Razor sharp Nenagh give Lorrha a grounding

A fast moving Nenagh Eire Og team did far more than was demanded in defeating a game Lorrha side in this North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship quarter final on Saturday evening.

GAA: The Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Nenagh Eire Og 4-27

Lorrha 2-19

Report: Liam Hogan at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan

MATCH DIGEST

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

SCORERS - Nenagh Eire Og: Jake Morris 2-10 (0-4 frees); James Mackey 1-2; Cian Crowley 0-4; Philip Hickey 1-0; Josh Keller, Michael Heffernan, Sam O’Farrell, Mason Cawley 0-2 each; Adam Healy, Filip McIntyre, James Cottrell 0-1 each.

Lorrha: Colm Fogarty 0-10 (9 frees, 1’65); Conor Kennedy 2-1; Eoin McIntyre 0-4; Niall McIntyre 0-2; Brian Hogan, Martin O’Gorman 0-1 each.

In the process, the holders served notice they don’t intend to relinquish their crown and the quest for three-in-a-row is very much on track.

In a clash between the 2023 North Senior and Premier Intermediate champions, this was a very high-scoring game with Nenagh overcoming a slow start before completely taking over in the first twenty minutes to lead 1-9 to 1-1.

Lorrha did manage to reduce the deficit to four by the 25th minute but no sooner was there signs of a comeback in the air that Nenagh hit back with a Jake Morris goal and the sky blues went into the dressing rooms six to the good and comfortably pulled away in the second half.

Despite being without Conor McCarthy, Conor Hennessy, Barry & Tommy Heffernan, and Sean Phelan (the latter making a late appearance) Eire Og were simply raw hungry for victory as they put their dismal league campaign behind them.

Their front six were full of running with Jake Morris leading the way at full forward finishing top scorer with 2-10, with all bar four coming from play as the Lorrha full backline of Oisin Guinan, Conor Hogan and Tom Duggan were unable to cope with the constant flow of ball in his direction.

Apart from Morris there was a lot to admire from the displays of Josh Keller, James Mackey and Cian Crowley with the half forwards combining to score 1-8 from play, with Crowley putting his stamp on the game with four superb points from distance.

In fairness, the Lorrha half backline of Ciaran Haugh, Michael Dolan and Brendan Fogarty did their utmost to quell the tide and managed to make many clearances but the scores for Nenagh didn’t just sit with the forwards as the midfield combination of Sam O’Farrell and Michael Heffernan also made headway with two points each.

What of Lorrha? In any senior championship game a team needs its full quota of players and their five absentees, suspended trio Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher, Denis O’Meara, and David Fogarty, the injured Darragh Guinan, and honeymooning Cian Hogan were sorely missed.

As a result, the Lorrha management used the occasion to bring in new blood and giving a championship debut to Conor Kennedy proved to be a masterstroke. The eighteen-year-old lined out at left corner forward and the game was only three minutes old when he goaled with his first touch, reacting quickest to the rebound after Eoin McIntyre’s shot was saved by Nenagh goalkeeper Dermot McTiernan.

Ninety seconds later, McIntyre increased Lorrha’s lead with a point as the experienced wing forward went on to have an inspired game with a four point return and also had a hand in his sides second goal, also finishing by Kennedy.

Meanwhile, the early lead was erased quickly as Jake Morris weaved magic when scoring 1-1 by the fifth minute as the Nenagh forward line came thundering into game and led by six after fourteen minutes with James Mackey (2), Josh Keller (2), as well as debutantes Mason Cawley and Filip McIntyre all scored.

Brian Hogan pulled one back for Lorrha but Nenagh replied with three unanswered points to lead by eight after seventeen minutes. However, the next eight minutes were good for Lorrha.

Colm Fogarty’s free was matched by a Morris score from play before Eoin McIntyre scored his second.

A minute later, Brendan Fogarty’s clearance reached McIntyre who set off on a run before finding Conor Kennedy who had no trouble in firing home his second goal. The resulting puckout was turned over and Lorrha won a free which Fogarty converted and suddenly four points separated the teams.

However, the good times lasted no length as from the restart Jake Morris ghosted inside the Lorrha cover to direct a shot to the net from close range. Lorrha reduced the deficit to four after another Fogarty free but Nenagh finished the half the stronger as Morris sped past his marker to score a point before Michel Heffernan made it 2-13 to 2-7 at the interval.

Nenagh outscored Lorrha 0-6 to 0-3 in the opening ten minutes of the second half with Jake Morris (3), Cian Crowley (2) and a superb score for the excellent Adam Healy. Niall McIntyre, Eoin McIntyre, and Martin O’Gorman were the Lorrha responses.

Another Michael Heffernan score in the 40th minute followed before the game was well and truly put to bed when Philip Hickey found the net a minute later after an assist from Filip McIntyre.

Colm Fogarty replied with a free before Sam O’Farrell and Eoin McIntyre swapped scores with McIntyre’s effort his best of his four. At 46 minutes, twelve points separated the teams but the Nenagh lead increased within two minutes with Cian Crowley’s splendid point followed by their fourth goal from James Mackey.

Through the remainder of the game, Lorrha scored seven points with Colm Fogarty converting four frees and a 65 with Niall McIntyre and Conor Kennedy adding one each while Nenagh’s remaining five saw Morris pick off three while Mason Cawley and substitute James Cottrell got in on the act to become their teams eleventh different scorer.

It will be much stiffer for Nenagh in the semi-final against Toomevara while Lorrha get to regroup for the county championship where one of their group games is a rematch against Nenagh in August.

TEAMS - Nenagh Eire Og: Dermot McTiernan (7); Conor Ryan (7), Mark Carey (7), Mark O’Farrell (7); Mason Cawley (7), Paddy Murphy (7), Adam Healy (7); Michael Heffernan (7), Sam O’Farrell (7); Cian Crowley (8), James Mackey (8), Josh Keller (8); Filip McIntyre (7), Philip Hickey (7), Jake Morris (9).

Subs: James Cottrell (6) for Hickey (53); Sean Phelan (6) for Mackey (53).

Lorrha: Kevin Hough (6); Oisin Guinan (6), Conor Hogan (6), Tom Duggan (6); Ciaran Haugh (6), Michael Dolan (6), Brendan Fogarty (7); Brian Hogan (6), Niall McIntyre (6); Eoin McIntyre (8), Alan O’Meara (6), Martin Gorman (6); Christopher Fogarty (6), Colm Fogarty (7), Conor Kennedy (7).

Sub: Lee Hogan (6) for Haugh (44).

Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Newport).