Defiant Nenagh earn deserved draw against Annacarty

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance County Senior Championship Group 2

Nenagh Eire Og 1-12

Eire Og Annacarty 1-12

Report: Shane Brophy in Nenagh

Nenagh Eire Og produced one of their best performances in recent years to come earn a draw against Eire Og Annacarty in the second round of the County Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday evening.

The sbly blues have found the going tough in the top grade since being promoted in 2016 and off the back of a 32-point defeat to defending champions Drom & Inch in the opening round, better teams would have thrown the towel in, but Nenagh showed they are a team of substance to get a result against a fancied Eire Og Annacarty side.

They performance was based on workrate, ensuring Annacarty didn’t get away from them in the early stages, and going in trailing by one point at half time, they would have been happy with that.

When Annacarty upped the pace and went six points ahead on 47 minutes, the game looked to be slipping away from Nenagh but they produced a superb recovery with an unanswered 1-3 in the closing stages and if time hadn’t run out they had the momentum to get the win.

This was a game Annacarty would have been expected to win comfortably and they might have done so but for the performance of Nenagh goalkeeper Niamh Sheridan who made three superb saves in the second half to prevent the West ladies building an unassailable lead.

As well as workrate, Nenagh’s gameplan was simple, try and get the ball in early and often to their best player, Tipp captain Grace O’Brien at full forward and it paid early dividends with a point after thirty seconds.

After Eva O’Dwyer got Annacarty off the mark, O’Brien played in Michelle Collins for a point. O’Dwyer added two more frees before Caroline Browne levelled the sides for a third time as Nenagh were showing a greater threat from play as Kerrie Howard became their fourth different scorer on ten minutes.

O’Dwyer and Grace O’Brien traded frees before O’Dwyer converted a 45 and another free before former Tipperary panellist Eibhlis McDonald got Annacarty’s first score from play in the 23rd minute for a 0-7 to 0-5 lead.

Grace O’Brien converted two frees to bring Nenagh level before the lively Jean Kelly gave the visitors a slender half time advantage.

Two minutes into the second half was when Niamh Sheridan announced herself on the game, denying Jean Kelly from close range. Grace O’Brien brought Nenagh level with another free before in the 36th minute, Sheridan was called into action again, this time with an even better save to turn a Karen Fox shot around the post for a 45 which Eva O’Dwyer converted.

Another Grace O’Brien free brought Nenagh level for an eighth time but Annacarty were getting on top, and running the ball at Nenagh more, and they finally got through for a goal in the 42nd minute when a surging Eva O’Dwyer run to a short-handed Nenagh defence led to Cora Heffernan goaling from close range.

They quickly built on it with points from Jean Kelly, Eibhlis McDonald and Cora Heffernan for a 1-12 to 0-9 advantage. Nine second half wides prevented them from being further ahead before Zoey Gratton stopped the bleeding for Nenagh with a 50th minute point.

A minute later, Nenagh were right back in the game as a miss-hit Caroline Browne shot fell shot but landed kindly for Grace O’Brien who beat Aoife Butler to the ball and scrambled it over the line and the margin was down to two.

The closing stages were all Nenagh as momentum completely shifted their way with Grace O’Brien landing two long range frees, the second in the 59th minute shortly after Niamh Sheridan stood tall again to deny Leah Heffernan, with Jean Kelly pulling the rebound wide.

For their efoort, Nenagh deserved a draw and a point and gives them a bounce to take into their final group game with Clonoulty/Rossmore on Saturday week, but also in the years going forward for what is a young squad.

Player of the Match: Niamh Sheridan (Nenagh Eire Og)

Nenagh Eire Og: Niamh Sheridan (9); Jennifer Casey (6), Megan Grace (7), Lily O’Brien (6); Alanna Morris (6), Rachel Maher (7), Kristen Howard (7); Zoey Gratton (0-1, 7), Kerrie Howard (0-1, 6); Michelle Collins (0-1, 7), Caroline Browne (0-1, 7), Eabha O’Brien (6); Michelle Barry (6), Grace O’Brien (1-8, 0-7f) 9), Avril Dooley (6).

Sub: Jennifer Tracey (6) for Dooley (53).

Eire Og Annacarty: Aoife Butler (6); Mary O’Dwyer (7), Rosanna O’Donnell (7), Laura Heffernan (6); Shauna Heffernan (7), Orlagh Walsh (7), Elaine Kelly (7); Ciannait Walsh (7), Karen Fox (6); Leah Heffernan (6), Rachel O’Dwyer (6), Eibhlis McDonald (0-2, 7); Jean Kelly (0-2, 8), Eva O’Dwyer (0-7, 4f, 2 45s) 7), Cora Heffernan (1-1, 7).

Sub: Ciara Slattery (6) for C Heffernan (50).

Referee: Pat Murray (Moneygall)