Nenagh Éire Óg suffered a heart-breaking one-point defeat (1-16 to 1-17) in Sunday’s dramatic Clean Ireland Recycling county senior hurling final against a Noel McGrath-inspired Loughmore-Castleiney at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
Clean Ireland Recycling County
Senior Hurling Championship Final
Nenagh Éire Óg 1-16 Loughmore-Castleiney 1-17
On Sunday, October 13th 2013 the Blues lost their 13th championship game of the year by a single point to a superb Loughmore-Castleiney team at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
Following a disappointing defeat suffered at the hands of Toomevara in a north Tipperary senior hurling championship quarter-final Nenagh Éire Óg found their form to beat Thurles Sarsfields (defending Munster champions and 2009, 2010 & 2012 county champions), Drom & Inch (2011 county champions), Silvermines (2012 county & Munster intermediate club champions) and Kildangan (2013 north Tipperary champions) before losing out to a Loughmore-Castleiney side who were inspired by inter-county star Noel McGrath.
Nenagh Éire Óg fought like men right to the very last, but Loughmore-Castleiney edged out the Blues in a dramatic final quarter.
Éire Óg started well and led 0-3 to no-score thanks to early points from Pearse Morris, Michael Heffernan (free) and Richie Flannery. Loughmore-Castleiney hit back with a brace of points to trail 0-2 to 0-3 before Richie Flannery broke the ball to Paddy Murphy in the 12th minute and Paddy fired Éire Óg into a four-point lead. Andrew Coffey and Tommy Heffernan then added to the Blues’ tally and Éire Óg led 1-5 to 0-2 by the 14th minute.
Noel McGrath responded for Loughmore-Castleiney, but Nenagh Éire Óg hit back almost immediately when Michael Heffernan swung over a magnificent right-handed effort in the 17th minute – 1-6 to 0-3.
Loughmore-Castleiney closed out the half impressively with three points dragging the favourites back into contention – half-time: Nenagh Éire Óg 1-7 Loughmore-Castleiney 0-6.
Second Half
A Cian Hennessy point closed the gap to three points immediately after the break, but this final reached a significant juncture in the 34th minute when Richie Flannery was pulled down for a penalty. Michael Heffernan made a telling connection on the placed ball, but his effort flew narrowly over the crossbar – 1-8 to 0-7.
Two Noel McGrath points (one ’65) left two in it before Paddy Murphy helped Éire Óg into a 1-9 to 0-9 lead by the 38th minute.
Points from Tommy and Michael Heffernan then forced Éire Óg four clear (1-11 to 0-10) with twenty minutes to play.
Two Noel McGrath points reduced Éire Óg’s advantage to two points, but the Blues responded to the challenge once more when Pearse Morris grabbed a puck-out and drove over a superb point (1-12 to 0-12) in the 43rd minute.
With quarter of an hour to play a Cian Hennessy point roused Loughmore-Castleiney before Evan Sweeney gathered a John Meagher delivery in the 46th minute and buried a goal which presented Loughmore-Castleiney with the lead for the first time. Four minutes later John McGrath landed a point and now Éire Óg trailed by two (1-12 to 1-14).
A Michael Heffernan free reduced the deficit, but Noel McGrath hit back almost immediately for Loughmore-Castleiney in the 52nd minute.
Éire Óg, however, charged forward in search of scores with efforts from Paddy Murphy and Michael Heffernan levelling matters at 1-15 apiece by the 56th minute.
Ciarán McGrath helped Loughmore-Castleiney back into the lead before an Evan Sweeney point in the 59th minute left two between them (1-15 to 1-17).
A Michael Heffernan free right on the hour mark dragged Éire Óg to within touching distance once more, but the Blues failed to create one final opportunity which could have rescued the situation. Sadly in the final twenty minutes Éire Óg fired five wides while Loughmore-Castleiney hit just one.
Best Wishes
Loughmore-Castleiney will now take on Limerick champions Na Piarsaigh in a Munster senior hurling championship quarter-final on Sunday, October 27th. Nenagh Éire Óg would like to wish Loughmore-Castleiney all the very best in their provincial campaign.
