Forde finds range to inspire Nenagh

In the drawn game of this Harty Cup quarter-final a week ago Seamus Kennedy, one of the stars of Tipperary’s march to All-Ireland minor football honours, was the hero of the hour for Thurles CBS, his late-late injury-time point sending the game to a replay.

Yesterday it was the turn of another Tipperary minor star, but this time from a different code and with a different school; Jason Forde, last year’s Tipperary minor hurling captain, notched 1-5 of Nenagh’s 1-7, thus inspiring his side to do what they failed to do last week, and close out the deal.

Conditions at The Ragg were terrible, no fault of the local club who had the pitch in as good a condition as you’ll find anywhere at this time of year. No, this was down to the rain, which fell incessantly. That such a massive crowd still turned up (the stand was packed, hundreds more following proceedings from their cars on sloping banks of the uncovered side) was testimony not just to the enduring interest in hurling in Tipperary, but to the talent in these two schools, to the fare they served up in the drawn game.