The Tipperary Spring League final was played between Lakeside & Riverdale at Larkspur Park last Sunday. Could Lakeside's players live up to the expectation of their followers or was it going to be another win for the Riverdale faithful?
Lakeside's Captain, Paddy Quinn won the toss and up stepped his Senior charges in Paul O'Brien & Noel Stapleton who were pitted against the supreme duo of Sean Minogue & John O'Meara. O'Brien stuck the 2nd to within a foot to set up a win and again almost aced the 4th to set up another birdie but in stepped O'Meara to sink a good putt to halve the hole. The match ebbed and flowed from here with Minogue and O'Brien holing birdies on 7th and again on 11th. Turning point came on 13 where Stapleton missed the green and O'Brien chipped poorly and they found themselves 1 down. Minogue pitched to within 3 feet on 14th to set up another win. The Lakeside duo were finding it difficult to wear down their opponents and eventually the Riverdale machines closed out the game to win 2&1. David Morrissey & Alan Maher of Lakeside were pitted against Stephen Shoer & Victor Long. The Riverdale duo had a nice element of youth and experience which is a good combination. The Lakeside pair never got into their stride and eventually lost the match 4&3. The Lakeside Intermediate partnership of Pat Kennedy & Ronan Loughnane were next up against Paul Shoer and Paul Shoer Jnr. Kennedy is the only player from Lakeside to Captain a winning Spring League Team and he wasn't going to let the side down. Both he and Loughnane were unrelentless in their game getting birdie after birdie but couldn't shake off the father and son combination. Lakeside were 1up when Kennedy hit the infamous 18th tee shot and happily found the front of the green. A closing par registered Lakeside's first point of the day.
Anthony Maher and Brian Cahill of Lakeside were next in line in the Junior Doubles against John Minogue and Simon Ryan of Nenagh. This partnership from Lakeside really got out of the blocks early when they were 5 under after 5 holes. The Riverdale duo never recovered from this star and the Lakeside boys closed out the match on the 16th to win 3&2. So after the doubles it remained 2-2. The singles were going to be interesting.
Paul O'Brien was pitted against Sean Minogue in the first game of the singles. O'Brien birdie 1,3,4,5,7, 8 & 9 to reach the turn 4 up. Minogue to his credit birdied 13,14 & 16 to reduce the arrears to 2 but a failed birdie attempt on the 17th indicated defeated for Minogue and O'Brien ensured that Lakeside had won a crucial singles point.
Noel Stapleton and John O'Meara had an unbelievable match. They were playing fantastic stuff in fairness, Stapleton very much the underdog in this match had the grit between his teeth was unrelentless, making putt after putt much to the disbelief of O'Meara. All the same O'Meara the heart of a lion and eventhough he found himself 1 down playing 17 and Stapleton only 2 feet from the pin, O'Meara held a great 7 footer to ensure the game went down the last. Stapleton found the front of the green, O'Meara just off the back but only about 8 feet. Stapleton missed, up stepped John and deservedly held the putt from the back of the green to halve the match. No player deserved to loose this one in fairness.
Next up was Stephen Shoer and David Morrissey. The later player got a very poor start in the inform Shoer really put him to the sword. He was 5 up through 8 but Morrissey to his credit tried to fight back but Shoer is a prodigious talent and he was in no mood to be caught. He closed out the match by 5&4 to push Riverdale back on level terms. Game on at 3.5 to 3.5 at this stage.
Alan Maher was against Victor Long in the first of the Intermediat singles and Alan lived up to his billing to close out the match by 2&1.
Paul Shoer Snr was senstational in his match against Patrick Kennedy to bring it back to level again.
Ronan Loughnane who has been rejuvenated this season was in excellent form when he disposed of Paul Shoer Jnr to put Lakeside back in front again.
Now it was left to the Junior Section as to where the league title would be destined for. John Minogue is ever improving and had a tough battle with Anthony Maher. Minogue though is a chip off the old block and he gained the intiative on the 14th to set up a win to tie up the match once again.
So the league came down to two players. Brian Cahill of Lakeside and Simon Ryan of Riverdale. Cahill the player of the league up to this point was ruthless and showed the experience of a veteran. He is definitely a player who as a fantastic future ahead of him and showed maturity beyond his years when it really mattered most. His pitch on 15 in which he was 3 feet put him 2 up with 3 go and in the driving seat. He then pitched big of 16 and left himself a delicate up and down. To his credit he place the ball to within inches of the hole and when Ryan bogeyed the hole, the title went to Lakeside for the only the second ever time in their history.
Riverdale's Captain Rory Hogan was extremely gracious in defeat. He emhpasised that the league was final was played in a great spirit and although his charges were defeated, he vowed that they would be back in 2010.
Lakeside's Captain Paddy Quinn on the otherhand found it difficult to hold back the emotion of the event. He thank most sincerely all the players of Lakeside who played at the league stages and he stated that they too played a huge role in this victory. He thanked the Co Board for running the league so efficiently during the league stages and also thanked Larkspur Park who as usual had their course in top class condition. Paddy also thanked Riverdale for a titanic game and wished their club all the best in 2009.
The Co Board would like to thank all the players from the 5 Clubs who supported the league for 2009. It proved to be a major success once again and the Co Board would like to congratulate Lakeside on their fine victory and commiserate with Riverdale but one suggests they will be back even sharper in 2010.
