Allianz Hurling League: Tyrone win first game since Damian Casey's sudden passing
- Published
The sudden death of captain and star forward Damian Casey last summer devastated the Tyrone hurling squad
Life without the great Damian Casey began for Tyrone as they launched their Allianz Hurling Division 2B season with a 1-26 to 3-18 win over London.
It was an emotion-charged evening for Tyrone in their first game since the sudden death of their ace attacker.
His passing last summer stunned the local and wider hurling communities.
Saturday's game was staged and his home Dungannon Eoghan Ruadh club and it was a difficult occasion for his team-mates, friends and club colleagues.
Club-mate Mickey Little took over the free-taking duties that Damian had carried out with excellence throughout his career, and finished with an 11-point haul, including the two late scores that sealed a thriller for the Red Hands.
"We said there was only one way to serve Damian's memory and that was to keep Tyrone winning, because that was all Damian ever wanted," said manager Michael McShane.
Tyrone manager Michael McShane heaped praise on Mickey Little's 0-11 haul, saying that Damian Casey "would have been proud" of his performance
"There was a lot of courage and a lot of guts shown there at the end, and I knew that we would have that, because there was a desire there from the draw was made and it was a home game."
And he heaped praise of sharpshooter and match-winner Little.
"I told Mickey after the game how proud I was of him, and more importantly how proud Damian would be of him.
"It's not an easy role to come in and take over the role of free-taker for Tyrone after how Damian was for 10 years.
"And for a young lad like Mickey, a club-mate of Damian's, who had probably, as a child, been watching Damian for the last 10 years and idolising him, and all of a sudden he's out under the lights on a night like that with a big crowd watching him, and taking crucial frees at he end of the game, and putting them away."
Jack Goulding hit the net inside the opening minute to get the Exiles off to the best possible start, but the home side responded with scores from Little, Sean Duffin and Lorcan Devlin.
And they went in front for the first time when Devlin fired in a 14th minute goal.
CJ McGourty stretched the lead to three, but back came London again for Kerry native Goulding to smack in his second goal on 27 minutes.
Ronan Crowley and Little swapped scored, and they went in level at the break, 1-11 to 2-8.
Little's placed ball striking was excellent, getting his side back in front after the sides had been level on seven occasions, before Ruairi Slane drove through for a brilliant solo score to push Tyrone three clear.
But a couple of tidy scores from Eoin McHugh had the sides deadlocked again going into the final 10 minutes, before substitute Niall Broderick scrambled home a 62nd minute London goal.
They hit 1-4 on the spin, but the home side finished with a flourish, and Little made it a winning start as he completed his 11-point haul.
