Nenagh Eire Og get back on track with convincing victory

Nenagh Eire Og 3-25 Mullinahone 1-20

Nenagh Eire Og responded in the best possible way to their first round defeat with a resounding eleven points win over Mullinahone in round two of group four of the FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship at Templetuohy on Sunday evening.

Despite that initial setback, Nenagh were most people’s fancy to come through here. The loss to JK Brackens stung them and was something of a wake-up call, but this emphatic win gets them back on track and sets up a mouth-watering tie against Toomevara in round three, with both sides needing points to advance their championship journey.

Even without county man Jake Morris, sidelined with a ruptured achilles, and Mason Cawley, out with a broken toe, Nenagh carried far too much quality for their opponents, who from the word go were struggling. They were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead when, after nine minutes, Philip Hickey, operating at full forward, rounded his man for their first goal.

Mullinahone hit back with a Martin Kehoe goal two minutes later but their joy was short-lived, as Ben West netted for Nenagh at the end of the first quarter for a 2-4 to 1-1 lead and from there on, they pulled steadily away from their opponents. At half-time it was 2-13 to 1-9 in Nenagh’s favour, not the biggest lead in the current conditions, but there was nothing about the Mullinahone performance that suggested they could make up the ground lost.

Mullinahone’s hopes were dashed beyond repair five minutes into the second half when they lost Eoin Fennelly to a second yellow card for a rash tackle. Four minutes later Ben West bagged his second goal for a 3-17 to 1-11 lead. Game over. Mullinahone did their best to stay in touch and Nenagh availed of the situation to get game time into players on the bench in the closing stages, relieved to be on the winning trail again and with their eyes on the upcoming tussle with ‘The Greyhounds’. The winning margin could be a plus too for Nenagh, depending on how other games go.

Beaten finalists last year, Nenagh needed a big result to revive their challenge and this surely fitted the bill. How soon the absentees will be able to return is not clear but the depth in their panel was evident here and they will be hoping it will get them through to the knockout stages. Their key men delivered with Josh Keller, Sam O’Farrell and Barry Heffernan leading by example. Ben West chipped in with an impressive 2-2 from play. Twelve players scored for them, another impressive statistic. Philip Hickey, Paddy Murphy and Mikey Heffernan also shone.

The spectre of a relegation battle hangs over Mullinahone, who face unbeaten JK Brackens in the final round of the group stages. While they were under the cosh for most of the game they battled gamely. Their cause was not helped by two early injuries and then being reduced to fourteen men for most of the second half really knocked the bottom out of their challenge. Clearly they have a lot of work to do if they are to retain their senior status.

Team captain Micheal Dunne was their top scorer with eleven points, four from play. Martin Kehoe hit 1-2 from wing back and Sam Rowan had three points from midfield but they needed more support. Paul Curran was his usual reliable self at full back with Jack Shelley, Darragh Linnane and Enda Keane also putting in a good shift.

Scorers: Nenagh: B West (2-2), S O’Farrell (0-8,5fs), P Hickey (1-2), M Heffernan (0-3,1f), S Phelan, J Keller (0-2 each), P Murphy, C Hennessy, F McIntyre, M Carey, B Heffernan, B Moran (0-1 each).

Mulinahone scorers: M Dunne (0-11,7fs), M Kehoe (1-2), S Rowan (0-3), S Curran, J Shelley, D Linnane, E Keane (0-1 each).

Nenagh Eire Og: Dermot McTiernan; Conor Hennessy, Adam Gratton, Mark Carey; Paddy Murphy, Barry Heffernan, Jake Donnellan-Houlihan; Conor Ryan, James Mackey; Mikey Heffernan, Josh Keller, Filip McIntyre; Sam O’Farrell, Philip Hickey, Ben West.

Subs: Jamie Cottrell for McIntyre (47 mins), Sean Phelan for M Heffernan (50 mins), Mark O’ Farrell for S O’Farrell (52 mins), Tommy Heffernan for West (54 mins), Billy Moran for Murphy (55 mins).

Mullinahone: Brendan Kearney; Daire O’Brien, Paul Curran, Eoin Treacy; Eoin Fennelly, Darragh Linnane, Martin Kehoe; Colin Shelley, Sam Rowan; Eanna Ryan, Sean Curran, Enda Keane; Eoin O’Dwyer, Jack Shelley, Michael Dunne.

Subs: Graham Horan for O’Dwyer (19 mins), Cillian White for C Shelley (28 mins), Ned O’ Meara for E Ryan (43 mins), Matthew Direen for Kehoe (56 mins).

Referee: Conor Doyle, Silvermines.