Nenagh junior hurlers leave rally too late
GAA: FBD Insurance County Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship Semi-Final
Holycross/Ballycahill 1-18
Nenagh Éire-Óg 2-13
Report: Thomas Conway in Dolla
A defeat to Arravale Rovers last July denied Holycross/Ballycahill their fifth County Junior ‘A’ Hurling title, but three months on, they've earned themselves another chance to claim that honour, after overcoming Nenagh Éire-Óg in a dogged semi-final on Sunday.
Scrappy at times and physical throughout, this was a battle befitting of the conditions, but there was undoubted quality as well. With the half-time scoreline tilted in their favour, 0-10 to 0-5, Nenagh were aware that a cross-blowing wind would be sweeping against them in the second-half. It would inevitably create problems, as it did for Holycross during the opening period. The damage was severe.
Holycross dominated, turning a five-point deficit into a considerable lead. Two late Nenagh goals were not on the cards, but a Donnacha Quinn penalty was followed by a 57th minute Cian O'Farrell effort and suddenly the last few minutes became a circus. Holycross held firm, but the show could well have gone on.
Niall Madden and Quinn opened events with points, before the Mid champions got off the mark in the second minute, Jack Dwan breaking free of a tackle and rocketing the ball just over the crossbar. Moments later they were level, with keeper Ewan Bourke nailing a long-distance free from behind his own 65, metres from the side-line. It was an impressive feat, considering the strength of the cross-blowing wind. That wind would pick up in force as the half wore on, causing the Mid-side to drop several efforts short. Nenagh also struggled to find the target on occasion, but they had the atmospheric advantage and they made use of it.
Midfielders Keller and Bonar were influential, with the latter arrowing over a point in the seventh minute. The Nenagh full-back line was also thriving under the high ball, and while their forwards took a while to get going, they eventually threw off the shackles. Hilmi swept one over on the turn, before Quinn slotted a free from the left-hand side. Madden added another, setting the stage for wing-back Mark O'Farrell to power over an inspiring long-ranger. Those points, plus a couple more, propelled Nenagh into a 0-10 to 0-5 half-time lead - Tomás Comerford and Jack Dwan keeping Holycross in touch.
Most people expected the momentum to shift after half-time but nobody anticipated the complete change in direction. Two Dwan frees were interspersed by goal chances on either side, with keeper Ewan Bourke dropping low to deny Darragh Walsh and Holycross then watching in disbelief as the sliotar was miraculously cleared from Michael McNamara's goal-line.
Now well and truly capitalising on the conditions, Holycross added further scores, with Éanna Ryan sending them ahead in the 43rd minute. Quinn did restore parity just before the water-break, but the game was getting away from Nenagh.
Two rapid-fire points - a pearler from Comerford and another Ryan effort - ramped up the intensity, and there was a sense that Holycross were now hunting something greater. The goal came in unspectacular fashion, Jamie Lee Dwan forcing the sliotar home as it broke from a crowd of bodies. They upped the tempo again after that, turning 1-13 into 1-18 within the space of several minutes.
And yet, there was a twist. Even Nenagh didn’t foresee their late revival. Quinn’s 56th minute penalty gave them life, and by the time Cian O’Farrell had netted their second some ninety seconds later, Holycross looked haunted. They summoned enough to see it out, finding the resolve to grind out a two-point victory in atrocious conditions.
That late scare should be enough to stamp out any complacency ahead of a county-final clash with Skeheenarinky, a game which Holycross will be desperate to win. After all, these opportunities rarely come around twice - in one year.
Player of the Match: Jack Dwan (Holycross/Ballycahill)
Holycross/Ballycahill: Ewan Bourke (0-2f, 8), Pa Dwyer (0-1, 7), Eddie Gorman (8), Michael Harty (6), Frank Hanafin (7), Stephen Ryan (8), Luke Galvin (7), Kieran O’Dwyer (7), Jack Skehan (7), Tomás Comerford (0-2, 8), Jack Dwan (0-8, 5f) 8), Jamie Lee Dwan (1-3, 8), Éanna Ryan (0-1, 7), John Dunne (7), Stephen Quinlan (0-1, 7).
Subs: Donnacha Duggan (7) for Dunne (43); Ben Hennessy (7) for Comerford (50).
Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael McNamara (7), Mark Flannery (8), Rory O’Donovan (7), Brian Tuite (7), Mark O’Farrell (0-1, 7), Seán Geaney (7), Niall McKeogh (7), Josh Keller (8), Conor Bonar (0-1, 7), Cian Crowley (7), Donnacha Quinn (1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-2f, 0-1 65) 8), Darragh Walsh (0-1, 7), Billy Moran (6), Craig Hilmi (0-1, 7), Niall Madden (0-4, 8).
Subs: Hugh Maloney (7) for Hilmi (34); Cian O’Farrell (1-1, 8) for Moran (45); Alex Jones (7) for Crowley (45).
Referee: Phil Ryan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams).