Nenagh Éire Óg collected the Johnny Ryan Cup on Sunday evening thanks to a two-point win over Toomevara at Dolla.
Clean Ireland Recycling
County Senior Challenge Cup
Johnny Ryan Cup Final
Nenagh Éire Óg 0-22 Toomevara 3-11
Points from Donnacha Quinn (free) and Andrew Coffey helped Éire Óg into a 0-2 to no-score lead before Colm Canning responded for Toome.
Darren Cuddihy made a great save to deny Michael Heffernan a goal in the seventh minute before Andrew Coffey and David Nolan traded points; points from David Nolan and Colm Canning then book-ended a Tommy Heffernan effort to leave a point between the sides in the 18th minute (0-4 to 0-3).
Donnacha Quinn and Mark McCarthy exchanged frees while Andrew Ryan did especially well to block Michael Heffernan’s shot at goal in the 24th minute. A Paddy Murphy point forced Éire Óg two points clear, but Toome hit back to take the lead with an Eoin Brislane goal in the 27th minute following Mark McCarthy’s sensible cross – 1-4 to 0-6.
Paddy Murphy and Colm Canning traded points thereafter before three Tommy Heffernan efforts helped Éire Óg into a 0-10 to 1-5 interval lead. The Éire Óg response to Brislane’s goal was impressive and could have been even more emphatic had a third Michael Heffernan goal chance not been saved in the 32nd minute.
Immediately after the break a David Nolan point closed the gap to one before Éire Óg exploded into life with efforts from Paddy Murphy and Donnacha Quinn (two) helping the Blues into a 0-13 to 1-6 lead.
Two Ken Dunne points (one free) stemmed the tide, but further efforts from Paddy Murphy and Michael Heffernan ensured a four-point buffer between the sides with twenty minutes to play (0-15 to 1-8).
David Nolan helped himself to his third point from play before Darren Cuddihy saved brilliantly from the raiding Pearse Morris. Within seconds John O’Brien set up Eoin Brislane for a second Toome goal and the sides were level in the 44th minute (2-9 to 0-15).
Two minutes later David Nolan’s fourth point from play handed the Greyhounds the lead and asked a big question of the Éire Óg lads.
To their credit Éire Óg responded in positive fashion to the challenge posed – the Blues then proceeded to out-score the Greyhounds 0-7 to 0-1.
Kevin Tucker set up Michael Heffernan for a terrific left-handed point while a Donnacha Quinn effort from play helped the Blues into a 0-17 to 2-10 lead.
John O’Brien cracked over a superb long-range effort, but Éire Óg responded through Donnacha Quinn (free), Pearse Morris and Killian Gleeson to race into a 0-20 to 2-11 lead. In the 53rd minute Pearse Morris was dragged down for a penalty which Donnacha Quinn tapped over the bar. Killian Gleeson then fired over a terrific point in the 56th minute to force Éire Óg into a five-point lead.
That cushion was probably a reasonable reflection on the game, but Toomevara were far from finished and the unmarked John O’Brien fired home a rasping shot in the 59th minute to give the Greyhounds some hope. Whatever chance Toome enjoyed of upsetting the odds late in the game evaporated with the departure of Eoin Brislane who was shown a straight red card following an altercation with Éire Óg captain Noel Maloney in the 61st minute.
The attention of both sides will now turn to the third round of the county senior hurling championship which is scheduled to resume on the week-ending Sunday, August 3rd.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael McNamara, Billy Heffernan, Noel Maloney, John Brennan, Daire Quinn, Hugh Maloney, Barry Heffernan, Kevin Tucker, Andrew Coffey (0-2), Pearse Morris (0-1), Michael Heffernan (0-2), Tommy Heffernan (0-4), Donnacha Quinn (0-7, 0-4 frees), Paddy Murphy (0-4), Killian Gleeson (0-2). Subs: (54th) Paul Ryan for Pearse Morris.
Toomevara: Darren Cuddihy, Andrew Ryan, David Young, Cathal Kennedy, Francis Devaney, Joey McLoughney, Darren Delaney, Benny Dunne, Luke Ryan, John Delaney, Colm Canning (0-3), Ken Dunne (0-2, 0-1 frees), Mark McCarthy (0-1, 0-1 free), Eoin Brislane (2-0), David Nolan (0-4). Subs: (HT) John O’Brien (1-1) for Luke Ryan, (45th) Paul Ryan for John Delaney, (57th) Jason Ryan for Cathal Kennedy, (59th) Kieran Flaherty for Francis Devaney.
Referee: Pat Gibson (Burgess).
LOTTO
The Nenagh Éire Óg Club Lotto represents the club’s key fundraising initiative.
Please consider supporting the Blues by playing our club lotto online: click here!
Just watch how far we can stretch your €2!
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