7-up for Morris as Nenagh edge Toome

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Nenagh Eire Og 0-24

Toomevara 0-21

Report: Liam Hogan in Dolla

They hadn’t met in the North Senior Hurling Championship since 2015 but the rivalry remains as holders Nenagh Eire Og just about held on to victory in a see-saw battle with Toomevara following an entertaining quarter final tie on Sunday evening.

Played in glorious sunshine after an evening of heaving rain, the game may not have been the classic of old, but it had its moments.

Neither side wanted to give in as scores were level seven times by the 43rd minute. Nenagh then went four in front, not once but on three occasions as Toome refused to back off and almost caught the title holders on the finish line but Dermot McTiernan brilliantly denied Mark McCarthy from close range with Josh Keller’s late point sealing Nenagh’s passage to the semi-final.

Toomevara were the winners in that tie eight years ago and now, fresh from their county league final defeat at the hands of Kiladangan, they had to line out without Jake Ryan who was a major loss. Yet they showed real ambition in the opening bouts cutting swards through the Nenagh defence as Shane Nolan scored two points while Toome went 0-5 to 0-2 in front inside the opening six minutes. Darragh McCarthy, a last minute replacement for Adam Hall, was also on the scoresheet with Mark McCarthy scoring twice from frees.

But Nenagh settled as Mark Carey, Barry Heffernan, Paddy Murphy, and Adam Healy got on a lot of ball in defence and by the thirteenth minute they were level at 0-5 each after Jake Morris, Sean Phelan, Josh Keller each scored from play in between frees from Michael Heffernan.

Toome were two in front by the fourteenth minute after David Nolan and Darragh McCarthy scored at a time when Nenagh found the Toome defence to be well on top thanks to the work-rate of Liam Ryan, Andrew Ryan, Josh McCarthy, and Jack Ryan.

For all that, Jake Morris found space to score his second point, but Toome were two in front once more before Michael Heffernan (free) and Barry Heffernan had scores level at 0-8 each after twenty minutes. The scores were the start of Nenagh’s best spell to date as they went two in front through Jake Morris from half-way quickly followed by another score by the industrious Conor Hennessy.

Yet, Toomevara recovered and were level at 0-11 each by the 28th minute but the Heffernan brothers, Michael & Barry, were on target once more before Kevin McCarthy narrowed the gap to one leaving Michael Heffernan with the chance to move Nenagh two in front with a free just before the half time whistle at 0-14 to 0-12.

The second half was just eight seconds old when Adam Healy had Nenagh three in front, but Toome enjoyed a three point run through Shane Nolan and Mark McCarthy (free) before Jack Delaney scored a super point from close to the sideline making it level for the sixth time at 0-15 each.

Nenagh regained the lead through Michael Heffernan from a free. A Dermot McTiernan long restart to where Jake Morris won possession and he scored on the turn to edge them two clear, but the scores were level by the 43rd minute after Mark McCarthy’s free was quickly followed by a long range score by Shane Nolan.

The Nenagh defence were doing well as championship debutant Sam O’Farrell, Paddy Murphy and Conor Ryan held their own as the champions decided to move Barry Heffernan to centre forward. The move coincided with Nenagh’s dominance increasing and they scored four unanswered points, initiated by three Michael Heffernan frees closely followed by a Jake Morris score in his now familiar one-handed overhead tennis swing, which made it 0-21 to 0-17.

Toomevara looked in trouble, but they ended their fifteen minute barren spell with a Mark McCarthy free in the 58th minute but that was quickly cancelled out by a Michael Heffernan free a minute later.

Toome’s recovery was growing in stature, but Dermot McTiernan denied Mark McCarthy with a great save at the expense of a point. Five extra minutes were signalled, and Jake Morris had the margin back at four for the third time before two Mark McCarthy frees left both sets of supporters on tender hooks. The five minutes had elapsed but there was one last move by Nenagh and Josh Keller’s rasper flew over the bar with a goal chance very much on the offering.

Player of the Match: Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og)

Nenagh Eire Og: Dermot McTiernan (7); Conor Ryan (7), Mark Carey (7), Sam O’Farrell (7); Paddy Murphy (8), Barry Heffernan (0-2, 8), Adam Healy (0-1, 7); Michael Heffernan (0-10, 9f, 8), Ben West (6); Josh Keller (0-2, 7), Philip Hickey (7), Conor Hennessy (0-1, 7); Tommy Heffernan (6), Jake Morris (0-7, 8), Sean Phelan (0-1, 7).

Sub: James Mackey (6) for T Heffernan (51).

Toomevara: Conor Grace (6); Liam Ryan (7), Andrew Ryan (7), Seamus O’Farrell (7); Colm Canning (6), Josh McCarthy (7), Jack Ryan (7); Darren Delaney (0-1, 7), Robbie Quirke (6); Jack Delaney (0-3, 7), Kevin McCarthy (0-2, 7), David Nolan (0-1, 7); Mark McCarthy (0-8, 7f, 7), Shane Nolan (0-4, 8), Darragh McCarthy (0-2, 7).

Subs: Adam Hall for Canning (blood 42-43); Adam Hall (6) for D Nolan (46); Paddy Grace (6) for S Nolan (56); Sean Flaherty (NR) for D Delaney (59).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).