Nenagh upset by impressive Cashel

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 2

Cashel King Cormacs 0-21

Nenagh Eire Og 2-13

Report: Liam Hogan at Bishop Quinlan Park, Borrisoleigh

Photos: Bridget Delaney

Cashel King Cormacs produced the shock of the weekend when their second half display was enough to see them get over Nenagh Eire Og in the second round County Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The win puts newly promoted Cashel on the cusp of the quarter finals following their first round win over Mullinahone.

Nenagh had plenty chances to win and playing with the breeze they had the upper hand as they dominated the first half, but fourteen wides ruined their chances as efforts from all distances failed to find the target. Their short passing game didn’t help either with an excellent front-eight starved of direct ball.

Scores were level three times in the opening five minutes with Ross Bonnar, Conor O’Dwyer and Devon Ryan (free) finding the target for Cashel while Michael Heffernan scored his first from a free with Barry & Michael Heffernan each scoring a point from play.

A Devon Ryan free gave Cashel the lead in the ninth minute, closely followed by another by Eoghan Connolly. After Nenagh posted their seventh wide, it was the turn of Michael Heffernan and Devon Ryan to trade frees while in between Nenagh keeper Dermot McTiernan denied Ross Bonnar from close range.

Scores from placed balls were the common currency as neither side were able to get into a rhythm with Barry Heffernan in powerful form for Nenagh with Conor Hennessy, Paddy Murphy, Sam O’Farrell, Conor Ryan and Mason Cawley prominent, while Eoghan & Ronan Connolly and Nathan Ryan were holding firm for Cashel with Eoghan Connolly careering through the middle of the park to pick off a well-taken point in the 18th minute.

Mason Cawley’s work-rate earned a free which Michael Heffernan converted but Cashel restored their two point advantage after Paddy Fahy scored from play after a spectacular high catch.

As the game was beginning to flow Ben West’s point in the 23rd minute reduced the margin and one minute later a run by Jake Morris created an overlap which forced Conn Bonnar to foul Philip Hickey resulting in a penalty which Morris put away.

However, Cashel held their nerve and points by Oisin O’Donoghue and Devon Ryan from a free had the team’s level four minutes from the break.

Nenagh replied but their wides increased to twelve before Michael Heffernan (free) and a brilliant Oisin O’Donoghue score had the team’s level for the fifth time.

The half time whistle was fast approaching but there was still enough time for Devon Ryan to post his sixth point from a placed ball leaving the Westmen one in front at half time, 0-12 to 1-8.

Both teams traded points in the early minutes of the second half, starting with a Ger Browne point from play with Michael Heffernan pointing a free before Nenagh came level after Paddy Murphy equalised in the 34th minute.

One minute later, Jake Morris edged Nenagh in front, but they would not score again until the 45th minute, a period that saw Cashel’s more direct hurling help them come level through Ger Browne with Ronan Connolly moving them in front by the 40th minute, closely followed by another Eoghan Connolly free.

Michael Heffernan’s free broke the Cashel momentum but it was only temporary as Cashel went on to score four unanswered points, starting with a Devon Ryan free, assisted by Ger Browne and Eoghan Connolly before Ross Bonnar supplied an excellent score with six minutes remaining.

But Nenagh were not for giving up. Forcing Cashel to retreat, Jake Morris had one chance to break free of Eoghan Connolly’s close marking before he brought the best from goalkeeper Aaron Browne.

In response Eoghan Connolly’s ninety metre free drifted wide for Cashel’s ninth wide of the day while Nenagh’s total had reached twenty but in another attack substitute Adam Carey won possession and scored a goal from close range after good work by Conor Hennessy.

However, Cashel’s ability to get quick ball to their attack was paying better dividends and Ger Browne prospered with his third point. Three points in arrears Nenagh came forward in search of a goal but James Mackey had to be happy with a point and Cashel held out.

Player of the Match: Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne (7); Conn Bonnar (7), Nathan Ryan (7), Kieran O’Dwyer (7); James Cummins (7), Ronan Connolly (8), Conor O’Dwyer (0-1, 7); Eoghan Connolly (0-3, 2f, 8), Cathal Quinn (7); Devon Ryan (0-7, 6f, 1’65) 8), Ger Browne (0-3, 7), Paddy Fahy (0-1, 7); Ross Bonnar (0-3, 7), Oisin O’Donoghue (0-3, 7), David McGrath (6).

Nenagh Eire Og: Dermot McTiernan (7); Conor Hennessy (7), Mark Carey (7), Jake Donellan-Houlihan (6); Paddy Murphy (0-1, 7), Barry Heffernan (0-1, 8), Mason Cawley (7); Conor Ryan (7), Josh Keller (7); Sam O’Farrell (6), Michael Heffernan (0-8, 7f, 7), Jake Morris (1-1, 1-0 pen, 6); Adam Healy (6), Philip Hickey (6), Ben West (0-1, 6).

Subs: Adam Carey (1-0, 7) for Healy (41); Adam Gratton for Keller (47 -49 blood); Tommy Heffernan (6) for West (51); James Mackey (0-1, 6) for Donellan-Holohan (60+5).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines).