Devaney major helps Borris cling on to senior status after Lorrha test

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Relegation Semi-Final

Borris-Ileigh 2-19

Lorrha 1-18

By James Hayden

Borris-Ileigh staved off a late Lorrha challenge to maintain their senior status for next year following a hard-earned victory at a breezy MacDonagh, Park Nenagh on Saturday afternoon last.

Having fashioned a comfortable opening half lead Borris' were pushed in the closing ten minutes by a Lorrha side who battled gamely right to the final whistle and refused to allow Borris-Ileigh have in all their way in what proved a nervy finale for a fancied Borris-Ileigh side.

Borris-Ileigh, who were without the services of Brendan Maher and Tommy Ryan, came into this encounter badly needing to escape the possibility of a relegation trapdoor final while Lorrha, buoyed by their final round victory over Holycross-Ballycahill, took the game to the men in maroon from the very get-go.

Playing with the aid of a strengthening breeze blowing into the town end Borris-Ileigh were first off the mark thanks to a Kevin Maher point before Maher earned a free from midway which Eddie Ryan duly converted. Lorrha responded with a well-worked Eoin McIntyre point on five minutes before Conor Kenny angled over a fine long-range effort to maintain Borris-Ileigh’s early two-point advantage.

Eddie Ryan added to Borris’ early lead with a well-struck free from a very acute angle before Colm Fogarty responded with a point from a placed ball. Conor Kennedy then narrowed the gap with a beautifully angled effort before a brace from Conor Kenny and Tom Delaney put three between the sides with 13 minutes elapsed.

Eddie Ryan knifed over his third free of the day to extend Borris-Ileigh’s advantage as Lorrha enforced a positional change with Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher coming out to the half-forward line and Cian Hogan moving to the edge of the square in a bid to stoke up their attacking options.

Borris’ centre-back, Dan McCormack's influence was having a noticeable early impact and two incisive clearances yielded 1-1 in the space of 60 seconds for the Borris men with Conor Kenny arrowing over a sublime effort from the toes of the stand sideline before Eddie Ryan set up Paddy McCormack for the opening goal of the game on 20 minutes, 1-9 to 0-3.

Lorrha’s Michael Dolan fired over a booming long-range free in response but Eddie Ryan kept Borris’ ticking over with a free in front of the posts. 

Lorrha edged closer with a second Colm Fogarty free before yet another long-range free from the stick of Michael Dolan brought Lorrha to within six. The Lorrha captain’s eye was definitely in with a third long-ranger on the cusp of half-time bringing Ken Hogan’s charges to within five points.

Borris-Ileigh rallied just before the interval though with a deft Conor Kenny flick setting up Paddy McCormack for his opening point of the game before Eddie Ryan lofted over his first from play also to ensure Borris’ took a deserved 1-12 to 0-8 lead to the dressing room following a half that well and truly went the way of the John Connors managed side.

Borris-Ileigh picked up where they left off straight from the re-start with a close-range Eddie Ryan free. Kevin Maher then gathered possession in the middle of the field and pirouetted beautifully before arrowing over Borris-Ileigh’s second point of the half. 

The Borris’ midfielder was everywhere in the opening stages of the second half and he added further to his side’s tally with a second point on the bounce to put ten points between the sides.

Despite having the benefit of the elements Lorrha were struggling to create any real chances with Ray McCormack and Dan McCormack impressively marshalling their respective defensive lines.

Colm Fogarty fired over Lorrha’s first score of the second half from a 40th-minute free Eoin McIntyre knifed over an impressive point from play. Eddie Ryan responded with his second free of the half before successive Colm Fogarty frees brought Lorrha to within seven.

Lorrha propelled themselves into real contention seconds later when Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher gathered possession and deftly set Cian Hogan up for a cracking low drive low into the right-hand corner of the Borris-Ileigh net. 

Another Colm Fogarty free coupled with a lovely point from play for the Lorrha marksman made it a two-point game and suddenly it was game on with five minutes to go.

Borri-Ileigh weren’t done yet though and a slaloming solo run from JD Devaney resulted in a thunderous second goal for the men in maroon,  a goal that served to reignite Borris-Ileigh’s flagging attack. Colm Fogarty and Eddie Ryan exchanged points from placed balls as the tempo of the game ratcheted up a few noticeable notches. 

Two points on the bounce from Colm Fogarty and Conor Kennedy brought Lorrha back to within three with two minutes of normal time remaining before a late Eddie Ryan free provided the insurance point for a Borris-Ileigh side that prevailed by four points.

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack; Seamus Burke, Ray McCormack, John McGrath; Colm Boyle, Sean McCormack, Liam Ryan; Dan McCormack, Kevin Maher (0-2); Conor Kenny (0-3), Paddy McCormack (1-1), Kieran Maher; James Devaney (1-1), Eddie Ryan (0-11, 0-9f), Tom Delaney (0-1).

Subs used: Shane Kenny for Delaney (62).

Lorrha: Kevin Hough; Daniel O’Donoghue, Michael Dolan (0-3f), Tom Duggan; Conor Hogan, Darragh Guinan, Brendan Fogarty; Alan O’Meara, Niall McIntyre; Colm Fogarty (0-10 (0-7f), Patrick Maher, Eoin McIntyre (0-3); Christopher Fogarty, Cian Hogan (1-0), Conor Kennedy (0-2).

Subs used: Ciaran Hough for Conor Hogan (39); Donnacha O’Meara for Christopher Fogarty (46).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess)