Tower’s Knock over Castle by single point

ROUND Tower defeated Castleknock by a single point in the Senior B Hurling Championship at Somerton Park, grabbing their first win of the campaign to give them an outside chance of reaching the playoff places.
It was a tight contest that was hard to predict a winner in throughout. Castleknock went in at half-time slightly ahead after scoring a goal, with Tower’s missing several chances – including a couple of long range frees.
Not much changed in the second half, with the game continuing as a point-for-point contest. Castleknock were frustrating their visitors but lost their lead when Tower’s drew level around the 50th minute.
The game looked like it would finish all square until Dublin Under-21 star Gary Quinlivan knocked over a great score from out on the side-line on the stroke of full time.
The resulting puck out offered Castleknock the opportunity to salvage a draw with a free 20 yards but missed it.
Podge Byrne praised Tower’s performance during a difficult period for the team.
“We have a few injuries in the squad and a couple of lads on holiday so the resources were depleted a bit, but it was a good strong performance,” he told GazetteSport.
“They had won two out of three of their championship games to date and we had lost our two games so far. That’s three wins on the bounce for us now – the last two league matches and that one as well so we are on a good run at the moment.”
Byrne also praised the performances of Quinlivan, Padraig McGeever at centre back, and Alex Darby as a sweeper behind the half-back line, as influential in the team’s victory.
Elsewhere, Tower’s junior side saw off Wild Geese 1-18 to 1-8 at the Community Centre in their fourth championship match of the season. Indeed, it was their fourth win that consolidated their position at the top of the table and guarantees a home draw for the knock out stages.
A first half goal from Eoin Ryan saw the side edge a 1-8 to 1-6 half-time lead before they pulled away in the second half.
Ryan slotted over from an acute angle while Niall Corless scored from distance to strengthen their position.
This settled the team and, allied to the elements in their favour, Towers pushed on. Declan Rafferty was solid throughout in goals behind a well settled defence with Niall Barry and Fergal Power to the fore.
The Geese who needed to go for goals couldn’t find a way through and the final whistle saw Towers enjoy a ten-point win and head the table on four wins out of four.