Nenagh Hockey Club
Senior Ladies: Nenagh 3-0 Belvedere
The rain finally abated when Nenagh Ladies team took to the field for their 3.00pm tip off against Belvedere Hockey Club in Thurles on Sunday in a top of the table clash that was a must win for the Nenagh side.
Nenagh started well following an intense warm up and worked the ball quickly and seamlessly up the pitch at pace. Belvedere defended well initially but found it difficult to counter-attack thanks to some great tackling by Grace Mulrooney and Tara McTiernan. Nenagh’s dominance was rewarded when captain Aoibhinn Murphy got within striking distance and she scored with a cracker to put the home side ahead.
Murphy, who is among the top scorers in the league, added to her tally shortly thereafter when she received a lovely pass from midfield which she wasted no time in converting.
Belvedere played well at times and had some skilful, fast paced players but they were at a considerable disadvantage in having no substitutes on whom to call upon during the game.
Nenagh looked comfortable throughout the second half and dealt with any Belvedere attacks effectively. A third goal came when Nenagh's Tara McTiernan took the ball out wide at pace and took a shot from a tight angle which snuck just inside the post in a terrific finish.
Nenagh remained in the driving seat for the remainder of the game which finished 3-0 to the home side. The ladies face stiff competition next weekend when they travel to play UCC at home in the Mardyke. This is a must win game for Nenagh who look to secure promotion this year.
Senior Men:
With a light squad due to injury and some key players also carrying knocks, Nenagh were realistic about their chances of overcoming what is a very strong UCC side this year featuring a couple of Irish international players.
What ensued was a faced paced game with UCC putting pressure on the Nenagh defence from the first whistle. Goalkeeper Nanno Vuyk was forced to make some great saves early on. Continued pressure in Nenagh territory forced a couple of short corners which the Cork men converted. When James White was temporarily sidelined with a ball to the kneecap, Nenagh struggled to maintain their shape and gaps began to open up defensively.
The Cork side wasted no time in capitalising on Nenagh’s misfortunes and they added two goals. In a further blow to Nenagh’s game-plan, stalwart Colin Muir was forced to leave the pitch with a hamstring injury and the visitors had to play with ten men for a spell. This was a gargantuan ask considering the strength and depth of the opposition and it was all Nenagh could do to stave off wave after wave of attack.
Nenagh were buoyed by Muir's return to the pitch and it was small consolation when James White was awarded a penalty stroke which he scored clinically. To their credit, the Nenagh lads fought well and never back off their tackles or their defence but UCC were a far superior team on the day fielding some excellent players who had pace and skill that was difficult for a Nenagh side with few substitutes on the day.
They Bandon in Cork next weekend where they hope to have a full squad and end their first half of the season with a solid team performance.
Under 18 Girls: Nenagh 1-4 Kinsale
The weather conditions were appalling when the under 18 girls took to the pitch in Thurles on Sunday for their game against Kinsale.
The Cork side were still smarting from their encounters in the League playoffs and Cup finals last season where Nenagh overcame them on both occasions to win the double.
With lots to prove, Kinsale, which are largely unchanged since last year, started strongly. They moved the ball well and gained good field position. Some strong defence by Nenagh held them out with the goalkeeper making several saves in the opening minutes. Kinsale were relentless in their search for a score and eventually got a shot away that found the back of the Nenagh net.
Nenagh restarted but were quickly tackled and another wave of Kinsale attack yielded another goal. Tireless running by Lauren Grace and Celia Moreno brought Nenagh back into the game and Kinsale were forced to defend for periods of time. The game remained 2-0 heading into the second half.
Nenagh played well in the third quarter and good passing from midfield to the forward gave Hannah Delaney a shot on goal which she converted well. Nenagh pressed forward searching for an equaliser. Kinsale were solid in defence and speedy on the wings and quickly turned attack into counterattack as they worked their way up to the Nenagh D where they won a short corner. They converted to bring the score to 3-1.
Nenagh needed to play the remainder of the game in the Kinsale half but the visitors ability to move the ball quickly and find space out wide, left Nenagh scrambling to defend time and again. Another short corner which Kinsale converted brought the game to a close with a final score of 4-1.
Under 14 Girls: Nenagh 0-7 Cork CofI
The rain was torrential as both teams took to the pitch in Thurles to warm up and remained so for the entirety of the game.
Despite this, the visitors started at high pace, moving the ball well and with width that the Nenagh defence struggled to manage. Some quick passing gave CofI good field position and they slotted home an early goal to open the scoring.
Nenagh were slow on the restart and some good tackling by the Cork side put Nenagh on the back foot. They were again punished by the pace of the game and CofI had another shot on goal which they converted.
The visitors kept the pressure on Nenagh for the remainder of the first half and Nenagh looked sluggish going forward and were dispossessed by a technically strong CofI who worked their way into great attacking positions time and again and were clinical in front of goal.
Nenagh struggled to gain a foothold in the game after half time as the visitors kept their pace and focus. When two more goals added to the Cork tally the game was well out of reach. Nenagh had spells of good interplay at times but when a goal by Nenagh was disallowed there was no way back for the home side.