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Loughrea celebrate after the match. Evan Logan/INPHO

Loughrea crowned Galway senior hurling champions for first time since 2006

Anthony Burns inspires Loughrea to third Galway crown after a string of final defeats.

Loughrea 1-15

Cappataggle 0-16

Billy Coss reports from Kenny Park

A MATCH WINNING haul of 1-3 from Anthony Burns, allied to a penalty save from goalkeeper Gearóid Loughnane, propelled Loughrea past Cappataggle and to a third-ever Galway senior hurling championship title this afternoon.

‘The Town’, who bridged an 18-year gap to their last success, made their decisive move either side of the interval when three unanswered points opened an 0-11 to 0-8 half-time lead before they improved their position to 0-14 to 0-9 by the 40th minute.

Cappataggle were left to rue seven wides in the second period and also Loughnane’s 35th-minute penalty save from Liam Collins that would, if converted, have drawn the sides level.

It was a first-ever final for Cappataggle and though they closed to within two, 0-15 to 0-13, in the 57th minute, Burns popped up with the day’s telling score when beating former Galway netminder James Skehill.

Loughrea were faster out of the blocks and led 0-4 to 0-0 thanks to points from Shane O’Brien, Burns, Caimin Killeen and Shane Morgan.

Cappataggle bounced back with five without reply of their own through placed balls from top scorer Niall Collins and two from David Malone, along with the first of four from play by Liam Collins.

They traded on parity five times in that opening half with Burns elusive from play and Morgan and Tiernan Killeen both on target from Loughrea frees.

Ja Mannion scored the pick of Cappataggle’s scores while the Collins brothers also kept the scoreboard ticking over. It was evenly poised at 0-8 apiece before Burns, captain Ian Hanrahan and Tiernan Killeen efforts in injury-time left it 0-11 to 0-8 in favour of Loughrea.

oisin-finn-and-loughreas-cullen-killeen Cappataggle’s Oisin Finn and Loughrea’s Cullen Killeen. Evan Logan / INPHO Evan Logan / INPHO / INPHO

Tommy Kelly’s side solidified their position after the restart with further scores from Hanrahan, Tiernan Killeen and Shane Morgan following Loughnane heroics.

Four separated the neighbours by then and though Cappataggle battled back to within two, 0-15 to 0-13, through the accuracy of the Collins brothers, Burns delivered the knockout blow three minutes from the end of normal time.

Cappataggle pushed the winners to the pin of their collar late on with a handful of late points from Niall Collins bringing his tally for the day up to eight.

However, Loughrea would hold firm to collect the Tom Callanan Cup and follow St. Thomas’ as champions of Galway.

Scorers for Loughrea: Anthony Burns 1-3, Tiernan Killeen 0-4 (3f), Shane Morgan 0-3 (2f), Ian Hanrahan 0-2, Caimin Killeen, Neil Keary and Shane O’Brien 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cappataggle: Niall Collins 0-8 (5f, 2 65s), Liam Collins 0-4, David Malone, 0-3, Ja Mannion, 0-1

Loughrea

1. Gearóid Loughnane

2. Paul Hoban, 3. Johnny Coen, 4. Kieran Hanrahan

5. Shane O’Brien, 6. Shane Morgan, 7. Brian Keary

8. Ian Hanrahan (captain), 9. Sean Sweeney

10. Caimin Killeen, 11. Tiernan Killeen, 12. Joe Mooney

13. Anthony Burns, 14. Darren Shaughnessy, 15. Neil Keary

Subs

  • 17. Cullen Killeen for Sweeney (11 — inj.)
  • 26. Jamie Ryan for Neil Keary (39)
  • 31. Dylan Shaughnessy for Darren Shaughnessy (51)
  • 21. Tom Hoban for Caimin Killeen (58).

Cappataggle

1. James Skehill

2. Declan Cronin, 3. James Garvey, 17. Donnacha Campbell

8. Lewis Coughlan, 6. Michael Garvey, 7. Darragh Dolan

5. Eanna Garvey, 9. Oisín Finn

10. Niall Collins, 11. Oran Finn (captain), 12. David Malone

13. Liam Collins, 14. Ronan Garvey, 15. Ja Mannion

Subs

  • 19. Cian Bowes for Oran Finn (40)
  • 21. James Egan for Ronan Garvey (45)
  • 18. Jack Coughlan for Malone (53)

Referee: Brian Keon (Tommy Larkins).

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