Loughmore-Castleiney: Shane Nolan, Tommy Long, Derek Bourke, Joseph Hennessy, Aidan McGrath (0-2, 0-2 frees), John Meagher, Tom King, Ciarán McGrath (0-1), Tomás McGrath (0-1), John McGrath, David Kennedy (0-1), Cian Hennessy (0-2), Noel McGrath (0-7, 0-1 frees, 0-1 ’65), Evan Sweeney (0-1), Liam McGrath (1-2). Subs: (56th) Micheál Webster for David Kennedy.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael McNamara, Mark Flannery, Noel Maloney, John Brennan, Daire Quinn, Hugh Maloney, Billy Heffernan, Barry Heffernan, Kevin Tucker, Pearse Morris (0-3), Michael Heffernan (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 penalty), Tommy Heffernan (0-2), Andrew Coffey (0-1), Paddy Murphy (1-2), Richie Flannery (0-1). Subs: (46th) Paul Ryan for Andrew Coffey, (52nd) Donnacha Quinn for Billy Heffernan, (60th) Johnny Slattery for Paul Ryan.
Remaining Panel Members: Brian Quinn, James Mackey, Killian Gleeson, Alan Kelly, Kevin Flynn, Seánie Geaney, Adam Grattan, Conor Ryan, Donnacha Heffernan, David Hackett, Niall Cahill, Eoin Fitzgibbon, Gary Howard, Michael Collins, Bob O’Brien, Philip Hickey, Darragh Walsh & Daire Gleeson.
Management Team: Liam Heffernan (manager), John Fitzgerald (coach), Noel Coffey (selector) & Enda Costello (selector). Physio: Paul Dillon & Eddie Hynes. First Aid: Liam Quinn. Doctor: Paul O’Farrell. Logistics: Matt Lillis.
Referee: John McCormack (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams).
2013 Championship Campaign
Clean Ireland Recycling County Senior Hurling Championship
Final Nenagh Éire Óg 1-16 Loughmore-Castleiney 1-17
Semi-Final Replay Nenagh Éire Óg 1-17 Kildangan 0-12
Semi-Final Nenagh Éire Óg 4-13 Kildangan 2-19
Quarter-Final Nenagh Éire Óg 1-15 Drom & Inch 2-11
Round Four Nenagh Éire Óg 1-21 Silvermines 0-8
Round Three Nenagh Éire Óg 2-18 Upperchurch-Drombane 1-17
Round Two Nenagh Éire Óg 1-18 Mullinahone 0-9
Round One Nenagh Éire Óg 0-15 Thurles Sarsfields 0-12
Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
Quarter-Final Nenagh Éire Óg 1-13 Toomevara 2-18
Round Four Nenagh Éire Óg 1-10 Portroe 0-13
Round Three Nenagh Éire Óg 0-21 Kilruane MacDonagh’s 0-15
Round Two Nenagh Éire Óg 5-12 Moneygall 0-9
Round One Nenagh Éire Óg 0-17 Kildangan 1-14
Players Used (number of appearances & total scores in brackets): Michael McNamara (13), Mark Flannery (13), Noel Maloney (13), John Brennan (13), Daire Quinn (13, 0-1), Barry Heffernan (13, 0-4), Kevin Tucker (13, 1-53), Michael Heffernan (13, 3-52), Billy Heffernan (12, 0-2), Paddy Murphy (12, 4-15), Donnacha Quinn (12, 0-16), Pearse Morris (11, 0-4), Hugh Maloney (11, 0-2), Tommy Heffernan (11, 3-28), Seánie Geaney (10, 0-5), James Mackey (10, 1-4), Killian Gleeson (9, 3-5), Alan Kelly (7, 0-1), Brian Quinn (7, 0-3), Andrew Coffey (6, 0-1), Richie Flannery (6, 3-7), Johnny Slattery (5, 0-1), Adam Grattan (5), Paul Ryan (2, 0-1).
*Seven players – namely Michael McNamara, Noel Maloney, Michael Heffernan, Daire Quinn, John Brennan, Barry Heffernan & Kevin Tucker – played a part in every game while Michael McNamara, Noel Maloney, Michael Heffernan and Daire Quinn played every minute of every championship game.
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