Efficient Nemo make wasteful Loughmore pay

GAA: AIB Munster Club Senior Football Championship Quarter Final

Nemo Rangers 0-2-15 (19)

Loughmore/Castleiney 1-2-4 (11)

Report: Stephen Barry at Páirc Uí Rinn

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Mark Cronin (Nemo Rangers)

SCORERS – Nemo Rangers: Mark Cronin 0-9 (1x2play, 1x2free, 3 frees); Ross Corkery 0-3; Kevin O'Donovan, Ronan Dalton, Conor Horgan 0-2 each; Kieran Histon 0-1.

Loughmore-Castleiney: John McGrath 1-2 (1x2play); Liam McGrath 0-3 frees; Noel McGrath 0-2play; Ciarán Connolly 0-1.

Loughmore-Castleiney couldn’t make the most of their goal chances as a highly efficient Nemo Rangers side pulled away from them in the second half of this Munster quarter-final.

The first half was played on the Tipperary champions’ terms, but they missed two goal opportunities, were bottled up for a couple more, and were denied two penalty appeals as they went into half-time level; 1-3 to 0-6.

Nemo exhibited greater scoring quality to burn off Loughmore with eight successive points between the 40th and 50th minutes. They put just three shots wide in total, converting 80% of their efforts against Loughmore’s 38%.

“Really disappointed,” said manager Greg Ramsbottom. “We certainly won the kick-out battle. Just that efficiency thing across the two halves cost us.

“The first four or five attacks, we had shots away and were probably unlucky not to get a goal and a couple of points. Not getting on the scoresheet at the start when we were on top of them in many aspects of the play went against us.

“I felt we were four or five points a better team in the first half, but we just weren't showing it on the scoreboard. That's the most disappointing part of it.

“We probably needed to get those few scores at the start to lead them and create that element of doubt rather than try to chase the game.”

Nemo have lost just five of their 60 Munster Championship outings, and they put their most recent defeat in the 2022 quarter-final against Clonmel Commercials to bed on their provincial return.

Still, Ramsbottom commended his troops for not getting overawed by the occasion against the 17-time Munster champions.

John McGrath scored 1-2 and tackled superbly. Noel McGrath dictated the play, alongside Brian McGrath, and added an orange flag. Ciarán Connolly carried on his brilliant ball-winning form.

“They really got stuck in. They were so strong and brave around the breaking ball in the middle of the field,” he said.

“John McGrath, in particular, and Noel and Brian and the Connollys really took the game to them.

“At half-time, all the numbers were looking right for us. I think we won 10 out of 12 kick-outs.

“We had Micheál Martin in trouble on kick-outs and we just didn't get enough shots away in the second half to maximise the benefit from that.”

Loughmore didn’t score for over 18 minutes, but thanks to their midfield supremacy, they did have chances. They showed a willingness to kick in direct ball as Ed Connolly whacked an early goal chance wide, while Briaín Murphy and Luke Horgan snagged important turnovers.

At the other end, top-scorer Mark Cronin won and pointed a free, Kevin O’Donovan handpassed over, and when Tommy Maher was sanctioned for stepping inside when kicking a sideline ball, Conor Horgan jinked forward to score.

Yet Loughmore had bypassed Nemo by the 24th minute. Liam McGrath had a goal chance saved by Micheál Aodh Martin, but John McGrath made sure from the rebound, picking his spot in the roof of the net. Noel McGrath then pumped over a huge two-pointer for a 1-3 to 0-4 lead.

With their tails up, Loughmore had a couple of penalty shouts waved away. Ed Connolly was brought to ground by Stephen Cronin in a move that ended with Philip O’Connell hitting the butt of the post. Liam McGrath then claimed he was impeded by Martin when going past the keeper.

“Liam McGrath certainly fell. It seemed like he was pulled down by Micheál Martin,” said Ramsbottom. “But look, to be honest, I’d have to look back on the video and see it.

“Certainly, the feeling from the bench and the camp was that they were two penalty calls we didn't get. Sometimes they go for you, sometimes they don't.”

Nemo saw out the half with Ronan Dalton and Mark Cronin’s second points to go in level.

Their full-back line poured forward after the break, with Kieran Histon pointing before Colin Molloy and Mark Hill teed up Ross Corkery to score.

The high-fielding Ciarán Connolly got a deserved point before Nemo, getting a grip around midfield, reeled off eight on the trot. Cronin accounted for six of those, swinging over two-pointers from play and a free for 0-16 to 1-4.

With the game up, Liam McGrath took his tally to three frees as Corkery tacked on a late brace. In the last act, John McGrath booted a consolation two-point free for Loughmore.

“It's the end of a road for the lads,” said Ramsbottom, wrapping up a long year. “It was a brilliant journey with them.

“They did really well in winning the county final and we had ambitions to go on in Munster.

“Many teams would have been put off playing Nemo Rangers, a team with the history that they have and the amount of Munster Championships they've won, but Loughmore weren’t.

“They really turned up, put in a great battle, represented Tipperary with pride, and made a game of it.”

TEAMS – Nemo Rangers: Micheál Aodh Martin (6); Mark Hill (6), Colin Molloy (7), Kieran Histon (7); Kevin O’Donovan (7), Stephen Cronin (6), Jack Horgan (6); Alan O’Donovan (7), Bríain Murphy (7); Mark Cronin (8), Luke Horgan (6), Conor Shalloe (6); Ross Corkery (7), Ronan Dalton (7), Conor Horgan (7).

Subs: Bryan Hayes (6) for Shalloe (41), Conor Moore (6) for J Horgan (43), Neville O’Shea (NR) for K O’Donovan (60+3), Eoin Nation (NR) for Hill (60+4).

Loughmore-Castleiney: Shane Hennessy (7); Tomás McGrath (6), John Ryan (6), Lorcan Egan (6); Tommy Maher (6), Eoin O’Connell (6), Daragh McCahey (7); Noel McGrath (8), Brian McGrath (7); Ed Connolly (6), John McGrath (8), Ciarán Connolly (7); Liam McGrath (6), Philip O’Connell (6), Liam Treacy (7).

Subs: Joey Quinn (6) for P O’Connell (39), Aidan McGrath (6) for Treacy (51), Paul McCahey (NR) for T McGrath (57), Mikey Ryan (NR) for Maher (59), Willie Eviston for Egan (60).

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).