Four Roads find themselves part of Halloween Horror Show
Four Roads were no match for Tooreen at King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park. Picture: INPHO/James Lawlor
Four Roads suffered a humiliating 37-point defeat against Tooreen at King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park in their Connacht Club Hurling Intermediate Championship quarter-final on Saturday afternoon, underlining the gulf in class that has developed between Mayo and Roscommon teams at club level.
Tooreen, who were only defeated by two points in last season’s All-Ireland final, were on a different planet, pulverising the Roscommon champions who had completed their five-in-a-row earlier this month.
The nature of the defeat raises questions about the direction of Roscommon hurling as Four Roads — as the county’s market leaders at club level — suffered one of the worst defeats in its proud history.
Eoin Delaney ended up with 3-4 for the visitors, while Fergal and Shane Boland contributed 0-14, 0-7 apiece, between them.
The visitors, who were brilliant with their handling, striking and clarity of thinking, were out the gap by half time — leading by 1-22 to 0-7.
And it didn’t get any better in the second half as Tooreen piled on the misery with further goals from Eoin Delaney, David Delaney and substitute Seán Kenny — with his first touch — to add to Four Roads’ agony.
Oisín Finneran, Adam Donnelly, substitute Cormac Mulry, captain Tommy Morris and Rory Coyle struck points from play in the second half, while free-taker Conor Morris ended up 0-6.
But there was no disguising the huge gulf in class between both sides.
Tooreen are a generational team that will hopefully go on and land their Holy Grail, but Four Roads, and Roscommon hurling in general, can’t afford to sweep results like this under the carpet.
The evidence from the quality and standard of the local club championship is just so damning.
