GAA: It's all Too easy for slick Athenry; ATHENRY 3-25 TOOREEN 0-5.
Silverware doesn't come much easier than this.Galway champions Athenry barely broke into a sweat as they cruised to victory at Aughamore, County Mayo, yesterday.
It was billed as the Connacht Final of the All Ireland Club Hurling Championship, but in reality it was a question of going through the motions.
The Mayo champs, who were always going to be fighting a rearguard action, were simply out of their depth from start to finish.
Athenry dominated all over the field, their superior class and skill showing, and even physically they were head and shoulders above their opponents.
Tooreen put up as gallant a fight as they might have been expected to, but only for a couple of minutes midway through the first half did they look like posing any kind of challenge, when they picked off their only two points of the half in quick succession.
But by then, Athenry - for whom scoring ace Eugene Cloonan was between the posts in the absence of regular goalkeeper Michael Crimmins - has already notched up eight points.
And the writing was on the wall when they led by 14 points to 2 at half time, majestic midfielder Brian Hanley showing the way with four from play and full forward Paschal Healy sending over five.
Athenry continued to dominate, stretching their lead as they picked off score after score, and were a massive 19 points in front by the time Aidan Poniard shot home a second goal seven minutes from the end.
And in the dying seconds, with a gallant but outgunned Tooreen tiring, Paschal Healy was unmarked as he netted.
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Title Annotation: | Sport |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Nov 16, 1998 |
| Words: | 267 |
| Previous Article: | Racing: Jamie's shot in the arm. |
| Next Article: | GAA: DOUBLE BLOW FATAL AS TIPP ARE TOPPLED; CARLOW 2-5 TIPPERARY 1-7. |