Nenagh Inched out by Drom

GAA: FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Group 1

Drom & Inch 2-19

Nenagh Eire Og 1-20

Report: Michael Dundon on Templemore

Nenagh Eire Og came up short in their bid to start their County Senior Hurling Championship campaign on a winning note, losing narrowly to Drom & Inch in an entertaining group 1 encounter on Saturday evening.

Though just two points separated the sides at the finish, Nenagh’s goal came a minute from time. Had they got it earlier, it would surely have given them the lift they needed to undermine a Drom side which made the running most of the way and which looked safe enough for the points up to that late strike from Tommy Heffernan.

This tie was one of the eye-catching fixtures of the opening round of the championship and while its intensity never reached the expected pitch, it was nevertheless an absorbing contest which could have gone either way. Nenagh will look back on some spurned chances, which, in so tight a game, are crucial.

They will also wonder how things would have gone had they had the injured Jake Morris in their side. The county man in undergoing surgery this week for the jaw injury incurred in the North final and is likely to be out of action for some weeks. All hurling fans will wish him a speedy return to action. His presence would surely have been worth a few scores to the Nenagh lads, possibly the difference between victory and defeat.

Two first half goals gave Drom & Inch an initiative they never relinquished though severely tested in the second half. Nenagh were trailing 0-5 to 0-6 in the eighteenth minute when a bad clearance fell to Drom’s Seamie Callanan who set up Tommy Nolan for a smart goal.

Nenagh, with Mikey & Tommy Heffernan leading the charge, kept their cool and Tommy’s 31st minute point had them level at 0-11 to 1-8 but then disaster struck again. Seamie Callanan, with a pointable free on the wing, opted instead to centre to Tommy Nolan, who returned the pass for Callanan to blast home in the 32nd minute to give his side an interval lead of 2-8 to 0-11.

Nenagh needed to intensify their efforts on resuming but instead drifted two points further in arrears after 39 minutes. However, in a six-minute spell they had points from James Mackey, Mikey Heffernan (2), Tommy Heffernan, and Josh Keller to come within a point of their rivals (0-17 to 2-12) going into the last quarter.

The game was there to be won but Drom showed the greater ambition, outpointing their rivals over the next ten minutes, including a beauty from Seamie Callanan from ninety yards, to go 2-18 to 0-19 with time running out. However, Tommy Heffernan’s goal in the 59th minute when he applied the finishing touch in a goalmouth scramble, threw the contest wide open again with just two points in it.

Nenagh piled forward but Drom stood firm to register an important win as they seek to qualify for the knock-out stages of the championship.

After a disappointing early exit from the Mid championship, Drom & Inch have some way to go still to reach last year’s levels but this was a significant step forward, a win to build on. Tommy Nolan, Johnny Ryan and Seamie Callanan all had big games for them in attack while further back Pauric Campion, Fintan Purcell and John Campion were the eye-catchers.

Nenagh Eire Og had reason to be disappointed at the outcome. They had the chances but paid for lapses in front of goal. Tommy Heffernan was their star performer with brother Mikey, Adam Healy, Adam Carey, Mark Carey, and Josh Keller others to lead the charge.

Player of the Match: Tommy Heffernan (Nenagh Eire Og)

Drom & Inch: Eoin Collins (6); Emmet Moloney (0-1, 6), Michael Campion (6), Stevie Nolan (6); Maidhc Fitzpatrick (0-1, 7), Pauric Campion (0-1, 7), Fintan Purcell (7); Robbie Long (6), John Campion (7); Lorcan Campion (6), Jamie Moloney (0-2, 6), Johnny Ryan (0-3, 7); Tommy Nolan (1-3, 8), David Collins (0-2, 6), Seamus Callanan (1-6, 0-4f, 7).

Subs: Jack Lillis (6) for Long (40); Liam Ryan (6) for S Nolan (50); Tony Cahill (6) for J Ryan (54), Johnny Ryan for E Moloney (56).

Nenagh Eire Og: Dermot McTiernan (6); Conor Ryan (6), Mark Carey (6), Sam O’Farrell (6); James Mackey (0-1, 6), Paddy Murphy (6), Adam Healy (7); Conor Hennessy (6), Mikey Heffernan (0-10, 8f, 8); Josh Keller (0-1, 7), Barry Heffernan (0-1, 6), Philip Hickey (6); Sean Phelan (6), Adam Carey (0-2, 6), Tommy Heffernan (1-5, 9).

Subs: Ben West (6) for Phelan (HT), Cian Crowley (6) for A Carey (56).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines)