Last gasp goal wins U17 'A' title for Nenagh

GAA: North Tipperary Under 17 'A' Hurling Final

Nenagh Eire Og 2-18

Toomevara 0-22

(after extra time)

Report: Liam Hogan in Kilcoleman

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara)

SCORERS - Nenagh Eire Og: Sam Farrell 1-4 (1-1 frees, 0-2’ 65s); Aodhan O’Connor 0-5 (4 frees); Johnny O’Reilly 1-2; Jack McLoughlin (1 s-cut), Filip McIntyre, Zac Keller 0-2 each; Ben Connolly 0-1.

Toomevara: Darragh McCarthy 0-17 (14 frees); Adam Hall, Tim Flaherty 0-2 each; Dillon Carroll 0-1.

Sam Farrell’s dramatic 81st minute winning goal earned Nenagh Eire Og the North Tipperary Under 17 'A' Hurling title following a thrilling extra time win over Toomevara in the final on Sunday evening.

While the minor grade has moved to under 17, it is not Nenagh's first title in that age grade as this success adds to one in 1970 when the competition was previously in existance.

Farrell’s goal came from a free sixty-five metres out which went all the way to the net. The disputed free occurred after Toome’s Eoin Troy was penalised for picking the ball off the ground on his own 65-metre line. After some dissent the free was moved to the opposition 65 with Farrell’s hopeful strike going all the way much to the joy of the Nenagh following.

In a thrilling encounter which had the scores level nine times, Toomevara fans might have questioned the legitimacy of the pick-up in question and the need for bringing the ball forward for dissent but twenty minutes earlier they had a free brought closer to goal for dissent also with Darragh McCarthy’s free levelling matters at 1-14 to 0-17 for the seventh time to send the match into extra time.

With a brilliant display of free taking Darragh McCarthy was player of the match with seveneen points, including three points from play.

With twenty seconds gone, Ben Connolly opened the scoring when he steered over from the left wing. The excellent Adam Hall levelled before Johnny O’Reilly won a Zac Keller delivery twenty metres out from goal before cutting through the Toome cover and sending a low shot to the net after two minutes.

Little separated the teams in an action packed opening quarter with scores level for a third time in the twelfth minute, 1-3 to 0-6. Sam Farrell gave Nenagh the lead with a 65 in time for the waterbreak.

Backed by prominent work from Charlie Kavanagh, Mason Frawley, Taurai Shayanewako and Aodhan O’Connor, Nenagh began to impress and four unanswered points through O’Reilly, Farrell (65), and Filip McIntyre with two more saw the sky blues go 1-8 to 0-6 in front by the 23rd minute.

The game appeared to be slipping from Toomevara but their management got the response required with Ted Evans, Daniel Farrell and Darragh Kenneally steady in defence while Joseph Coffey and Dillon Carroll became more prominent at midfield with Adam Hall, Tim Flaherty and Oisin Troy posing a threat up front.

With the free count increasing, Darragh McCarthy pointed a free in the 24th minute. Seconds later he benefited from a short Nenagh puckout and scored from play, and as if Eire Og had not learned from the experience the same thing was repeated with the next puckout with Tim Flaherty the beneficiary on this occasion.

Jack McLoughlin’s brilliant sideline ball was the perfect answer for Nenagh but another McCarthy free made the half time scoreline read 1-9 to 0-10 in favour of Eire Og.

Nenagh regained the initiative in the early stages of the second half with Zac Keller and two Aodhan O’Connor frees. But when it seemed that Nenagh were about to take flight, the Toome defence began to get on top again.

Adam Hall’s switch to midfield was a benefit as Toome hit six unanswered points with Darragh McCarthy pointing three while Hall, Jason Doran and Dillon Carroll added a point each enabling Toome to take the lead for the first time with twelve minutes remaining.

After Sam Farrell levelled matters both sides wasted some chances with Toome’s wide tally increasing significantly (reaching sixteen with Nenagh on nine by the end) which allowed the Nenagh defence come to terms with their threat as Mason Cawley and Charlie Kavanagh made several vital interceptions.

Following nine barren minutes it was Aodhan O’Connor who finally nudged Nenagh in front. The hour mark approached as Toomevara came in search of an equaliser where McCarthy levelled matters with another free to send the game into extra time.

The fading light was a source of concern but the action got underway and twenty-six seconds in, Jack McLoughlin gave Nenagh the lead. Already there were signs of cramp threatening to curtail the action and as a result seven minutes elapsed before Sam Farrell increased Nenagh’s lead with a sixty metre free to which Darragh McCarthy replied in kind as the teams changed ends.

Two minutes into the second period, Toome had levelled with Darragh McCarthy accurate once more after Tim Flaherty was hauled down. Combined play involving Jack McLoughlin and Zac Keller saw the latter give Nenagh the lead again but McCarthy levelled with a free on his own sixty five and he moved Toome in front with another free three minutes from time.

The next score was important and both sides had chances before one fell to Tim Flaherty who made no mistake.

Toome were two clear and the 2020 U16 champions were about to make history but everything changed with Farrell’s sixty five metre free going all the way to the net.

TEAMS - Nenagh Eire Og: Eoin Garrigan; Sean Moylan, Keelan Rice, Charlie Kavanagh; mason Cawley, Sam Farrell, Cian Carmody; Cian Connolly, Taurai Shayanewako; Aodhan O’Connor, Filip McIntyre, Ben Connolly; Johnny O’Reilly, Zac Keller, Jack McLoughlin.

Subs: Jake Houlihan for Connolly (47); Calum Fogarty for McLoughlin (60+3 inj); Jack McLoughlin for Connolly (9 ET).

Toomevara: Cormac Hogan; Joshua Powell, Ted Evans, Fionn McGuigan; Cathal Frend, Daniel Farrell, Darragh Kenneally; Dillon Carroll, Joseph Coffey; Jack Doran, Darragh McCarthy, Tim Flaherty; Oisin Troy, Adam Hall, Harry Duff.

Subs: Jake Hackett for Duff (HT); David Conway for Doran (59); Matthew Coffey for Carroll (60 inj).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess).