efforts put Feakle back in front but Cian O’Rourke and Aron Shanagher responded. O’Rourke and McGrath then traded points before the superb McGrath edged the title holders ahead again only for Stephen Donnellan to level matters.
Jack Cunningham who had a strong final quarter and Oisin Donnellan then exchanged points and the sides swapped scores twice more before three minutes of added time were signalled.
The game was in the second of these when Shane McGrath converted another free following a foul on Conway but the Shannon men weren’t to be denied and Jack Cunningham fired over the final score of the game to tie up this tie before the full time whistle sounded.
Adam Hogan, Ronan O’Connor, Evan McMahon, Oisin Donnellan and Shane McGrath were to the fore for Feakle while Darragh Lohan, John Guillfoyle, Dean Devanney and Jack Cunningham got through a lot of work for the Shannon men.
Scorers; Feakle: Shane McGrath (0-12, 11f); Oisin Donnellan (0-2); Patrick Daly, Gary Guilfoyle, Eoin McGann, Martin Daly, Oisin O’Connor (0-1) each
Scorers Wolfe Tones; Cian O’Rourke (0-6, frees): Darragh Lohan (1-1, 1-0 penalty); Jack Cunningham (0-3), Dylan Frawley (0-2); Gavin Carrig, Rory Hayes, Aron Shanagher, Stephen Donnellan (0-1) each
Feakle;
1: Eibhear Quilligan
18; Enda Madden
5: Adam Hogan
3: Evan McMahon;
2: Killian Bane
9; Ronan O’Connor,
17; Eoghan Daly;
7; Patrick Daly,
4; Oisin Clune;
20; Owen McGann
10; Oisin Donnellan
12; Martin Daly;
15; Oisin O’Connor
11; Shane McGrath
19; Gary Guilfoylle
Subs:
16; Liam O’Connor for E.Quillligan (inj. Half time)
14; Ray Bane for M. Daly (inj. 41);
21; Eoin McGuinness for G. Guilfoyle (46)
25. Eoin Tuohy for O. Clune (58)
23; Stephen Conway for R. Bane (61)
Wolfe Tones;
1: Oisin O’Rourke;
2: Mikey Hayes
3: Daithi Lohan
7; Sam Meaney;
5; John Guillfoyle
9; Darragh Lohan
6: Evan O’Gorman
8; Rory Hayes
10: Stephen Donnellan;
19; Gavin Carigg
15; Dean Devnney
12; Jack Cunninngham
14; Cian O’Rourke
11 Aron Shanagher,
18; Dylan Frawley
Subs:
4; Conor Ferns for M. Hayes (41);
20: Colin Riordan for G. Carrig
Referee; Joe Mullins (Clonlara)
