Templederry outduel Burgess in score-fest

GAA: Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Relegation Semi-Final

Templederry Kenyons 4-25

Burgess 5-15

Report: Shane Brophy at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh

Templederry Kenyons preserved their Premier Intermediate status while in the process pushed North rivals Burgess over the trapdoor after a strange relegation semi-final on Sunday.

A game with nine goals and forty points would ordinarily go down as a classic but it was anything but, with the defensive issues on both sides evident as to why they found themselves in this predicament, particularly in the first half, after which the half time score stood at 3-13 to 4-8, in favour of Templederry, one that could have been a full-time scoreline.

The respective managements put a sweeper in place to stem the bleeding from which the scoring rate dropped second half when Templederry looked to be easing to victory but for a late Burgess surge, but the Kenyon’s men had the class of Sean Ryan and Adrian Ryan which proved the difference in the end.

The decision by Templederry to secure James Woodlock as manager in recent weeks has proven to be inspired one, and his ability to get Adrian Ryan and Brian Stapleton to re-commit has been significant with Ryan scoring 1-5 from play, while Stapleton’s return as a first half subbed really solidified a porous defence that conceded three goals inside the first thirteen minutes.

All three were preventable with defenders not going to the ball, allowing the excellent David Nealon, Kieran Grace, and Sean Dunne in as Burgess led 3-4 to 1-5 at that stage.

Their defence wasn’t water-tight either with Adrian Ryan scoring Templederry’s goal on nine minutes after Sean Collins drive was initially blocked.

Sean Ryan had a goal chance go narrowly wide as the former Tipp senior panellist once again showed his class with a 3-6 haul, 3-3 from play, and had chances to score at least another three more. He gave Daire Hogan a torrid time at full forward with not even a sweeper in Keith Nealon or indeed Donagh Maher in the second half having much joy in negating him.

Ryan’s first goal came on nineteen minutes, using his strength to fend off Hogan to create the space. Ronan Tucker denied him a second moments later at the expense of a 65 but it did come four minutes later, following an advantage which saw Daire Hogan yellow-carded.

Templederry net-minder Tim McCutcheon was also kept busy in denying the live-wire David Nealon whose nimble footwork from him Irish dancing background left the Templederry defenders bamboozled at times.

However, he lacked the scoring support, Burgess’ quest for victory not helped by Stephen Murray only able for a brief cameo off the bench and ensuring his availability will be key before the relegation decider.

Dunne’s Tony & Sean combined for the latter to score Burgess’ fourth goal on 28 minutes, but they still trailed by two points at the break.

The atmosphere in the ground was surreal despite there being so much at stake for both sides. The quality of the game didn’t help, albeit the mistakes reduced in the second half as scores became harder to come by as Templederry opened a five point lead (3-20 to 4-12) on fifty minutes as Burgess struggled to get much going in attack, Nealon frees their only points up to then.

They needed some inspiration, and it came in the form of captain Bill O’Flaherty doing what he does best, plucking a ball out of the sky in the 52nd minute and winning a penalty which Tim McCutcheon saved from opposite number Ronan Tucker, but Kieran Grace was on hand to convert the rebound.

Templederry retorted with a Darragh Carey point but points from Nealon (free) and the freshly-introduced Murray brought Burgess within one point on 54 minutes.

They couldn’t get level with Murray missing a good chance and Templederry finally put the result beyond doubt on 59 minutes with Sean Ryan completing his hat-trick with a superb finish.

The side-netting denied him a fourth goal moments later, but it wasn’t costly as he and Templederry had done enough to end the fear of back-to-back relegations while for Burgess they are now in the last chance saloon against Clonakenny in three weeks’ time.

Player of the Match: Sean Ryan (Templederry Kenyons).

Templederry Kenyons: Tim McCutcheon (6); Brian Rohan (6), Tom Stapleton (5), Mikey Ryan (7); Darragh Carey (0-1, 7), Liam McCutcheon (7), Tadgh McLoughlin (6); Michael Collins (0-1, 7), Pio Kennedy (6); Gearoid Ryan (6), Eanna Murray (0-8, 5f, 2 ‘65s) 7), Colm Murray (0-2, 7); Sean Collins (0-1, 7), Sean Ryan (3-6, 0-3f, 9), Adrian Ryan (1-5, 9).

Sub: Brian Stapleton (0-1f, 7) for Kennedy (27 inj).

Burgess: Ronan Tucker (6); Bryan Quinn (5), Daire Hogan (5), Aidan O’Dwyer (6); Jack O’Flaherty (6), Donagh Maher (7), Johnny Mulqueen (6); Eoin Grace (6), Kieran Grace (2-0, 7); Keith Nealon (0-1, 6), Tony Dunne (0-1, 6), Diarmaid O’Donoghue (6); Sean Dunne (2-0, 7), Stephen Kirwan (0-1, 6), David Nealon (1-11, 0-9f, 0-1 ’65, 8).

Subs: Bill O’Flaherty (6) for O’Donoghue (25); Kieran Ryan (6) for T Dunne (48); Michael Ryan (7) for S Dunne (50); Stephen Murray (0-1, 7) for Kirwan (53).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines).