Éire Óg suffered an eight-point defeat to Toomevara at Dolla in a one-sided Hibernian Inn north Tipperary senior hurling championship quarter-final.
Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior
Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Nenagh Éire Óg 1-13 Toomevara 2-18
Éire Óg suffered an eight-point defeat to Toomevara at Dolla in a one-sided Hibernian Inn north Tipperary senior hurling championship quarter-final.
Prior to this afternoon Éire Óg were undefeated, but Toomevara proved too strong on this occasion for the Blues.
Toome started well and led 1-2 to no-score before Éire Óg got off the mark thanks to a long-range Barry Heffernan free. A Kevin Tucker free and then a super Michael Heffernan point dragged Éire Óg to within two points of Toome.
Éire Óg then took the lead thanks to a Killian Gleeson goal – Gleeson did especially well to dispossess his marker before belting home a great shot – 1-3 to 1-2.
Following a Kevin Tucker point in the 25th minute Éire Óg led 1-6 to 1-5, but Toomevara closed out the opening half brilliantly and led 1-9 to 1-7 at the break.
Toomevara had played into the breeze in the opening half and immediately after the break Toome hit 1-3 without reply to lead 2-12 to 1-7 before Éire Óg managed a response through Michael Heffernan in the 37th minute.
To their credit the Éire Óg lads battled right to the very end.
We thank the players and the management team led by Liam Heffernan for the terrific effort made this year.
Although Éire Óg’s interest in this year’s divisional senior championship has come to an end the Blues now look forward to the first round of the county championship – how Éire Óg progress in the county series will have implications for 2014 so it is vitally important that the efforts of the lads are supported.
The sixteen club teams who fail to make their divisional semi-finals will feature in the first round of the county hurling championship. The eight losers of this first round will enter the Ó Riain Cup (which has relegation attached) while the eight winners from round one of the county championship play-off with the eight losing divisional semi-finalists. Critically, the winners of this round will be guaranteed a place in the top-tier of the 2014 county senior hurling championship. Those eight winners will join the eight divisional finalists to make up the top-sixteen who will play out for the Dan Breen in 2014.
Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael McNamara, Adam Grattan, Noel Maloney, John Brennan, Daire Quinn, Barry Heffernan (0-1, 0-1 free), Billy Heffernan, Alan Kelly, Pearse Morris, Kevin Tucker (0-5, 0-3 frees), Hugh Maloney, Paddy Murphy, Killian Gleeson (1-0), Michael Heffernan (0-3), Tommy Heffernan. Subs: (HT) Donnacha Quinn (0-4, 0-4 frees) for Alan Kelly, (43rd) Seánie Geaney for Kevin Tucker, (46th) Mark Flannery for Adam Grattan, (51st) James Mackey for Killian Gleeson.
Referee: John Cleary (Knockshegowna).
