Toomevara prove too good for determined Kildangan

RED hot favourites Toomevara overcame a determined Kildangan challenge to capture their 33rd North Tipperary senior hurling championship in Nenagh yesterday.

Having impressed throughout this year’s campaign the Greyhounds started brightly and were six points to the good after five minutes thanks to three Ken Dunne frees and another from play coupled with two Willie Ryan efforts.

Joe Gallagher eventually bagged Kildangan’s opening point from play in the seventh minute but even at this early juncture Kildangan faced an uphill battle.

Kildangan narrowed the gap to four by mid-way through the half thanks to points from Paraic Kelly and Ruairi Gleeson but Paddy Grace kept Toome’ ticking over with his side’s tenth point in the 17th minute.

Successive Darragh Egan frees edged Kildangan to within three but again Toomevara responded with a Ken Dunne free before referee, Ger Fitzpatrick red-carded both Paraic Kelly and John O’Brien after an off the ball tussle in the 27th minute. Toomevara restored a five-point gap again with a fine long-range Joey McLoughney effort but Kildangan finished the half with points from Darragh Egan and Sean Kelly as Kildangan trailed by 0-9 to 0-12 at the break.

Kildangan introduced Eoin Gleeson at the interval in a bid to freshen their attack and within seconds of the restart his brother Ruairi knifed over from 40 metres before Darragh Egan cut the gap to just a point with a 37th minute free.

Back came Toomevara though with both Brian McCormack and Ken Dunne (free) on target before Toome’s Eoin Brislane bagged the only goal in the 43rd minute. The tense, tight nature of the encounter continued as time ticked away with Kildangan doing their utmost to cut the gap again thanks to another Darragh Egan free and a point from Joe Gallagher. Kildangan kept battling hard to get back into contention but were denied by an excellent James McGrath save in the 51st minute after Kian Hayes’ free threatened to bounce high into the top corner.

Toomevara responded with a brace of Ken Dunne frees and for the closing ten minutes of the encounter a dominant Greyhounds side pulled further and further ahead to record a fully deserved eight-point victory.

Scorers for Toomevara: K. Dunne 0-12 (0-10f); E. Brislane 1-0; J. McLoughney and W. Ryan 0-2 each; P. Grace and B. McCormack 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildangan: D. Egan 0-5 (0-4f); R. Gleeson 0-3; J. Gallagher 0-2; S. Kelly, J. Loughnane and P. Kelly 0-1 each.

TOOMEVARA: J. McGrath, B. Dunne, T. Dunne, A. Ryan; D. Delaney, B. Dunne, J. McLoughney; K. Dunne, D. Young; F. Devaney, B. McCormack, J. O’Brien (C); P. Grace, E. Brislane, W. Ryan.

Subs: B Duff for P Grace (49) ; D Nolan for Brislane (59); D Kennedy for Devaney (62).

KILDANGAN: K. Hayes, M. Minehan, L. Kelly. F. Hayes; J. Loughnane, D. Hackett, G. Slattery; T. Connors (C); P. Kelly; D. Egan, J. Gallagher, T. Gallagher; S. Kelly, E. Kelly, R. Gleeson:

Subs: E Gleeson for E. Kelly (h/t); P Lynch for S. Kelly (48); B Duff for Grace (59); R Whelan for E Gleeson (55).

Referee: Ger Fitzpatrick (Roscrea).