Ryan goal edges Toome to League success

GAA: North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling League Final

Toomevara 1-27

Nenagh Eire Og 0-27

(After Extra Time)

Report: Liam Hogan at Kenyon Park, Templederry

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Alan Ryan (Toomevara).

SCORERS - Toomevara: Shane Nolan 0-10 (6 frees); David Nolan 0-5; Alan Ryan 1-1; Eoin Grace, Michael Brislane 0-3 each; Darren Delaney, Mark McCarthy, Bob Delaney, Cathal Frend, Conor O’Meara, David Young 0-1 each.

Nenagh Eire Og: Niall Madden 0-13 (11 frees); Darragh Walsh, Jamie Cottrell 0-3 each; Filip McIntyre, Cian O’Farrell 0-2 each; Sean Geaney, Aodhan O’Connor, Emmet Jones 0-1 each.

A goal by Alan Ryan in the ninth minute extra time proved to be decisive as Toomevara secured their first North Tipperary Junior ‘A’ Hurling League title in eight years when they defeated Nenagh Eire Og in a very entertaining final on Friday evening.

Very little separated the sides in the early stages as both sides had four shots on goal in the opening nine minutes, both guilty of wides but each had two points each with Shane Nolan and Michael Brislane scoring for Toome with Nenagh levelling by Darragh Walsh and Jamie Cottrell.

It was 0-3 each before Nenagh took a slender lead through Niall Madden in the twelfth minute before Toomevara responded but efforts from out the field resulted in four wides in three minutes. At the other end, Gary Howard had a goal chance denied by Cathal Frend, and when Toome turned defence into attack they levelled through Brislane.

Playing with the aid of a diagonal breeze, Toome displayed more potential, but Nenagh fought back to take a two point advantage after Madden (free) and Walsh scored once more.

Toomevara, with Jack Doran busy, came back and were rewarded with scores from Bob Delaney and Frend. Wing back Sean Geaney struck a great point from the wing but Toome equalised through Shane Nolan after a long puckout by Jack Hayes and scores remained at 0-7 each at the interval but the talking point was the number of wides which was 11 to 9 in favour of Toome.

Nenagh would enter the second half with the breeze at their backs but the direction of it seemed to change and become favourable to Toome and they had the umpires busy in the opening minutes as they strayed into a three point lead through Shane Nolan (2) plus another by Eoin Grace.

Niall Madden responded from a free before Brislane had another score. The quick pace continued; Jamie Cottrell replied for Nenagh before Toome increased their lead to four after back to back points by Eoin Grace with the Nenagh goal lucky to escape.

With play much crispier, Toome were putting some nice passages of play together, but Nenagh were hot on their tails and two Madden frees plus an Aodhan O’Connor score from play had the margin back to one.

Points by Michael Brislane and Filip McIntyre had the margin at the minimum, but substitute David Nolan and Conor O’Meara increased the Greyhound’s lead to three after 46 minutes.

Another Madden free kept Nenagh in the loop but the sky blues would go cold for eight minutes and Toome began to turn the heat up as three Nolan frees had the margin out to five, their biggest lead of the game.

Nenagh began to regain lost ground and in the remaining minutes they scored six unanswered points, three Madden frees interspersed by points from play by McIntyre, Cian O’Farrell and Darragh Walsh to see them in front for the first time since the 24th minute. The final minute plus two of added time produced tense moments as Toome searched for an equaliser, and it eventually came as Shane Nolan scored from ninety metres to force extra time, at 0-20 each.

Madden and Nolan resumed where they left off as they traded frees inside the opening six minutes before a move involving Tim & Sean Flaherty saw Alan Ryan score a great goal despite having little room to operate in. Emmet Jones responded before the teams changed ends, 1-22 to 0-22.

The very influential David Nolan scored after good work by the equally impressive Alan Ryan. Toomevara then came under pressure when they lost Colm Canning to a second yellow card and two more Madden frees kept in Nenagh in hot pursuit. However, Alan Ryan led Toome again, firstly assisting for Nolan before scoring himself to leave the Greyhounds four in front and three minutes remaining.

Not throwing in the towel, Nenagh hit back with points by Cottrell and another Madden (free). However, Toome were not going to be denied and they finished with two points by David Nolan with the evergreen David Young splitting the posts ensuring the Carroll Cup was on its way to Toomevara.

TEAMS - Toomevara: Darragh Hayes (7); Cathal Frend (7), Darragh Spillane (8), Jack Ryan (7); Niall O’Farrell (7), Colm Canning (6), Jack Doran (7); Eoin Grace (7), Darren Delaney (7); Mark McCarthy (6), Shane Nolan (8), Michael Brislane (7); Alan Ryan (8), Bob Delaney (6), Conor O’Meara (6).

Subs: David Nolan (7) for D Delaney (40); Sean Flaherty (6) for McCarthy (44); Dan Farrell (6) for Doran (47); Tim Flaherty (6) for C O’Meara (55); Conor Delaney (6) for Spillane (12 ET); David Young (6) for S Nolan (17 ET); Jack Hogan (NR) for A Ryan (20 ET).

Nenagh Eire Og: Scott O’Brien (7); Keelan Rice (7), Mark O’Farrell (7), Gavin Dooley (7); Sean Geaney (6), Cian Connolly (6), Tom Kennedy (6); Filip McIntyre (7), Emmet Jones (7); Darragh Walsh (7), Jamie Cottrell (6), Aodhan O’Connor (6); Niall Madden (8), Gary Howard (6), Cian O’Farrell (6).

Subs: James Mackey (7) for Howard (36 inj); Conor Bonar (6) for Kennedy (50); Stephen Hallinan (6) for Jones (55); Daniel Quinn (6) for O’Connor (56); Aodhan O’Connor (6) for C O’Farrell (6 ET); Conor Hodgins (6) for Dooley (9 ET).

Referee: Mark Gennery (Portroe).