OLDEST IRISH AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN USA, ESTABLISHED IN 1928
Category: Archive

N.Y. GAA Airtight Duggan saves Tipp from W’meath

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Jack Flynn

Tipperary 1-10, Westmeath 0-8

Tipperary used two brilliant second-half saves from keeper Ian Duggan to escape with a 1-10 to 0-8 victory over Westmeath in the Senior Hurling Championship at Gaelic Park on Sunday.

“I’m just doing my job,” Duggan said, downplaying the significance of his work a bit. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Tipperary can consider themselves lucky to have a goalkeeper who is capable of making the saves Duggan did. Had those balls gone in the net, Westmeath would have walked off the pitch with a win.

On the first save, Duggan was pitted one-on-one with Westmeath’s Nicky Wyes, who found himself alone in front of goal. Duggan smothered Wyes’s goal try and Tipperary remained in control Minutes later, with Westmeath threatening, Duggan stoned Brendan Kirby to keep his side comfortably in the lead.

Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter

“In a big game, things are going to get tough,” Duggan said. “You’ve got to save it all on the line.”

The teams stayed close early in the match, as a game-opening goal off the foot of Declan O’Meara was answered by points from Westmeath’s Barney Daly, Robbie Kennedy and Enda Lohan.

Tipperary’s Alan Slattery made an excellent pass to O’Meara, leaving him alone in front of Westmeath’s goalkeeper, Willie Lowry. O’Meara did the rest, calmly depositing the ball into the net and giving his side the early advantage.

The match was a battle in the early going. Two skirmishes broke out in the first 15 minutes, but neither one led to the sending off players from either side.

Tipperary was more aggressive with their on-field play throughout the match. Lowry and the Westmeath defenders were continuously being asked to put out fires and keep the swarming Tipperary hurlers off the board. Sean Nolan was particularly strong for Westmeath.

After the three straight Westmeath points drew the score level, Tipperary scored four of the next five points to make the halftime score 1-4 to 0-4. More points could have been tallied, but a combination of erratic play and poor footing on the soggy pitch conspired to keep the score lower.

For Westmeath, second-half substitute Colm Dreyfuss played the role of superman, carrying the team’s offense by scoring all of its points in the last 30 minutes. Unfortunately for Westmeath, Dreyfuss only scored four times, while Tipperary hurlers scored six points.

Shane Commerford and O’Meara scored two straight points to give Tipperary a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage. Just as it seemed that Tipperary were ready to pull away, Duggan was forced to perform his heroics and keep his team on top.

Four points by Dreyfuss were matched by four points from Tipperary’s Owen Cummins, O’Meara and Tony O’Brien. An excellent Westmeath chance late in the match was snuffed out when Tipperary’s Donal Cummins fully blocked Jimmy Hughes’s goal try and denied Westmeath of a miracle finish.

Tipperary scorers: O’Meara 1-2, Lyons 0-3, ,O’Brien 0-2, Slattery, Commerford and O. Collins 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Dreyfuss 0-4, Daly, Kennedy, Lohan and Kirby 0-1 each.

Other Articles You Might Like

Sign up to our Daily Newsletter

Click to access the login or register cheese