North Tipperary GAA Affairs
By Michael Quinn PRO
Junior 'A' Hurling League
Group 1: Nenagh Eire Og continued their good form in Group 1 after a very impressive 3-26 to 0-13 victory over Newport last Thursday - this result puts the town side top of the group.
Silvermines emerged narrow one-point winners over Ballinahinch in a tightly contested clash last Friday, 0-22 to 0-21.
The ‘Mines saw six different players register scores in an encouraging first-half showing, but it was Ballinahinch who held the advantage at the interval, leading by two points.
The second half proved to be a tit-for-tat affair, with little to separate the sides throughout. Both teams traded scores right to the final whistle, but it was Silvermines who found the crucial points late on to secure the win by the narrowest of margins. (see table right)
Round 4 is due to take place next week - Silvermines host Kiladangan on Thursday, 15th May whilst on Friday, 16th May Newport host Ballinahinch.
Group 2: Kilruane MacDonaghs claimed the spoils in a lively clash with Borris-Ileigh on Sunday, finishing 2-25 to 3-14 winners after an open and free-flowing contest.
Kilruane dominated the opening stages with Michael Hennelly’s early goal helping them to a 1-12 to 0-4 lead. Borris responded through Alvis Danko, who netted twice before half-time to cut the gap to two - 1-14 to 2-9 at the break to Kilruane.
Kilruane kept their noses in front throughout the second half, and a 51st minute goal from Fiachradh Ahearne Woods gave them the cushion they needed. A late goal from Oisín Stapleton offered brief hope for Borris, but Kilruane were full value for the win.
Top scorers included Shane Cleary (0-6 from play) for Kilruane, with Danko (2-0) and Patrick Ryan (0-6) leading the Borris tally.
The second game in the round takes place on Wednesday, 7th May with Roscrea hosting Toomevara at 7.15pm.
The final round in the group takes place on Friday, 16th May - Roscrea host Kilruane MacDonaghs and Toomevara host Borris-Ileigh.
Junior 'B' Hurling League
Group 1: Round 3 saw Moneygall defeat Knockshegowna last Saturday in Ballingarry. In a closely contested first half, it was Tom Teehan's well-taken goal that proved the difference, sending Moneygall in at the break with a narrow 1-8 to 0-9 lead. The second half followed a similar pattern, with little separating the sides in general play. However, Moneygall made their chances count in front of goal, as Mike Ryan and Teehan again raised green flags to keep their side in the driving seat. Knockshegowna battled gamely throughout and kept the scoreboard ticking over with some fine points, but they were ultimately undone by Moneygall's clinical finishing. Final score: Moneygall 3-13, Knockshegowna 0-16.
The remaining games in the group (Shannon Rovers v Lorrha and Borrisokane v Roscrea) did not go ahead and will take place at a later date. This was due to a referee unavailability.
Round 4 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 18th May - Moneygall host Shannon Rovers, Roscrea host Knockshegowna and Lorrha host Kilruane MacDonaghs.
Group 2: commenced last week. Toomevara began their campaign with a commanding 2-21 to 0-12 win over Kiladangan last Wednesday.
First-half goals from Bob Delaney and James Browne helped the hosts storm into a 2-14 to 0-4 lead at the break. Toomevara’s attack was spearheaded by Jack Hogan (0-6), Tim Flaherty (0-4), and Bob Delaney (1-5). Despite improved effort in the second half, Kiladangan couldn’t close the gap. Kiladangan’s top scorer was Jos Slattery who hit 0-8, with further points from Shane Seymour and Johnny McGrath.
Portroe and Templederry served up an entertaining contest on Friday, finishing all-square after a hard-fought battle, 3-13 to 1-19.
Templederry struck early with two well-taken goals in the first half to edge ahead at the interval. However, Portroe emerged the stronger side after the break, chipping away at the deficit with a series of well-taken points. As the game entered its final stages, Portroe looked to have done enough to secure the win, but Templederry rallied late and managed to draw level; a result that fairly reflected the balance of play across both halves.
The final game in the group took place in Kilcolman on Saturday evening with Ballina proving to be the sharper side in their encounter with Burgess, running out nine-point winners in an open and entertaining match.
Despite Ballina’s early dominance, a well-taken goal from Tony Hogan just before the break kept Burgess in touch, trailing by only three at half-time, 1-11 to 1-8.
Burgess hit a purple patch in the third quarter, with goals from Sean Dunne and Joe O'Dwyer narrowing the gap to a single point thirteen minutes into the second half. However, Ballina responded emphatically, netting their second goal only minutes later to wrest back control of the game. From there, Ballina kicked on and maintained their advantage, with Burgess unable to close the gap in the closing stages as Ballina ran out 2-25 to 3-13 winners.
Round 2 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 18th May - Toomevara will host Portroe, Ballina will host Kiladangan and Templederry Kenyons host Burgess.
Under 13 Football: The North 'A', 'B' & 'C' Football Finals took place last Monday in Puckane. Newport defeated Toomevara in the 'A' Final, Ballinahinch/Templederry defeated Newport’s second team in the 'B' Final whilst Portroe got the better of Borrisokane in the 'C' Final.