The Blues lost their opening game in the 2015 county senior hurling championship to a terrific Templederry Kenyons team at St Michael’s Park in Toomevara on Sunday evening.
Clean Ireland Recycling County
Senior Hurling Championship
Nenagh Éire Óg 0-20
Templederry Kenyons 1-19
Both sides started nervously, but it was Templederry who set the pace early on with two efforts helping the Brian Horgan-coached side into a 0-2 to no-score lead by the fourth minute. Tommy Heffernan got Éire Óg off the mark in the fifth, but the Kenyons hit back with a free almost immediately.
A Shane Maher point reduced the deficit once more, but Templederry then out-scored Éire Óg by three points to two and led 0-6 to 0-4 in the 14th minute. Tommy Heffernan and Donnacha Quinn (’65) were responsible for the Blues’ scores while Shane Maher was cursing his luck in the 12th minute when Kenyons ‘keeper Mathew Ryan saved well from the full-forward. Templederry struck for the only goal of the game in the 14th minute. The Kenyons then added a point in the 15th and Éire Óg found themselves six points adrift (0-4 to 1-7).
The Blues responded to the challenge in rousing fashion. Indeed, between the 16th and 24th minutes Éire Óg hit eight points without reply. Andrew Coffey sparked this surge with a point before Donnacha Quinn added to the Nenagh tally. A Tommy Heffernan point in the 18th minute left a goal in it before points from Paddy Murphy, Donnacha Quinn (free) and Andrew Coffey tied the game (0-10 to 1-7) by the 22nd minute. Éire Óg then raced into a two-point lead thanks to two consecutive points from the stick of the influential Tommy Heffernan (0-12 to 1-7).
The Templederry men illustrated their resolve during the closing minutes of the opening half when hitting three unanswered points in highly impressive fashion. The Kenyons led 1-10 to 0-12 at the break.
A Donnacha Quinn free in the 32nd minute tied the game before Templederry edged back into a two-point advantage (0-13 to 1-12). The Blues responded with points from Donnacha Quinn (free), Andrew Coffey and Pearse Morris and led 0-16 to 1-12 by the 41st minute.
A Templederry point in the 44th minute tied the game once more before a superb hook on Tommy Heffernan denied Éire Óg a certain goal in the 46th minute. An Andrew Coffey point was then cancelled out by a Templederry effort before a Donnacha Quinn point in the 49th minute helped the Blues into a 0-18 to 1-14 advantage.
Templederry then illustrated their credentials as real contenders for county championship honours when firing four terrific points to take a 1-18 to 0-18 lead by the 55th minute. A brace of Donnacha Quinn frees cut the Templederry lead to one, but a 19th Templederry point in the first minute of injury time left two between them.
There was still time for Éire Óg to recover the situation and the lads tried hard to do so. In the 62nd minute Tommy Heffernan batted Andrew Coffey’s cross goalwards, but Templederry ‘keeper Mathew Ryan saved once more. Then, in the 63rd minute, Andrew Coffey was fouled for a penalty. Unfortunately Tommy Heffernan steered the placed ball wide and Templederry survived to register a famous win.
In the corresponding Roinn I group one game Clonoulty-Rossmore beat Ballina 4-20 to 1-9 on Sunday evening.
Nenagh Éire Óg’s next match in the county senior hurling championship is against Ballina. That game is scheduled to take place on the week-ending Sunday, April 26th in Newport at 2pm. The Blues’ final group game will be against Clonoulty-Rossmore on the week-ending Sunday, May 3rd or Sunday, May 10th depending on Tipperary’s progress in the knock-out stages of the Allianz National League – the league final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 3rd. Please keep an eye on the club website and associated social media channels for updates.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael McNamara, Mark Flannery, John Brennan, Dáire Quinn, Billy Heffernan, Hugh Maloney, Barry Heffernan, Andrew Coffey (0-4), Kevin Tucker, Pearse Morris (0-1), Paddy Murphy (0-1), Tommy Heffernan (0-5), Killian Gleeson, Shane Maher (0-1), Donnacha Quinn (0-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ’65). Subs: (42nd) Philip Hickey for Killian Gleeson, (44th) Paul Ryan for Shane Maher, (53rd) Conor Ryan for Kevin Tucker.
Referee: Philip Kelly (Ballinahinch).
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!
Alternatively you can also support Nenagh Éire Óg by paying your club membership. Membership for 2015 is now due and can be paid to any club officer or online. The cost of membership is priced at €25.
Help us to make the dreams of our players come true!
If you need to contact Éire Óg please do so via our Contact page. You can also keep in touch by accessing our Facebook page or by following @nenagheireog on Twitter.
