Nenagh hit listless Lorrha for seven

Nenagh Eire Og kept their hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages of the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship alive with a resounding victory over a disappointing Lorrha side in a one-sided group 3 clash on Saturday evening.

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 3

Nenagh Eire Og 7-28

Lorrha 3-7

Report: James Hayden at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan

The men from Lower Ormond welcoming back Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher from suspension while Nenagh fielded a much changed side from their five-point loss to Holycross-Ballycahill, drafting in Conor McCarthy after a long spell on the sidelines through injury while Ben West and Philip Hickey were also parachuted into the starting fifteen.

It all started so brightly for Lorrha after Maher netted on three minutes and this coupled with an earlier Colm Fogarty free ensured they led 1-1 to 0-2 in the early stages. Disappointingly, Ken Hogan’s side were to manage to only register just three further pointed frees in the half as Nenagh had the tie well and truly sown up by half-time.

Lorrha struggled to deal with Éire Óg’s direct play, and their inside back line buckled under the aerial bombardment. Barry Heffernan, operating in the sweeper role launched ball after ball in on top of the Lorrha inside back line and try as they might they just couldn’t contain the mercurial Jake Morris as Nenagh’s marquee forward hit a staggering 4-5 from play.

Throw in the fact that Philip Hickey, Tommy Heffernan, Michael Heffernan, and Ben West were all in fine scoring form also, and you have a recipe for a runaway victory.

Morris netted his first goal in the ninth minute after Lorrha captain Michael Dolan was caught in possession and the ball broke for Morris, and he rifled to the back of the net.

James Mackey added quickly to Nenagh’s tally before Morris struck for his second goal on thirteen minutes. Tommy Heffernan then popped up to snaffle two points in quick succession as Lorrha struggled to win primary possession from their own puck-outs.

A well struck Colm Fogarty free on eighteen minutes saw Lorrha trail 1-2 to 2-5 before a booming Mark Carey clearance found Philip Hickey and he rattled the Lorrha net with aplomb.

Lorrha cut a dejected side at this juncture as Nenagh’s dominance all over the field yielded score after score with points from Sam O’Farrell, Jake Morris and three successive Michael Heffernan frees from range. Colm Fogarty (free) converted Lorrha’s third point on 27 minutes before Nenagh raided once more with Ben West soaring high to gather possession and fire over a sublime point from close-range.

Another high ball in from Bally Heffernan this time found his brother Michael and he found the back of the net with a cracking finish to see Nenagh lead 4-11 to 1-3 on the thirty minute mark.

Further points from Sam O’Farrell and Philip Hickey added to Nenagh’s tally in time added on before Colm Fogarty converted his fourth point of the half from a placed ball to see Lorrha trail 4-13 to 1-4 at the interval.

Lorrha enforced two substitutions at the break with Cian Hogan (with a heavily strapped knee) and Denis O’Meara drafted into the fray and in fairness to the men from Lower Ormond they did their utmost to put a more respectable look on the scoreboard.

Nenagh hit the ground running though with Mason Cawley, Jake Morris, and Michael Heffernan (free) all on target before Morris struck again with a cracking 33rd minute goal after a neat pass from Philip Hickey. Conor Hennessy followed up with a fine point before Colm Fogarty (free) added to Lorrha’s tally.

Lorrha kept battling away regardless and fashioned their second goal on forty minutes after Patrick Maher fed Eoin McIntyre and he made no mistake from close-range. Nenagh responded with a brace of points from Michael Heffernan before Ben West plucked Heffernan’s long high delivery and although he collided with Lorrha keeper Kevin Hough he managed to force the sliotar to the back of the net for his side’s sixth goal.

With a quarter of an hour to go the sizeable crowd were already streaming for the exits as Nenagh emptied their bench in a bid to garner some game time for their panel. However, they were in no mood to relinquish their dominance in the scoring stakes with Jake Morris popping up again for his fourth goal on 52 minutes.

Lorrha responded with their third goal thanks to a fine Niall McIntyre finish as they endeavoured to put a glossier look on the scoreboard and credit to the men in blue side they stayed battling away gamely in the face of adversity.

Nenagh kept the scoreboard ticking over though with substitute Jamie Cottrell firing over two close-range frees and adding another fine effort from play to cap off a resounding victory for the ‘Sky Blues’, a victory that will surely buoy them going into a final round clash with a very polished looking and unbeaten Loughmore-Castleiney side. Lorrha will now face Holycross-Ballycahill in their final round game in a bid to avoid a relegation battle.

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

Nenagh Éire Óg: Dermot McTiernan (8); Barry Heffernan (0-1, 8), Mark Carey (7), Mason Cawley (0-1, 7); Conor Ryan (7), Paddy Murphy (8), Conor McCarthy (7); Sam O’Farrell (0-2, 7), Michael Heffernan (1-9 (0-7f), 8); Ben West (1-2, 7), James Mackey (0-1, 7), Conor Hennessy (0-1, 7); Philip Hickey (1-1, 8), Jake Morris (4-5, 8), Tommy Heffernan (0-2, 7).

Subs: Mark O’Farrell (7) for McCarthy (40); Sean Phelan (6) for Hickey (51); Adam Healy (6) for Cawley (51); Jamie Cottrell (0-3 2f, 7) for S O’Farrell (55); Killian Malone (NR) for Mackey (55).

Lorrha: Kevin Hough (6); Lee Hogan (6), Conor Hogan (6), Tom Duggan (6); Ciaran Haugh (6), Michael Dolan (7), Darragh Guinan (6); Brendan Fogarty (6), Niall McIntyre (1-0, 7), Alan O’Meara (0-1, 6); Christopher Fogarty (6), Colm Fogarty (0-6f, 7), Eoin McIntyre (1-0, 7); Patrick Maher (1-0, 6), Conor Kennedy (6).

Subs: Cian Hogan (7) for L Hogan (HT); Denis O’Meara (6) for B Fogarty (HT); Oisin Guinan (6) for Haugh (44 inj); Martin Gorman (6) for Kennedy (49 inj); Brendan Fogarty for E McIntyre (55 inj).

Referee: Gerry Treacy (Borris-Ileigh).