Toome’s desire shuts down Borris

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Toomevara 2-17

Borris-Ileigh 0-19

Report: Shane Brophy in Nenagh

An upset in modern terms but not in tradition! This was Toomevara at their championship best as they brushed aside the disappointing challenge of Borris-Ileigh in Sunday’s North Senior Hurling Championship.

In simple terms, Toomevara came to play championship hurling, while Borris-Ileigh didn’t. That was the difference between the sides as all the drive, aggression and intensity came from the victors who were eager to get off to a winning start and thoroughly deserved the win, only coming under pressure in the final quarter when Borris-Ileigh gained a numerical advantage after David Young was sent off following an incident with his former county colleague Paddy Stapleton on 51 minutes.

Toome were cruising at that stage against a listless Borris-Ileigh side that were short on ideas. They didn’t give in however and got within two points on two occasions in the six minutes of injury time but Toomevara has the wherewithal to get the job done.

Despite being without Jason & Liam Ryan in defence, this was an impressive Toomevara performance, despite falling 0-5 to 0-2 in arrears in the first quarter. However, from there they turned the screw, helped by a strong half back line where Robbie Quirke in particular was excellent. Indeed, the whole Toomevara defence conceded just four points from play, although their tendency to concede frees is an issue they will need to address as it gave Borris-Ileigh a pathway back into the game in the second half, with Eddie Ryan contributing eleven points from placed balls.

After five successful years with Johnny Kelly at the helm, this was a fresh start for Borris-Ileigh under new manager, former Galway and Na Piarsaigh boss Shane O’Neill and there was certainly signs in their early play of a change of approach, with a greater use of the ball with more short puckouts and trying to find players in space.

And in the first fifteen minutes they couldn’t have been more pleased as they raced into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead and could have been further in front. The created some crisp scores, including a seventh minute Jerry Kelly score which ended a three-man move from their own full back line.

However, their problems began after a fifteenth minute goal from Eddie Ryan was ruled out for a square ball, after Niall Kenny had made the incision. It was the correct call by the officials with the play brought back for a free which Ryan converted and Borris were in control. But within a minute, Borris gave the initiative away as a short puckout went straight to the alert Jack Delaney who finished well to kick-start Toomevara into action.

Delaney was one of the greyhounds leading performers, always popping up in the dangerous positions around the forty and finished with 1-3 from play and was involved in many more.

From there to half time, it was all Toomevara as they outscored Borris-Ileigh 0-8 to 0-2 with Mark McCarthy cutting over two side-line cuts, one from either side-line, adding a third late on for good measure, despite being injured taking it before going off.

It helped Toomevara into a 1-10 to 0-7 half time lead, a decent advantage, but not a comfortable one as there was a decent breeze against them for the second half. However, within seventeen seconds of the restart the lead was out to nine as Alan Ryan dispossessed Paddy Stapleton in the corner before cutting infield and firing to the net.

Despite Dan McCormack being prominent in possession and contributing a good point from play, Borris-Ileigh didn’t threaten a revival with their forwards pretty much dominated by a tenacious Toomevara defence and midfield where they harried and harassed them at every turn.

Borris got within six at the three quarter mark but they struggled to put a sustained period of good play together. They kept chipping away, helped by Toomevara indiscipline in which Eddie Ryan converted five frees in an eight minute spell and come the second minute of seven minutes of add time, the lead was down to two after Dan McCormack’s second from play.

Toome were wilting but up stepped Jack Delaney when they needed him to win a ball and land a point from the wing, before sub Conor O’Meara added his second from play to finally seal a deserved victory.

Player of the Match: Jack Delaney (Toomevara)

Toomevara: Rory Brislane (7); Jake Ryan (7), Andrew Ryan (7), Josh McCarthy (7); Jack Ryan (6), Robbie Quirke (8), Colm Canning (6); Darren Delaney (6), Joey McLoughney (7); Alan Ryan (6), Jack Delaney (8), Willie Coffey (6); Mark McCarthy (7), David Young (5), Kevin McCarthy (7).

Subs: Conor O’Meara (7) for D Delaney (40); Adam Hall (NR) for Alan Ryan (57); Darren Delaney for M McCarthy (59 inj); Alan Ryan for Canning (60+3 inj).

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack (6); Seamus Burke (7), Liam Ryan (6), Paddy Stapleton (6); Sean McCormack (6), Brendan Maher (0-1, 6), Ray McCormack (6); Dan McCormack (0-2, 8), Kieran Maher (6); James Devaney (0-2, 7), Jerry Kelly (0-2, 1 s-cut, 6), Niall Kenny (6); Conor Kenny (6), Kevin Maher (6), Eddie Ryan (0-12, 10f, 1 65) 7).

Sub: Tommy Ryan (6) for Kieran Maher (44).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)