Player availability key to final outcome

By James Hayden and Shane Brophy

KILADANGAN v NENAGH EIRE OG

Dolla

Saturday 22nd July

Throw-in @ 7.00pm (E.T.)

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)

Just like next Sunday’s All-Ireland Final is a repeat of the 2022 decider, so it is in the showpiece game of North Tipperary senior hurling as holders Nenagh Eire Og come up against Kiladangan who have been the dominant force in the competition over the last decade.

Since Kiladangan began their current run of success in 2008, they have gone onto win the Frank McGrath Cup on five occasions, the most recent in 2021 but it was ripped from the grasp by Nenagh Eire Og in last year’s final, who produced a storming second half performance, down to fourteen men, to win their first North title since 2014.

Nenagh Eire Og

The holders come into this year’s final off the back of wins over Toomevara and Templederry Kenyons and manager Seamus Cleary was “satisfied” with his side’s performance in their eight point semi-final win on Saturday.

“Templederry were a stiff challenge for us,” he began.

“We expected them to right the wrong of what happened last year. For our perspective we had to nullify the challenge of Seán Ryan, but he gave some exhibition.

“I was happy that our boys stood up though and particularly some of our up and coming players were to the fore today so overall I was happy with our performance.”

Going into the North final next Saturday, Seamus believes that Nenagh will face a serious challenge as they bid to put together back-to-back North titles, a feat that was last accomplished by the club in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

“We are back in a North Final again for the second year running. We will face a huge challenge though and there is no doubt that we will go out and we will do our best,” Seamus added.

Regarding injuries going into next weekend Seamus said he hopes Ben West will be fit to start after being substituted at half-time following a heavy knock in the opening half.

“Ben will be ok. He was a little bit sore there at half time, so we made the decision to take him off.

“As regards Philip Hickey, he still has a sore thumb and we have got to see how that reacts to treatment during the week. Calling a spade, a spade he is probably 50/50, but there are lots of fellas there who are putting up their hand for a position.

Kiladangan

For Kiladangan manager John O’Meara, a North Final as the Sixmilebridge native got a taste of what this divisional championship is all about following his sides dogged win over Borris-Ileigh in the semi-final on Sunday.

“We wouldn’t have been overly happy with our first half performance,” he admitted.

“Playing with the elements, for some reason we just didn’t get going at the level that we would have expected. We had a good chat a half time, regrouped, and made a few positional changes.

“Obviously, we were hit with the second red card midway through the second half, but the lads showed really good character coming down the home straight. We eye-balled them at twelve points apiece and pulled away to win 0-16 to 0-12.

“We were really pleased with the last fifteen minutes in particular, our forwards worked really hard and held up some good ball which was great relief to the backs who would have been under pressure otherwise.

“I thought our backs played really well, they were good and solid. There was very little threat, Borris did have a goal chance near the end, but it was a bit of last gasp defending prevented it but all in all I was really pleased with the way we defended throughout.”

However, what will have pleased everyone linked with the Kiladangan the most will have been their closing ten minutes performance when down a man.

“Coming down the home straight, tactics, structure, all goes out the window,” O’Meara added.

“It comes down to the team that wants it the most and to be fair to our guys they showed it in abundance as when the game was there to be won, they went and won it, so we are very pleased from that perspective.”

The semi-final proved costly with Declan McGrath and Tadgh Gallagher set to miss out through suspension, pending possible appeals, while Willie Connors limped off in injury time with an ankle injury.

OVERVIEW

Last years final in Cloughjordan was one of the games of the year as Kiladangan produced some sparkling hurling in the first half but much like Kiladangan did last Sunday, Nenagh produced a storming last ten minutes to record a memorable win.

Jake Morris has been the star of the competition so far with 1-16 from play in two games and how Kiladangan negate his influence will go a long way to determining the outcome as to whether Frank McGrath stays in Nenagh for another year or returns to Kiladangan after a one year absence. Verdict: Kiladangan