Impressive Borrisokane ease past Newport

GAA: Kelly’s of Fantane North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Borrisokane 4-20

Newport 1-19

Report: Liam Hogan at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Gary Ryan (Borrisokane).

SCORERS - Borrisokane: Oisín Larkin 1-8 (0-5, 0-1’65); Gary Ryan 1-4; Conor Ryan 1-1; Michael Heenan 0-3; Jack Larkin 1-0; Michael Kelly, Liam Cleary, Ciaran Foley, Philip Austin 0-1 each.

Newport: Cillian Collins 0-8 (7 frees); Callum Poole 1-3; Diarmuid O’Riordan 0-2; Aidan Moloney, Cian Flanagan, Colin Floyd, Shane Flanagan, Brendan Coffey, Brian Tobin 0-1 each.

With style and purpose, Borrisokane easily disposed of a young Newport team in the second North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final at a sweltering MacDonagh Park on Sunday afternoon.

Leading from start to finish, Borrisokane were deserving winners. Team coach Niall O’Meara had them in tune as their much stronger and speedier side were always in charge except for a period between the 20th & 28th minutes when Newport managed to cut the deficit to four after trailing 0-9 to 0-2.

All seemed well for Newport but when Oisin Larkin scored Borris’ first goal seconds before half time gave them a 1-12 to 0-7 half time lead. A second goal by man of the match Garry Ryan, four minutes into the second half, ensured the result was never in doubt and their place in the North final for the first time since 2018 was assured.

Newport played with the breeze in the first half, but Borrisokane took the initiative, taking an early three-point lead thanks to two Oisin Larkin scores, a free and a 65, assisted by a Michael Heenan point from play. Heenan was very much to the fore in that period as well but hit three wides.

Newport had missed a number of chances before Conor Floyd opened their account in the seventh minute.

However, Borrisokane were setting the tempo and scores were quick to follow as the ever present Garry Ryan plus Oisin Larkin (free), Michael Heenan, Michael Kelly and Liam Cleary, who scored from ninety metres, had the lead out to seven after nineteen minutes.

Their inside backline of Jimmy Hough, Shane Nevin, and Luke Quigley deserve a mention also as they made life difficult for Newport with none of their inside attack scoring from play.

At this juncture, Newport began to string some moves together and with Callum Poole and the excellent Cian Flanagan directing operations from midfield, Cillian Collins (3 frees) plus scores by sub Aidan Moloney and Diarmuid O’Riordan reduced the deficit to four, 0-11 to 0-7, two minutes from the break.

However, Borris’ Garry Ryan picked off his third point before Newport suffered further woe as talisman and former Tipp star Sean O’Brien had to cry off with a leg injury.

It seldom rains but it pours and Borrisokane took advantage as Oisin Larkin scored a goal after a second attempt after Paul Hogan saving well from Larkin’s first attempt to give them a 1-12 to 0-7 lead at the break.

Points by Cillian Collins and Cian Flanagan either side of an Oisin Larkin free gave Newport encouragement at the start of the second half but Borrisokane hit their strike again with Gary Ryan scoring a great goal after good work by Michael Heenan.

Yet, Newport remained stubborn and three quick points by Diarmuid O’Riordan, Cillian Collins (free) and Callum Poole from play left seven points between the teams on 36 minutes.

However, Borrisokane appeared to be able to score at will as Michael Heenan and Ciaran Foley increased their lead to 2-15 to 0-12 after 40 minutes.

Two minutes later, the lead was extended when Borris had their third goal through Conor Ryan and there was more as substitute Jack Larkin put his stamp on the performance with a well taken goal in the 43rd minute.

Fifteen points in arrears, Newport seemed a busted flush, but they never gave up, especially their midfield paring of Poole and Flanagan, as they continued to drag Newport to the finish line and after a Shane Flanagan point from play it was Poole who continued the Newport fightback with a goal in the 47th minute.

The game had begun to fizzle out as a contest and the last ten minutes was mainly a shootout between Oisin Larkin and Cillian Collins from placed balls before the final scores, from play, came through Michael Heenan and Callum Poole thus bringing an end to the contest.

TEAMS - Borrisokane: Luke Gleeson (7); Luke Quigley (7), Shane Nevin (7), James Hough (7); Liam Cleary (7), Brian Davis (7), Peter Collins (7); Ciaran Foley (6), Michael Kelly (7); Conor Ryan (8), Mike Heenan (7), Gary Ryan (8); Josh Chadwick (6), Philip Austin (8), Oisín Larkin (8).

Sub: Jack Larkin (7) for Chadwick (38).

Newport: Paul Hogan (7); Conor Hickey (7), Rob Houlihan (7), James Tobin (7); Tommy Floyd (6), Sean O’Brien (6), Cathal Hannon (6); Cian Flanagan (8), Callum Poole (8); Shane Flanagan (6), Conor Floyd (7), Diarmuid O’Riordan (6); Cillian Collins (6), Kieran Floyd (6), Oran Connors (6).

Subs: Aidan Moloney (6) for Hannon (24); Brendan Coffey (6) for O’Brien (28); Luke Kennedy (6) for Tobin (44); Lee Ryan (6) for O’Riordan (44); Brian Tobin (6) for T Floyd (49).

Referee: Christy McLoughlin (Nenagh Eire Og).