Strong Nenagh retain North Minor ‘A’ Hurling title

GAA: North Tipperary Minor ‘A’ Hurling Championship Final

Nenagh Eire Og 1-15

Roscrea 3-4

Report: Liam Hogan in Dolla

MATCH DIGEST

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

SCORERS – Nenagh Eire Og: Jake Houlihan 1-9 (0-7 frees); Caylum Fogarty 0-3; Sam O’Farrell, Jack McLoughlin, Aodhan O’Connor 0-1 each.

Roscrea: Sam Dooley 2-0; Paul Dooley 1-0; Leigh Loughnane 0-2 (1 free); Sean Synott, Declan Walsh 0-1 each.

Leading from start to finish, Nenagh Eire Og retained their North Tipperary Minor ‘A’ Hurling Championship title thanks to a five-point final win over Roscrea on Monday evening.

The holders were by far the better side but due to the fact they hit twenty wides they were never comfortably in front. Six points was their biggest lead which they held on two occasions, the first after twenty-six minutes and the second late in the second half.

Two minutes from time that six-point lead was halved by a Sam Dooley goal but two injury time points by Caylum Dooley put paid to any comeback.

Nenagh can thank Mason Cawley, Cian Connolly and Sam O’Farrell for creating one attack after another while up front there was the ever-present Filip McIntyre leading the charge at centre forward in the company of the hard-working Jack McLoughlin while Jake Houlihan was man of the match in scoring 1-9, all bar 1-2 coming from placed balls.

McLoughlin had two pointed frees on the board by the seventh minute before Sam O’Farrell increased the lead a minute later as Roscrea had yet to settle. Eventually they opened their account with Leigh Loughnane on target in the eleventh minute thanks to an assist by the impressive Sam Dooley.

Sean Synott added another Roscrea point a minute later and over the next three minutes the teams produced two scores each with Jake Houlihan pointing twice the first from play, only for Declan Walsh to score from play and Leigh Loughnane adding a free.

But for shooting nine wides, Nenagh would have been further ahead but in the 20th minute they stretched their lead to four when Jake Houlihan was first to arrive on the edge of the square and steer the ball to the net after Roscrea keeper Harry Loughnane had first denied Jack McLoughlin from close range.

By then Nenagh had ten wides, but they could find the target also and, in the run up to half time, Houlihan increased the lead with two points, the first a well-taken point from play to see his side 1-7 to 0-4 in front.

But Roscrea still managed to stay in touch. Good defensive play Eoin Larkin and Brian O’Rourke created enough possession for their attack to make ground and their work paid off when Paul Dooley steered low past Eoin Garrigan for a goal after Sam Dooley laid on the assist.

It was a set-back to Nenagh, but they recovered quickly and approaching half time they increased their lead with another Houlihan free, quickly followed by a Jack McLoughlin point from play. Half time: Nenagh Eire Og 1-9 Roscrea 1-4.

Nenagh made two substitutions at the break with Caylum Fogarty and Mikey Moylan coming into the action.

The opening minutes of the second half produced nothing in terms of scores while Nenagh’s wides increased to fifteen, much more than Roscrea who had two but in the 39th minute they received a life-line when Sam Dooley fired home a great goal.

But such as was the strength of the Nenagh side that they reacted with three unanswered points, the first a Houlihan free, quickly followed by one from play by Caylum Fogarty and Aodhan O’Connor before Houlihan put Nenagh six clear with another point from a free in the 50th minute.

But Roscrea refused to surrender and with Josh Loughnane, Conor McDonald, Sean Synott and Brian O’Rourke bringing the battle and in the 57th minute, O’Rourke’s lengthy delivery reached the edge of the Nenagh square where Sam Dooley won the high ball and slightly off balance, he had the ball in the Nenagh net. A well-taken goal!

With three points separating the teams, anything was possible, but Nenagh had the greater resources and two injury time scores by Caylum Fogarty sealed a good win.

Both teams progress to the county quarter finals against West division opposition

TEAMS - Nenagh Eire Og: Eoin Garrigan; Jack Kennedy, Keelan Rice, Conor Dervan; Mason Cawley, Cian Connolly, Shane McNamara; Emmett Jones, Sam O’Farrell; Jack McLoughlin, Filip McIntyre, Aodhan O’Connor; Jake Houlihan, Zack Keller, Thomas Gleeson.

Subs: Caylum Fogarty for Jones (HT), Mikey Moylan for Gleeson (HT); Billy O’Brien for Keller (60).

Roscrea: Harry Loughnane; Conor McDonald, Eoin Larkin, Josh Loughnane; Brian Hayes, Brian O’Rourke, Conor Hoctor; Sean Synott, Robbie Tynan; Leigh Loughnane, Roger Callaghan, Josh McMahon; Declan Walsh, Sam Dooley, Paul Dooley.

Subs: Darren Fletcher for P Dooley (36); Michael McLoughlin for Hoctor (60 inj); Jack Ryan for McDonald (60+1 inj).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).