Nenagh Éire Óg retain the Frank McGrath Cup with defeat of neighbours Kiladangan

Hibernian Inn North Senior Hurling Championship Final

Nenagh Éire Óg 0-21

Kiladangan 0-17

Nenagh Éire Óg claimed the Frank McGrath Cup for the second consecutive year, once again at the expense of near neighbours and rivals Kiladangan in a tough encounter in Dolla on Saturday evening.

This was the Nenagh’s first retention of the coveted north senior trophy since 1993, and they did so in large part due to a really solid and impressive defence performance which stifled a dangerous Kiladangan defence throughout.

It differed greatly from their wins over Toomevara and Templederry, with Jake Morris essentially winning both games with incredibly clinical scoring tallies, and while the Tipperary senior hit 0-4 from play in the game, he was less influential than in the previous outings and Nenagh relied on keeping the scores out at the other end to claim the win.

For Kiladangan, they struggled for a lot of the game to get into their top gear, and weren’t helped with the first half withdrawal of Willie Connors through injury, especially given they came into the game without the suspended pair of Tadhg Gallagher and Decky McGrath.

Despite playing against a very strong breeze in the opening half, it was Kiladangan who started impressively as they flew into a 0-3 to nil lead after five minutes with Billy Seymour (65), Sean Hayes, and Paul Flynn all hitting the target.

The breeze continued to build in strength and it gave Nenagh the ability to get into the game despite the slow start and it was a pair of scores from Conor Hennessy and Mikey Heffernan (free) who had the town team on the board after eight minutes.

There were a few positional switches from Nenagh from the off, with Barry Heffernan at centre forward as Paddy Murphy slotted in at centre back, and the sides were on a fairly even keel by the conclusion of the first quarter with Conor Hennessy again finding the target along with a pair of placed balls from Mikey Heffernan, while Willie Connors and Dan O’Meara were the men on target for Kiladangan.

Some of the shooting was letting down the Kiladangan charge in the first half and it was beginning to hurt them as Nenagh hit a purple patch of dominance with five points without reply up to the 22nd minute; three coming from Mikey Heffernan (two frees), a first for Jake Morris, and a booming effort from is own half from Paddy Murphy, and that gave Nenagh a 0-9 to 0-5 lead.

A downpour towards the end of the half made life difficult for the players to get into a conducive rhythm, but Kiladangan did have it back to one point with the clock going into added time with Eoghan Sharkey finding his first of the day, while Sean Hayes and Billy Seymour added to their tallies.

But Nenagh would beef out their lead to three before the half time whistle sounded through a pair of Mikey Heffernan frees giving the sky blues an 0-11 to 0-8 lead.

Jake Morris was been well subdued by former county teammate James Quigley for a lot of the first half, but he began to drop out the field to try and get into the game in the second half, and he was on target after three minutes of the restart after being picked out by a clever Conor Hennessy sideline cut.

Kiladangan were unlucky in the fact that the breeze dropped significantly from the first half, and again, they were really struggling to make the ball stick in the forwards, relying on Billy Seymour for two scores either side of another Mikey Heffernan free in the 36th minute.

Eventually though, Nenagh really began to get on top of proceedings with their back line hoovering up any attacks, along with finding the target with more regularity with Josh Keller finding the target for the first time, while Jake Morris and Mikey Heffernan added further scores to open a 0-16 to 0-11 lead with some 18 minutes to go.

Bryan McLoughney was sprung for Kiladangan in an effort to get back into the game, and he made an immediate impression with a good snap and finish from a long ball in the 47th minute, but Nenagh hit back with two points of their own; Conor Hennessy bagging his third while they had an impact sub of their own in Anthony Walsh who was set up brilliantly by Jake Morris.

That opened up a seven-point lead for Nenagh going into the final ten minutes, but Billy Seymour was really on form for Kiladangan and kept them in the contest with three scores in a row from two frees and a classy finish from play.

But Nenagh always had the response to any Kiladangan pressure, responding with anothe pair of points to re-establish the lead with Jake Morris providing again for his fourth of the day, along with a first for Barry Heffernan with time ticking down quickly.

Paul Flynn very nearly threw his side a lifeline in the 59th minute after a lovely passing move ended with the former Tipperary man on the 21, but his goal effort was just too high and flew over the crossbar past a flailing Dermot McTiernan.

And that was that as the only score of the four minutes of added time came from a Billy Seymour free, but the game ended on a sour note as James Quigley received a second yellow for a really nasty, high shoulder on Jake Morris which shook the Nenagh sharpshooter.

Nenagh gleefully lifted the Frank McGrath Cup afterward and, in the process, bagged a useful preliminary quarter-final spot in the county stages ahead of next weekend’s championship.

Nenagh Éire Óg: Dermot McTiernan; Conor Ryan, Mark Carey, Sam O’Farrell; Adam Healy, Paddy Murphy (0-1), James Mackey; Philip Hickey (0-1), Mikey Heffernan (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1 65); Josh Keller (0-1), Barry Heffernan (0-1), Conor Hennessy (0-3); Tommy Heffernan, Jake Morris (0-4), Sean Phelan.

Subs used: Anthony Walsh (0-1) for Phelan (43); Ben West for B Heffernan (63).

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; Fergal Hayes, James Quigley, David Sweeney; Darren Moran, Joe Gallagher, Alan Flynn; Conor Byrne, Johnny Horan; Dan O’Meara (0-1), Eoghan Sharkey (0-1), Paul Flynn (0-2); Willie Connors (0-1), Billy Seymour (0-9, 0-4f 0-2 65s), Sean Hayes (0-2).

Subs used: Shane Gleeson for Willie Connors (inj, 20); Bryan McLoughney (0-1) for Sharkey (41); John O’Meara for Horan (43).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)