Nenagh Éire Óg lost heavily to an excellent Ballina team in the opening round of the Watch Centre North Tipperary Junior B Hurling Championship, but battled right to the end.
Saturday, July 13th
Watch Centre North Tipperary Junior B Hurling Championship
Nenagh Éire Óg 1-9 Ballina 4-22
Nenagh Éire Óg lost out to a terrific Ballina side at Portroe this afternoon. And, although the Blues suffered a 22-point defeat the lads battled to the last and showed great pride in their approach to the game.
The clash with Ballina represented Éire Óg’s opening group game in the 2013 north championship. The Blues will also face Newport, Ballinahinch and Portroe in group two. Group one consists of Templederry, Toomevara, Silvermines & Borrisokane while Kildangan have withdrawn from the competition.
Ballina started well and hit the net after just fourteen seconds. Ballina led 1-1 to no-score before David Cleary got Éire Óg off the mark in the seventh minute. Two further points helped Ballina into a 1-3 to 0-1 before John Donnellan set up Paul Slattery for a terrific Éire Óg goal in the 12th minute. Three minutes later David Cleary converted a free to leave two between the sides (1-2 to 1-4).
Three Ballina points opened a five-point gap before Jamie Gallagher responded for Éire Óg in the 21st minute. Ballina then fired 1-3 without reply to lead 2-10 to 1-3 by the 26th minute. Luke Kennedy responded for Éire Óg, but Ballina closed out the half in impressive fashion firing 2-3 without reply (the third and fourth goals arrived in the 34th and 35th minutes respectively). Half-time: Nenagh Éire Óg 1-4 Ballina 4-13.
Éire Óg battled on manfully in the second half. Indeed, a David Cleary free got the Blues off to an ideal start. Ballina, however, responded with four points of their own before Luke Kennedy struck for a fine point in the 41st minute. A minute later David Cleary converted a free while Aidan Healy fired over a placed ball in the 47th minute – 1-7 to 4-17.
Ballina surged toward the final whistle with five consecutive points while John Donnellan enjoyed the final say in the matter with a point in the 61st minute.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Brian Gubbins, Brian Duffy, John Kelly, Stephen Nagle, Conor Kirwan, Lenny Ryan, Jack Sheedy, Jamie Gallagher (0-1), Christopher Ryan, Aidan Healy (0-1, 0-1 free), David Cleary (0-4, 0-3 frees), Paul Slattery (1-0), Jack Molampy, John Donnellan (0-1), Luke Kennedy (0-2). Subs: (27th) Niall Kennedy for Stephen Nagle, (35th) Ger O’Gorman for Jack Sheedy, (44th) Oisín Ryan for Brian Duffy, (44th) Peter Egan for Jamie Gallagher, (51st) Niall O’Gorman for David Cleary.
Referee: Shane Hodgins (Knockshegowna).
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