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morę than one style of gamę. I suppose the real surprise was that only one goal was scored between the two semi-finals and that proved vital.

any surprise in that! The marking was close and in some piaces closer still!

Their scoring return of

0-15 was a new trend, in that it was their first ‘goal failure’ in this years championship, but perhaps    it

confirms the t e a m ' s capacity t o

play    Loughmore fuB-bock

Derek Bourke

in Droms win.

Drom were slow to get going but Raymie Ryan hadn’t set a Mid title as the limit of the clubs ambition for this year. An early loss to JK Brackens sent them into a qualifier group and the way the inter county season went, it probably suited them to play group games when they did. They put up some impressive scores in emerging top of the quartet, which induded Kilruane MacDonaghs, Cappawhite and Portroe.Their two recent games against Clonoulty/Rossmore and Killenaule respectively, were different types of challenges and with narrow victories in each case, Drom have shown that they too can hołd their nerve. when pressure is at its zenith.

The strengths that Drom have displayed thus far include a great workrate; remember S. Buder (as a Captain should) dispossessing a Killenaule forward on his own 20m linę in the first hałf when the South champions were in the ascendency? He also took the bali away to safety from the late Killenaule free.There is the skill level. clever use of the hand pass and enduringly impressive support play, throughout the field.The most telling item however is their economy in the use of possession. They use the bali cleverly and dont hit too many wides! Last day they scored twenty times and were off target only once! H o w Killenaule could have done with that ratio! Two weeks between semi and finał gives both teams a fair chance to recover, refresh and build up to their biggest challenges in modem day hurling history. For these neighbouring clubs. the stakes are higher than ever and while both can aspire to success in the years to come, because of their work at underage levels, there will be litde consolation for losers here today. In the years sińce their only County title victory Loughmore/ Castleiney have lost four semi-finals, so this years breakthrough meant that they had conquered that obstacle, which has haunted them. despite being one of the clubs which always troubledToomevara during their golden era.

Free from that burden. the red and green have no fear now. Drom don’t have a winning tradition at senior level so favouritism here is a

personal choice. You can fancy either team and not be mocked!

Form lines offer JK Brackens -they beat Drom but lost twice to Loughmore/ Casdeiney. Try Thurles Sarsfield who beat Loughmore/ Casdeiney but lost to Nenagh, who lost to Loughmore/ Castleiney. who trumped the team that beat Nenagh. ie Borrislleigh.The path to the decider was a tricky one. Whatever way you look at it, Loughmore/ Castleiney have come through the harder side of the draw. Perhaps that is the joumey which has crystallised them into a workmanlike team. which is well balanced. ability, experience and youth wise - just like the 1988 team. which coincidentally, also beat Nenagh and Borrislleigh in the concluding stages of the championship. If Killenaule had come through. they would have been thp third of the teams the red and green also beat in the concluding rounds, when captained to that victory by Eamon Sweeney. Evan Sweeney has pace and scoring ability, which should not be underestimated. His injury problems earlier in the year may have dulled our perception of his worth. but recent dispłays have reminded us of his value.