Borris ease past Roscrea

Borris-Ileigh produced an efficient performance to see off Roscrea in this County Senior Hurling Championship opener.

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Group 4

Borris-Ileigh 2-24

Roscrea 0-15

Report: Shane Brophy in Moneygall

The 2019 county champions will be the first to admit it wasn’t a perfect performance but scoring 2-24 without getting out of third gear was an ideal start to their attempt to regain the Dan Breen Cup.

Playing their first-choice selection for the first time this year after giving some new faces a chance in their three North Championship games, Borris-Ileigh’s starting fifteen is now a match for anyone in the county.

New corner-forward Eddie Ryan has added a solid close-range free-taking option, while is movement into space was excellent also. His eligibility this year has allowed Borris to move Kevin Maher to his best position of midfield where he was superb all through, particularly his vision to bring others into the play.

One of those to benefit was his namesake Brendan who was again, superb. He scored four points from play in a new role, dropping deep from centre forward, and his ability to drift into space from where his teammates picked him out was something Roscrea couldn’t deal with.

Maher’s new role saw Dan McCormack slot in at centre back where he is immensely comfortable and along with his brother Ray and Paddy Stapleton, provides a physically strong half back line.

Indeed, Ray McCormack will have to be on a new prospective Tipperary managers radar with his athleticism while he has also bulked up impressively.

The manner of this defeat will be difficult for Roscrea to recover from and unless they turn things around against Nenagh or Kilruane, could be staring at a second consecutive relegation battle. They weren’t lacking for fitness or ability, but they tended to overplay the ball at times which put them in trouble.

Borris-Ileigh are further down the road in their development as a team and while the Roscrea defence came out with a lot of ball, how it was used was poor, with little of it played into space which forwards like. Shane Fletcher, Alan Tynan, and Conor Sheedy tried hard, but they couldn’t match the precision of Borris-Ileigh who are now an established title contender and, on this evidence, will have a major say in where Dan Breen ends up come November.

The first quarter didn’t suggest such a one-sided encounter, despite Borris-Ileigh easing into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes with four different players on the scoresheet and that increased by one with two points from a raiding Ray McCormack. Evan Fitzpatrick and the free-taking of Luke Cashin kept Roscrea in tough, as did a point from the lively San Conlon who was unfortunate to have to depart the fray before the first water-break through injury.

Borris-Ileigh led 0-6 to 0-4 at the break and slowly stretched the advantage thereafter with Eddie Ryan landing his only score from play, added to by James Devaney.

Evan Fitzpatrick was unlucky to see a fizzing goal chance fly wide and Roscrea needed a spark with Fitzpatrick and Cashin bringing their total to six, but Borris were keeping the scoreboard ticking over at the other end through Conor & Niall Kenny, Brendan Maher, Eddie Ryan, and a crucial goal from Kevin Maher on the cusp of half time, after Niall Kenny was initially denied, however, Roscrea couldn’t clear fully with Maher’s deflected shot finding the roof of the net.

The 1-12 to 0-7 half time lead was a fairer reflection of Borris-Ileigh’s first half dominance and it continued in the second period and stretched the advantage to ten-points by the time they struck for their second goal right on the second water-break.

It was a piece of individual brilliance from James Devaney who ran onto a Brendan Maher pass on the left wing, taking on his man Glen Loughnane, Devaney soloed in towards goal but with Michael Campion approaching he flicked the ball over the advancing defender before pulling first time to the net. Certainly, a goal that will be hard to beat in terms of class in this championship.

Thereafter, the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion with Borris outscoring Roscrea 0-8 to 0-6 in the final quarter with sub Jason Fitzpatrick lively for Roscrea, while Borris-Ileigh could afford to bring on all five subs as they certainly have the panel to challenge for Dan once again.

Player of the Match: Kevin Maher (Borris-Ileigh)

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack (6); Seamus Bourke (7), Liam Ryan (7), Kieran Maher (8); Paddy Stapleton (7), Dan McCormack (7), Ray McCormack (0-2, 8); Tommy Ryan (6), Kevin Maher (1-1, 9), Brendan Maher (0-5, 1f) 9); Niall Kenny (0-1, 7), Jerry Kelly (6), Conor Kenny (0-3, 8); James Devaney (1-2, 7), Eddie Ryan (0-10, 9) 7).

Subs: Sean McCormack (7) for T Ryan (26 inj); Colm Boyle (6) for Stapleton (48); Shane Kenny (6) for N Kenny (53); Jody Harkin (NR) for Kevin Maher (58); Aaron Rabbitte (NR) for B Maher (60+1).

Roscrea: Daryl Ryan (6); James Synnott (7), Michael Campion (6), Glen Loughnane (7); Conor Phelan (6), Shane Davis (6), Ferghus Hannon (6); Darragh Tynan (7), Conor Booth (6); Conor Sheedy (0-2, 1f) 6), Alan Tynan (0-1, 7), Evan Fitzpatrick (0-2, 7); Shane Fletcher (6), Sam Conlon (0-1, 7), Luke Cashin (0-4, 3f) 6).

Subs: Jason Fitzpatrick (0-4, 3f) 7) for Conlon (15 inj); Dan Ryan (7) for Hannon (HT); Luke Seacy (0-1, 6) for Cashin (40); Aidan Booth (6) for Booth (44).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers).