Masterful McGrath leads Loughmore into final

NOEL McGrath was the star of the show at Semple Stadium yesterday as Loughmore-Castleiney qualified for their first Tipperary SHC final since 1998 (the only time they’ve lifted the Dan Breen Cup) after a dour battle with pre-match favourites Nenagh Éire Óg.

Not aged 17 until December, from start to finish the Tipp minor star stamped his class all over a poor game. He notched three points in the first half and four more in the second, including a magnificent sideline from 55 metres out on the right, but he also had a hand in several other Loughmore points.

Nenagh had the first score on the board, a Kevin Tucker pointed free after just one minute, but it wasn’t long before the 5,500 crowd saw the first of McGrath. Micheál Webster had Loughmore-Castleiney’s first point after a minute but soon the youngster had opened his account, a point from play set up with a strong run and pass from centre-forward Evan Sweeney.

Nenagh replied with a brace of their own, Eddie Tucker and Michael Heffernan doing the honours, leaving it at 0-3 to 0-2 after seven minutes (Heffernan was a team-mate of McGrath’s in this year’s Tipp All-Ireland minor-winning team and played a starring role for Nenagh Éire Óg minors in their county semi-final against Ballingarry on Saturday with 10 points in their 2-16 to 1-16 win).

Two more points was all the Nenagh forward line could manage for the remainder of the half against a solid Loughmore defence, well anchored by Derek Bourke and veteran David Kennedy, with young McGrath pulling the strings from right-half-forward. Loughmore-Castleiney did slightly better and led at the break by 0-7 to 0-5, corner-forward Edward Connolly with two fine strikes.

Nenagh were faster out of the blocks after the break, a lovely point within 20 seconds of the restart from corner-forward Heffernan bringing them within a point of Loughmore. However, though Stephen Ryan and John Brennan did well at the back, along with Hugh Moloney on the wing and John Flannery but overall Loughmore-Castleiney were better.

They hit three points on the trot (two by Sweeney, one from McGrath) after Heffernan’s second-half opener for Nenagh, putting them four in front, the widest margin of the afternoon. Back came Nenagh, and points from Kevin Tucker, John Flannery and Paddy Murphy (yet another Tipp minor star) again had it back to the minimum, 0-10 to 0-9 in favour of Loughmore-Castleiney, with 43 minutes gone.

For the next 15 minutes there was nothing much between them, Nenagh marginally the better side, reflected on the scoreboard as they brought it back to level pegging, 0-13 apiece.

With over five minutes left, that should have signalled a storming finish, but Nenagh couldn’t raise a gallop and it was Loughmore-Castleiney doing what scoring there was in the final minutes.

They had two points, from substitute David McGrath and corner-forward Connolly, both set up by Noel McGrath; Connolly could have added a goal (in a game in which there was a dearth of any goalmouth action) but for a last-second block by Hugh Flannery, which would have put the result beyond doubt. As it was, there was just a flicker of last-second excitement when a long free by Nenagh goalkeeper Michael McNamara dropped short and was cleared by full-back Derek Bourke.

Loughmore-Castleiney will have to improve to beat their Mid-Tipp rivals in the final in two weeks, but with their senior footballers in action next weekend, their double dream is still very much alive.

Scorers: Loughmore-Castleiney: N. McGrath 0-7 (0-1 free 0-1 sideline); E. Connolly 0-3; E. Sweeney 0-3 (0-2 frees); M. Webster, D. McGrath, 0-1 each. Nenagh Éire Óg: K. Tucker 0-4 (all frees); M. Heffernan 0-3 (0-1 free); E. Tucker 0-2; J. Flannery, P. Murphy, J. Kennedy, D O’Meara 0-1 each.

LOUGHMORE-CASTLEINEY: J. Gleeson (c); D. Brennan, D. Bourke, P. Ormonde; E. Ryan, D. Kennedy, T. King; C. McGrath, G. Sweeney; E. Sweeney, P. Brennan, N. McGrath; E. Connolly, M. Webster, R. Stapleton.

Subs: D. McGrath (Stapleton 44); T. Ormonde (Brennan 49); S. Bohan (T. Ormonde inj. 60+3).

NENAGH EIRE OG: M. McNamara; S. Ryan, J. Brennan, H. Flannery; B. Dillon, R. Flannery (c), H. Maloney; J. Kennedy, D. O’Meara; E. Tucker, N. Maloney, P. Murphy; K. Tucker, P. Ryan, M. Heffernan.

Subs: J. Kennedy (O’Meara 37); D. Hackett (P. Ryan 51); M. Hackett (K. Tucker 58).

Referee: P. Ryan (Knockavilla-Donaskeagh Kickhams).