Mayo senior champions add Connacht intermediate title to their cabinet
Tooreen turned in a superb second-half display to seal victory in the Connacht GAA intermediate hurling championship final this afternoon, beating Galway's Moycullen by 1-15 to 0-14 at the Centre of Excellence, Bekan.
Level at 0-8 apiece and facing into the wind for the second half, some might have been tempted to write off Tooreen's chances – especially after they conceded the first two scores of the new period as well.
But their sharpness and fitness came to the fore in the closing 20 minutes and once Sean Regan finished off a great move with a fine finish to the back of the Moycullen net, there only ever looked like being one winner of this contest.
The towering presence of Fionn McDonagh on the edge of the small square meant that Moycullen always posed a threat but for the most part, particularly in the closing stages, Tooreen's defence coped well, with Stephen Coyne prominent among a bunch of battling defenders.
Man of the match Shane Boland contributed 10 points to Tooreen's tally, including three from play, while Cathal Freeman (0-3) and Sean Regan (1-1) completed a full-forward line that gave Moycullen plenty to worry about over the hour.
It wasn't just about that trio, however, as the likes of Fergal Boland and Sean Kenny turned in bustling displays to augment the industry of Conor Henry, Liam Lavin and David Kenny, while Daniel Huane and Oisín Greally both made an impact off the bench.
With Anraoi Whyte scoring nine frees, Moycullen were never too far behind Tooreen, and they had a couple of half-chances in front of Bobby Douglas' goal late on but didn't give the opposition 'keeper enough work to do from their point of view.
The result means that Tooreen retain the crown they won in 2019 as there was no provincial championship played last year – a year in which, incidentally, they lost their Mayo senior title to near neighbours Ballyhaunis before regaining it this season. Now, as Connacht intermediate champions, their thoughts can turn to the All-Ireland series in the new year.
*See Tuesday's print edition for a full report on Tooreen's victory, plus reaction