Late Kiladangan salvo leaves Nenagh feeling blue

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Kiladangan 3-18

Nenagh Eire Og 1-20

Report: Shane Brophy in Dolla

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Sean Hayes (Kiladangan)

SCORERS – Kiladangan: Billy Seymour 0-8 (7 frees); Joe Gallagher, Sean Hayes 1-3 each; Dan O’Meara 1-2; David Sweeney, Paul Flynn 0-1 each.

Nenagh Eire Og: Jake Morris 0-6 (3 frees); Anthony Walsh 1-3; Michael Heffernan 0-5 (3 frees); Paddy Murphy, Tommy Heffernan 0-2 each; Killian Gleeson, James Mackey 0-1 each.

If we get more matches of this standard, we’ll be in for a cracking club championship as Kiladangan came from behind to see off Nenagh Eire in this high quality North Senior Hurling Championship semi-final on Sunday.

A late 1-1 salvo proved to be the winning of the game for Kiladangan who got the upper hand on Nenagh in the final quarter after Eire Og played the better hurling in the second and third quarters but couldn’t sustain it.

Maybe this is where the champions mentality that Kiladangan have built up in recent years came to the fore as even when they were struggling to contain Nenagh, they kept on their coat-tails and when the pressure was its greatest, they found the answers.

It came in two areas, firstly in defence where they held Nenagh to just two points in the final quarter with the half back line of Alan Flynn, David Sweeney and sub Jack Loughnane coming to the fore. They upped the pressure on the Nenagh forwards who were always threatening up to then, with the familiar faces of Tommy & Michael Heffernan, Paddy Murphy and Jake Morris leading the way.

However, despite the defeat the performance of Anthony Walsh was a huge fill-up going forward. A new face to the Nenagh attack, Walsh scored 1-3 from play but his workrate and overall play was superb and certainly adds another string to the Nenagh bow.

At the other end of the field, Nenagh recovered from a slow start where they conceded two first quarter finals while they also had goalkeeper Mark Tuite to thank for a string of fine saves. Once they settled, Barry Heffernan did well but Nenagh struggled in the half back line in the second half where Billy Seymour, and most notably Joe Gallagher and Sean Hayes caused major problems.

When Kiladangan were struggling, Gallagher again proved to be the man they could turn to in terms of winning a hard ball when needed to and finished with 1-3, while Sean Hayes arguably turned in his most consistent game at senior level, particularly in the second half where his hard-running from deep was impressive.

Overall, this was a game of high quality between two well coached teams and while Kiladangan had the edge on this occasion, overall new Nenagh manager Brian Horgan will have been pleased with his sides performance and if they fine-tune some things, will have a major say come the county championship.

Indeed, it was Eire Og who were quickly out of the traps with the first three points from Michael Heffernan, Jake Morris (free) and Paddy Murphy. However, they showed the first signs of vulnerability in the sixth minute defensively when Mark Tuite denied Sean Hayes. He pulled off another save two minutes later from Dan O’Meara, but Joe Gallagher finished the rebound to the net for a 1-1 to 0-3 lead after Billy Seymour had earlier opened Kiladangan’s account.

Sean Hayes was causing Nenagh’s Paul McLoughlin problems and after he saw a half goal chance flash over, found the net on twelve minutes as he completely lost his ma to run onto a Dan O’Meara pass from where to fire past Tuite.

It gave Kiladangan a 2-2 to 0-5 lead, but Nenagh were a threat at the other end where Morris (free) and Tommy Heffernan were on target with Morris adding two more from play before Mark Tuite was again called into action to deny Joe Gallagher, but David Sweeney pointed from the follow-up on 21 minutes.

The goal chances continued, but this time at the other end as Barry Hogan superbly denied Tommy Heffernan on 23 minutes but he could do little to deny Anthony Walsh from close range three minutes later, as Nenagh got back on terms, 2-5 to 1-8, and would have the better of the play on the run up to half time, outscoring their rivals 0-4 to 0-2 with Walsh (2), Heffernan and Killian Gleeson on target from play with Paul Flynn and Billy Seymour on target for Kiladangan as they trailed 1-12 to 2-7 at the break.

Points from Hayes and Gallagher brought Kiladangan back on term shortly after the resumption, but Nenagh quickly got back on the front foot with James Mackey and Jake Morris (free) on target, the latter after a foul on Anthony Walsh who was a real thorn in the ‘Dangan side.

Points from Morris and two from Michael Heffernan, either side of a Joe Gallagher point, pushed Nenagh four clear and were full value for that lead on 41 minutes.

However, Kiladangan dug in and with sub Tom O’Meara and Joe Gallagher winning frees, Billy Seymour converted before Dan O’Meara pointed to cut the margin to a minimum before Anthony Walsh gave Nenagh a 1-18 to 2-13 lead at the second water-break.

Mark Tuite denied Sean Hayes after the resumption where Nenagh struggled to make the ball stick in attack with Kiladangan driving on at the other end with Joe Gallagher and Dan O’Meara bringing them level on 49 minutes.

Michael Heffernan (free) and Killian Gleeson twice gave Nenagh the lead but Sean Hayes and Seymour (free) bringing Kiladangan level and with extra time looming, the North champions struck for the match-winning goal in the final minute of normal time after Nenagh keeper Mark Tuite attempted to prevent an Alan Flynn shot from going over the bar, he brought the ball down but only to the waiting Dan O’Meara to scoop to the net. Nenagh argued in vain for a square ball, but referee Peter Carroll awarded the goal after consultation with his umpires. A late Billy Seymour free (which looked well wide) rubbed salt into the Nenagh wound as Kiladangan progress to yet another North Final.

TEAMS – Kiladangan: Barry Hogan (7); Fergal Hayes (6), Darragh Flannery (7), James Quigley (7); Darren Moran (6), David Sweeney (7), Alan Flynn (7); Willie Connors (7), Tadhg Gallagher (8); Bryan McLoughney (6), Joe Gallagher (9), Billy Seymour (8); Sean Hayes (9), Paul Flynn (6), Dan O’Meara (7).

Subs: Tom O’Meara (6) for McLoughney (HT); Jack Loughnane (6) for Moran (40); Bryan McLoughney for J Gallagher (56).

Nenagh Eire Og: Mark Tuite (9); Adam Gratton (6), Barry Heffernan (8), Paul McLoughlin (6); Daire Quinn (7), Conor Ryan (7), Adam Healy (7); James Mackey (7), Killian Gleeson (7); Michael Heffernan (7), Pearse Morris (7), Paddy Murphy (7); Jake Morris (7), Tommy Heffernan (7), Anthony Walsh (9).

Sub: Sean Phelan (6) for P Morris (52).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)