Holycross best Nenagh in entertaining shootout in The Ragg

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship - Group 4 - Round 1

Holycross Ballycahill 0-24

Nenagh Éire Óg 0-19

Holycross Ballycahill came out on the right side of an enthralling round 1 senior hurling championship clash with Nenagh Éire Óg last Sunday afternoon, with both teams loading up in a complete shootout with the men from the Mid coming through to claim the two points in offer in The Ragg.

Akin to the All-Ireland final a few weeks ago, both sides felt that they had the players to outgun one another and it certainly took the shape of a shootout early on with some magnificent points traded early on, and as the game progressed.

This match had everything and despite several games registering numerous high-scoring, goal-laden contests, this one was by far the most entertaining in terms of its quality and hard edge.

The final five minutes plus added time were the most frantic with Holycross Ballycahill shooting for home with the last three points to clinch the victory and they had the outstanding Ewan Bourke to thank in large part as the netminder made two brilliant saves in added time, first from Jake Morris and soon after, from Conor Hennessy, and even hit the final score of the game from a long-range free to clinch the result.

There were quality individual performances sprinkled across the pitch in both sky blue and green with Ewan Bourke the standout, but he was ably assisted by Bryan O’Mara at half-back, Tadhg Gould, and a county senior club debut to remember for Robbie Ryan who hit four class points for his side in the game as the youngsters of Holycross stood up to the more experienced and seasoned Nenagh team.

Jake Morris was again in ominous form for Nenagh - particularly in the first half - as he had Joe Caesar on toast, hitting five points from play in the opening 30 minutes. Mikey Heffernan was once again to the fore for the North club while Mason Cawley gave his best performance in his fledging Nenagh senior career.

The notion of a nervy and conservative approach by these teams was dispelled within a couple of minutes as they hit each other blow for blow, and after ten minutes, Nenagh led 0-6 to 0-5. More than a point a minute as neither team could get set for the restarts!

Holycross quickly took control after this and in the next five minutes, they had peppered the Nenagh net at the back of the goalposts with a nice spread of scorers coming from different areas of the pitch; Bryan O’Mara, James Doyle, Cathal Barrett, Joe Caesar, David Fogarty, and Darragh Woods all finding the target.

The spread was far more prominent on the Holycross side by half-time as they finished the half with seven different scorers. Nenagh by contrast were reliant on Mikey Heffernan and Jake Morris who hit all but two of their 11 first-half points with Holycross finishing the stronger to take a 0-15 to 0-11 lead at the break.

Despite Ben Hennessy pointing straight from the restart to open up a five-point lead for Holycross, Nenagh brought the game back to the boil in the first quarter of the half with Morris and Heffernan again leading by example, hitting the next three points between them.

The contest was getting feisty at this point and when the Mid side took a 0-18 to 0-16 the heated contest spilled over to the management teams who clashed on the sideline and it seemed to work in Holycross’ favour as they opened a five-point lead afterward and, from here, Nenagh were playing catch up with just seven minutes of normal time left.

To be fair to Nenagh, they stayed chipping away at that lead and if they had been sharper with their shooting, it may have been a different outcome. Indeed, Jake Morris nearly bagged a major in the 59th minute when Conor Hennessy fed him close to goal but his mis-hit effort was brilliantly saved by Ewan Bourke and then cleared from danger.

As it was though, Holycross were more clinical with a classy over-the-shoulder Robbie Ryan effort pumping up their supporters, and that led to two more points for Holycross deep into added time which gave them an unassailable five-point advantage.

Bourke produced another class, late save from Conor Hennessy’s close-range effort in the 65th minute and that was enough for Holycross to see it out and claim a priceless opening-round win.

Holycross Ballycahill: Ewan Bourke (0-2f); Evan Morris, Jimmy Ryan, Jack Ryan; Joe Caesar (0-1), Jim Ryan, Bryan O’Mara (0-3); Eoin Craddock (0-1), Tadhg Gould (0-1); Ben Hennessy (0-1), James Doyle (0-3); Cathal Barrett (0-2); Robbie Ryan (0-4), David Fogarty (0-1), Darragh Woods (0-5, 0-3f).

Subs used: Jimmie Lahart for Fogarty (21, inj); Jack Dwan for Hennessy (34); Conor Ryan for Jack Ryan (52); Patrick Russell for Woods (60).

Nenagh Éire Óg: Dermot McTiernan; Mark Carey, Barry Heffernan, Mark O’Farrell; Conor Ryan, Paddy Murphy, Adam Healy; Mason Cawley (0-1), James Mackey; Josh Keller (0-1), Jake Morris (0-6, 0-1f)), Conor Hennessy (0-1); Sean Phelan, Mikey Heffernan (0-8, 0-4f), Filip McIntyre.

Subs used: Cian Crowley for Phelan (26, inj); Tommy Heffernan for Mackey (47); Ben West for Healy (47); Killian Malone (0-1) for McIntyre (57); Conor McCarthy for Crowley (62).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne Templetuohy)