Late Nenagh Ormond surge saw off Highfield in an entertaining encounter

LATE SURGE: Nenagh's John Brislane tries to pass Highfield's Richard Cassidy.  Picture: David Creedon

AIL Division 1B: Highfield 22 Nenagh Ormond 31

Division 1B lived up to its reputation for entertainment as a late Nenagh Ormond surge pushed them into second place by beating Highfield.

This jazz weekend Munster derby saw Nenagh playing second fiddle for the most part as the Woodleigh Park hosts led until the 77th minute.

However, the Tipperary side have made an instant impact since their Division 2A promotion and they ended with a 15-point burst. Dylan Murphy mauled over, with Conor McMahon nailing the touchline conversion for a 23-22 lead. McMahon’s penalty and a late Ben Pope try, Nenagh’s third, made the victory safe.

Ormond move back up to second place, two points behind Old Belvedere, while Highfield have slipped to the foot of the table with a fourth consecutive loss.

A healthy crowd lined the field with some suited and booted for a pitchside pint before taking in the jazz festivities. A live stream served some Nenagh fans in the Palace Bar who didn’t tog out for the trip south.

Both of these sides have been upwardly mobile across the past decade, pocketing Division 2B and 2A titles. Highfield have finished in the top half of their division every year for the past decade, including leading Division 1B into the Covid shutdown.

This loss leaves them needing to find form and fast ahead of consecutive Dublin trips to face leaders Old Belvedere and Old Wesley.

Without the services of club captain Travis Coomey, player-coach Miah Cronin took over the leadership role. Nenagh’s player-head coach Derek Corcoran was a late absentee due to injury.

When Nenagh last visited Woodleigh for their season opener in August, they left with a 29-22 Munster Senior Cup victory. An almost identical scoreline but achieved in a much different manner.

McMahon, the place-kicking winger who ended with 16 points, opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty but Highfield bossed the game from there.

When Nenagh were reduced to 14 men with Murphy sin-binned, Highfield instantly capitalised. David O’Connell claimed the line-out and scrum-half Richard Cassidy sniped around the blindside to score. Shane O’Riordan slotted the conversion.

A McMahon penalty trimmed the deficit to the minimum but Highfield crossed again in the 29th minute. It came from another penalty kicked to the corner. Conor Kennelly grabbed the throw and tighthead Daragh Fitzgibbon forced his way over. O’Riordan made it 14-6.

Nenagh had registered a try bonus point in each of their four previous games but it took until the third added minute to get their opener here. Armed with the penalty advantage, Nicky Irwin ducked left and dived over before McMahon cut the half-time gap to one; 14-13.

Highfield scorched in for their third try within 65 seconds of the restart. Having gone wide, Jamie Shanahan’s hand-off created space for Eoin Dorgan to sprint down the line for a textbook finish. O’Riordan’s conversion drifted onto the near post.

McMahon’s third penalty brought it back to 19-16 and it stayed that way until the 72nd minute when an O’Riordan penalty padded the lead back out to six.

However, Nenagh’s pressure was beginning to tell on a tiring Highfield defence. They made consecutive mistakes pulling John O’Flaherty out of the air in the line-out. Pope’s kicks marched them back to the five-metre line.

Third time around, Evan Murphy was the target and Dylan Murphy mauled over the line. The conversion was on the wrong side for a left-footed kicker but McMahon made light work of it. The cheers from the Ormond supporters signalled its accuracy long before the touch judges raised their flags.

McMahon made it six successful kicks with a 79th-minute penalty and they dominated the extra minutes.

It ended with Pope released into the corner for Nenagh’s third try. McMahon fired a rare miss. No bonus point this time but after digging deep to come from behind, they won’t mind.

Scorers for Highfield: Tries: R Cassidy, D Fitzgerald, E Dorgan; Cons: S O’Riordan 2; Pen: S O’Riordan. 

Scorers for Nenagh Ormond: Tries: N Irwin, D Murphy, B Pope; Cons: Conor McMahon 2; Pens: Conor McMahon 4.

HIGHFIELD: M McLoughlin; E Dorgan, J Shanahan, E Smith, L Kingston (B Spearman 80); S O’Riordan, R Cassidy (A Floyd 67); J Rochford, R Murphy, D Fitzgerald (C Hanlon 62); D O’Halloran (M Fitzgibbon 74), C Kennelly; D O’Connell, P McBarron, M Cronin (c) (S Glynn 62).

NENAGH ORMOND: J Rowland; P Scully (J Devanny 20-27) (B O’Rourke 80+4), A Blackmore, W Coffey, C McMahon; B Pope, N Irwin (C O’Doherty 52); M Doran (J O’Keeffe 69), D Murphy (J Devanny 80+4), C Skehan; J O’Kelly (C Hannon 64), K O’Flaherty (c), J O’Flaherty, E Murphy, J Brislane (R Buckley 64).

Referee: Dermot Blake (IRFU).