Nenagh Éire Óg enjoyed a three-point win over Kildangan in a north Tipperary under-21A hurling championship clash played in horrible conditions at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan on Monday afternoon.
North Tipperary Under-21A
Hurling Championship
Nenagh Éire Óg 1-14
Kildangan 0-14
Nenagh Éire Óg enjoyed a three-point win over Kildangan in a north Tipperary under-21A hurling championship clash played in horrible conditions at MacDonagh Park, Cloughjordan on Monday afternoon.
Three Donnacha Quinn frees helped Éire Óg into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes with Tadhg Gallagher (free) responding for Kildangan.
Points from Jack Loughnane and Tom McLoughlin levelled mattered by the 14th, but Éire Óg hit back through James Mackey and Donnacha Quinn (free) to lead 0-5 to 0-3 by the 16th.
Éire Óg ‘keeper Kevin Flynn made a fine save when deflecting a Tom McLoughlin effort over the bar a minute later while Andrew Coffey and Gary Howard helped the Blues into a 0-7 to 0-4 advantage with twenty minutes played.
A Tadhg Gallagher point reduced the Éire Óg lead to two points, but two Donnacha Quinn frees forced Nenagh into a four-point lead before Paul Flynn left three in it at the break – half-time: Nenagh Éire Óg 0-9 Kildangan 0-6.
Tommy Heffernan got off the mark for Éire Óg in the opening minute of the second half, but Kildangan responded with efforts from Tom McLoughlin and Paul Flynn leaving two in it (0-10 to 0-8) with twenty-three minutes to play.
Éire Óg, however, responded in kind with points from Donnacha Quinn (free) and David Hickey.
Two Tadhg Gallagher efforts book-ended a Donnacha Quinn free to leave three between them (0-13 to 0-10) entering the final quarter.
Éire Óg struck for a critical three-pointer in the 46th minute when Gary Howard flicked Killian Gleeson’s delivery past Eoin Maher in the Kildangan goal.
Kildangan responded well to the challenge with two Tadhg Gallaher points and an effort from Willie Connors reducing the margin to just three points (1-13 to 0-13) by the 58th minute.
Tadhg Gallagher enjoyed a reasonable goal chance on the hour mark, but fired wide while Éire Óg ‘keeper Kevin Flynn saved a Willie Connors effort neatly at his near post in the third minute of injury time.
A Stephen James Gleeson ’65 cut the Éire Óg lead to two in the 64th minute, but a Donnacha Quinn point in the sixth minute of injury time sealed the win for Nenagh.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Kevin Flynn, Donnacha Heffernan, Kevin Gubbins, Conor Ryan, Adam Gratton, Daire Quinn, Barry Heffernan, Seánie Geaney (captain), Andrew Coffey (0-1), Darragh Walsh, Tommy Heffernan (0-1), Killian Gleeson, Donnacha Quinn (0-9, 0-8 frees), Gary Howard (1-1), James Mackey (0-1). Subs: (39th) David Hickey (0-1) for Darragh Walsh, (62nd) John Cahalan for James Mackey.
Kildangan: Eoin Maher, Jim Minehan, Shane Seymour, Darren Moran, David Sweeney, Stephen James Gleeson (0-1, 0-1 ’65), Willie Connors (0-1), Paddy Gallagher, Jack Loughnane (0-1), Johnny Horan, David Fitzpatrick, Alan Flynn, Paul Flynn (0-2), Tadhg Gallagher (0-6, 0-3 frees), Tom McLoughlin (0-3). Subs: (HT) Seán Webb for David Fitzpatrick.
Referee: Dan Darcy (Kilruane MacDonagh’s).
