North Tipperary GAA Affairs

By Michael Quinn PRO

Under 21 'A' Hurling Championship:

Group 2 concluded last Sunday with Silvermines claiming top spot and a home semi-final after a hard-fought 1-18 to 1-16 victory over Toomevara in Toomevara. Despite the defeat, Toomevara also progress to the semi-finals after finishing second in the group.

With twenty minutes gone, Silvermines led 0-7 to 0-6, thanks to strong scoring from Daniel McKelvey (3) and Sean Nolan (4, 2 frees). Patrick Hackett was the standout for Toomevara, keeping his side in touch throughout. Silvermines finished the half strongly, adding three quick points before the break to lead 0-12 to 0-8 at halftime. Despite missing key players, Toomevara came out fighting in the second half. A well-taken goal from Tim Flaherty brought the sides level and set up a tense finish. Both teams traded scores, and Toomevara edged in front by a single point as the game entered injury time.

However, drama followed as Silvermines were awarded a free deep into added time. Sean Nolan stepped up with a goal in mind, knowing a draw would see Toomevara top the group. His initial shot was saved on the line, but the Silvermines forwards reacted quickest to the rebound, forcing the ball into the net to seal a victory.

In Group 1, Ballina recorded a 1-15 to 0-14 victory over Nenagh Éire Óg on Sunday in Nenagh. Ballina delivered an impressive first-half performance to lead 0-11 to 0-6 at the interval. They extended their advantage in the 41st minute when Tadhg McKeogh struck for a goal, putting the scores at 1-12 to 0-8. To their credit, Nenagh battled hard in the closing stages but couldn’t reduce the deficit below four points.

The result sees Ballina secure a semi-final place, while they will be joined by either Borris-Ileigh or Nenagh Éire Óg who meet this Saturday, 8th November at 7:00pm in Borrisoleigh with the scenarios as follows: An Éire Óg victory will see them take second place, with Ballina finishing first; a draw would also see Ballina top the group and Borris-Ileigh finish second; a Borris Ileigh win by more than four points would move them into top spot, with Ballina second.

It’s still all to play for in the group.

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place on Sunday, 30th November, with results to be decided on the day. The North Final is fixed for Sunday, 7th December, and will also be decided on the day.

Under 21 ‘B’ Hurling Championship:

Burgess opened their campaign with a comprehensive victory over Moneygall/Clonakenny in Kilcolman on Sunday. The home side were dominant from the outset, racing into a 1-4 to no score lead after ten minutes, with David Nealon firing over the first four points and Paul Cahalan adding the goal. By halftime, Burgess had extended their advantage to 1-12 to 0-6, and they maintained control throughout the second half to run out comfortable winners by 1-20 to 0-9.

Burgess will secure top spot in the group if they defeat Borrisokane in Round 2, which takes place this Sunday, November 9th, at 12 noon in Borrisokane.

Round 3, between Moneygall/Clonakenny and Borrisokane, will follow on Sunday, November 16th.

Kilruane MacDonaghs made it two wins from two in the group stages after defeating Kiladangan last Sunday in Puckane 0-20 to 1-8.

Kilruane started brightly, leading 0-9 to 0-2 after ten minutes, but a Jos Slattery goal — adding to his two earlier points — brought the sides level.

From there, Kilruane took control, dominating the remainder of the half and outscoring their opponents 0-9 to 0-2. Charlie Kennedy was a constant threat in attack, while Mícheál Cleary was unerring from placed balls, helping his side to a 0-14 to 1-4 halftime advantage.

The tempo dipped in the second half, which proved a low-scoring affair. Two Noel Gleeson frees early in the half cut the Kilruane lead to five, but Kiladangan couldn’t close the gap any further as Kilruane held firm to secure a comfortable victory. Kilruane’s greater scoring spread proved decisive, with eight different players getting on the scoresheet.

Kiladangan remain in contention for a knockout place and will face Ballinahinch/Templederry next Sunday at 11:00am in Templederry. The combo will need a victory to progress, while a draw or win will be sufficient for Kiladangan to advance.

Newport booked their place in the knockout stages after topping Group 3, following a second consecutive high scoring victory as they overcame Portroe on Sunday 4-27 to 1-11.

A Matt Madden goal in the eighth minute kept Portroe in touch early on, but Newport’s sharp shooting soon told. Callum Poole found the net after 24 minutes to extend their advantage, and they went in at halftime leading 1-13 to 1-6.

Newport struck decisively straight from the restart — Cillian Collins finished off a fine run by Shane Flanagan to raise a green flag, before Flanagan himself hit the net three minutes later to put the result beyond doubt.

Charlie Tobin added a fourth goal on the fifty-minute mark as Newport continued to score freely. In total, they had eight different scorers, with Cillian Collins contributing 1-10 (5 frees), Brian Tobin 0-7, and Charlie Tobin 1-4. Callum Poole also stood out for his industry and clever use of the ball. For Portroe, Matt Madden was the standout performer, registering all of his side’s scores, including three line balls and six frees

Lorrha Rovers and Portroe face each other this Sunday, 9th November at 12 noon in Ballinderry with the winner finishing second in the group and securing a spot in the quarter finals.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stages. The two semi-finalists will be determined by the highest scores for among the three top-placed teams in the group stages, while the third top team will contest a quarter final.

The two teams that qualify directly for the semi-finals will be kept apart in the draw, with repeat pairings avoided where possible.

The draw for the quarter final pairings will feature the teams that finished second in their groups, with the first team drawn receiving home advantage, except where that team is the third top team from the group stages.

The quarter finals are scheduled for Sunday, 23rd November, at 12:00 noon. The semi-finals will take place on Saturday, 29th November, at 2:30pm. The North Final is scheduled for Saturday, 6th December, with all games to be decided on the day.

Junior 'A' Football Championship:

The Final between Burgess and Kilruane MacDonaghs will take place on Saturday, 15th November at 3.00pm in Cloughjordan.