Late ‘Mines rally stuns Moneygall

GAA: Liam Buckley Car Sales North Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Silvermines 1-18

Moneygall 1-16

Report: Liam Hogan at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Eoin Grace (Silvermines).

SCORERS - Silvermines: Jason Forde 0-9 (5 frees, 1 ‘65); Eoin Grace, Pa Leamy 0-3 each; Oisin Murphy 1-0; Sean Nolan 0-2; Darragh Treacy 0-1.

Moneygall: Adam Hogan 1-5 (0-4 frees); Eoghan Doughan 0-3 (2 frees); Joe Fogarty, Tadgh Whyte, Cormac Hoolan 0-2 each; Andy Hoolan, Sean Fogarty 0-1 each.

Silvermines came from behind in the closing stages to defeat Moneygall in a well-contested North Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final on Saturday.

On a perfect evening for hurling, this was a game that produced an interesting first half but fell very much in standard of free-flowing hurling in the second before it was rescued with an exciting last five minutes with Oisin Murphy’s goal in the 57th minute started a takeover from the ‘Mines followed by a Jason Forde ‘65 which brought them level before Pa Leamy and Darragh Treacy scored the winning points.

Both sides were short a few regulars with Silvermines missing Ronan Sherlock, Paudie Fogarty and Conor McKelvey although Fogarty and McKelvey saw action in the second half.

Out for the last three months, Tipperary forward Sean Kenneally was introduced in the 42nd minute for Moneygall, as was Shay Gleeson who made an appearance late. Mark Fanning was another absentee having also missed the quarter final win over Burgess.

The ending matched the opening ten minutes as play which was quick as Eoin Doughan, Joe Fogarty, Tadgh Whyte, Adam Hogan (free) and Cormac Hoolan helped Moneygall to a 0-6 to 0-2 lead. Debutant Eoin Grace and Jason Forde were the responses from Silvermines. Grace had a very good game it must be said.

At the other end, Joe Fogarty was a shining example as he led Moneygall. Helped by Paddy McCormack’s long and accurate puckouts, it was Fogarty who caught the high ball and directed the sliotar over the bar. Tadgh Whyte and Adam Hogan (2 frees) kept Silvermines at arm’s length as they went 0-9 to 0-5 in front by the 15th minute with the ever present Pa Leamy, Jason Forde and Eoin Grace scoring from play for the blue & white.

The final twelve minutes of the half saw Silvermines improve. Jason Forde scored a ninety-metre free close to the sideline and seconds later, a Sean McGrath run set Eoin Grace through for a point. McCormack’s long puckout found Adam Hogan who scored and this was quickly followed by an excellent Andy Hoolan point in the 23rd minute.

Another Pa Leamy point narrowed the gap to two but a foul on Bob Kenny allowed Adam Hogan to convert his fourth free.

Silvermines full forward Danny Quinn was a handful for the Moneygall full backline and he won a free which saw Jason Forde do the usual before the latter converted an eighty metre free to see the deficit down to a minimum at the break, 0-12 to 0-11.

The third quarter was poor in terms of entertainment due to its stop-start nature with constant fouling which forced referee Ciaran O'Donovan to issue four yellow cards -which he needed to.

In that time, there were just four scores, the first a big one as far as Moneygall were concerned when Joe Fogarty’s decisive run found Adam Hogan who scored a good goal. Jason Forde replied with an free close to the sideline as the ‘Mines could have been much closer but three wides soon after in as many minutes.

Eoghan Doughan, who had a heavily strapped thigh, was on hand to point a free in the 41st minute but another Forde free (after a foul on Grace) had the deficit at three with seventeen minutes remaining.

Moneygall had by now called Sean Kenneally and Sean Fogarty into the action and similar to Silvermines efforts, the accuracy in front of goal was wayward. Meanwhile, Cormac Hoolan and Sean Nolan traded points by the 49th minute. Two minutes later, Sean Fogarty had Moneygall four to the good before Sean Nolan doubled his account for the ‘Mines.

However, three wides in a row brought their total to ten before Eoghan Doughan added salt to the wound to point another free. Moneygall now led 1-16 to 0-15 but they would fail to score over the remaining five minutes.

After another ‘Mines wide, Paddy McCormack went short from a puckout but it went horribly wrong as Oisin Murphy capitalised before racing through and firing to the net.

Silvermines pressed again but Brendan Toohey blocked at the expense of a ‘65 which Forde converted to level. The action was mostly of blue & white nature with Pa Leamy on hand to put Jason Forde through for the lead score. Eoghan Doughan’s effort for a point was just wide, Moneygall’s eighth, before the ‘Mines came forward to seal the deal with Eoin Grace set up for Darragh Treacy for the sealer.

TEAMS - Silvermines: Conor Murphy (7); Sean McGrath (7), Darragh Nolan (7), Luke O’Brien (7); Sean Murphy (6), Daragh McKelvey (7), Michael Corcoran (Capt 7); Patrick Leamy (7), Eddie Ryan (6); Eoin Grace (8), Darragh Treacy (6), Jason Forde (7); Andy Hayden (6), Danny Quinn (7), Sean Nolan (7).

Subs: Paudie Fogarty (6) for Ryan (37); Conor McKelvey (6) for Hayden (47); Oisin Murphy (7) for Quinn (55); Daniel McKelvey (NR) for Leamy (59).

Moneygall: Paddy McCormack (7); Cathal Greene (7), Brendan Toohey (7), Roddy Teehan (7); Gerard Larkin (6), Jack Kirwan (7), Andy Hoolan (7); Aodhan Ryan (6), Eoin Whyte (6); Cormac Hoolan (7), Eoghan Doughan (6), Joe Fogarty (Capt 8); Bob Kenny (6), Adam Hogan (7), Tadgh Whyte (7).

Subs: Sean Kenneally (6) for Kenny (42); Sean Fogarty (6) for E Whyte (47); Shay Gleeson (6) for Greene (50).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess).