North Tipperary Junior B Hurling League
Nenagh Éire Óg 1-7 Newport 0-11
Despite a late surge Éire Óg came up just short against Newport in a hard-fought junior B hurling league clash at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh on Monday evening.
Kieran Duffy opened the scoring for Éire Óg and although Newport struck back with two points a Gary Howard effort levelled it up in the 11th minute. The opening half featured four more Newport points, but Éire Óg responded with fine points from Ger O’Gorman, Kieran Duffy (free) and Gary Howard. Half-time: Nenagh Éire Óg 0-5 Newport 0-6.
Newport started the second half in very positive fashion. The sides traded points initially before Newport hit four points without reply to lead 0-11 to 0-6 by the 50th minute.
Éire Óg were far from finished however. In the 53rd minute Gary Howard cracked home a 21-yard free. The Blues followed up Howard’s goal with two wides and piled on the pressure in the closing minutes. A Jack Sheedy point on the hour mark left just one between them. Éire Óg then fired yet another wide before an Aodhán Geaney ’65 dropped agonisingly short and was cleared away.
Éire Óg’s final game in the group phase of the junior B hurling league is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 2nd in Borrisokane against Borrisokane at 12 noon.
In the up-coming junior B hurling championship Éire Óg have been drawn in a group featuring Newport, Ballinahinch, Ballina and Portroe with the top two qualifying for the semi-finals of the competition.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Brian Gubbins, John Kelly, Lenny Ryan, Brian Duffy, Conor Kirwan, Stephen Ryan, Jack Sheedy (0-1), Aodhán Geaney, Kieran Duffy (0-3, 0-2 frees), Philip Hickey, Gary Howard (1-2, 1-0 free), Brian Flynn, Ger O’Gorman (0-1), Stephen Nagle, Aidan Healy. Subs: (43rd) Luke Kennedy for Ger O’Gorman, (43rd) Christopher Ryan for Stephen Nagle, (51st) Peter Egan for Aidan Healy, (51st) Paul Slattery for Brian Flynn.
Referee: Michael Murphy (Toomevara).
