Stunning second half wins Nenagh Ormond first Munster Senior Cup

TIPP TOP: Nenagh Ormond's Mikey Doran leads the celebration. Pic: Ben Brady, Inpho

Munster Senior Cup final: Nenagh Ormond 32 Old Crescent 20 

Nenagh Ormond are Munster Senior Cup champions for the first time after a 32-20 win over Old Crescent in the final at Thomond Park.

The Tipperary club lost to Young Munster in their first ever appearance in the decider two years ago but a stunning second half performance saw them to a historic victory.

They outscored their Limerick opponents by 22 points to 10 after the break with Angus Blackmore scoring a try in either half. Ben Pope crossed twice in the second half, while Josh Rowland also got in on the act for Nenagh.

However, it was Crescent that made all the early running in the opening half hour, making little of the difference between the two sides in the All-Ireland League. Nenagh playing in 1B and Crescent in 2A.

A blindside move off a scrum five metres from the Nenagh line accounted for the first try. Gary Fitzgerald slipped a pass to Dan Hurley, who powered through two tackles to just get over the line for a score that was converted by Ronan McKenna.

Micheal Gleeson and Sean Lyon present the Bank of Ireland Player of the match award to Angus Blackmore of Nenagh Ormond RFC. Pic ©INPHO/Ben Brady

The Crescent full back added a second successful kick on 31 minutes to put his side into a surprise 10-0 advantage. That lead could have been greater if it wasn’t for a superb Nenagh defensive effort inside their own ’22.

Nenagh eventually settled into the game with a Conor McMahon penalty, cutting Crescent’s advantage to seven.

It would be all square at the short whistle after Blackmore got in for their opening try following excellent work from John Lyons. McMahon added the extras to see the score all square at 10-10.

It was one-way traffic in the second half with Nenagh excelling. The donkey work was done by the forward pack but it was the backs that did the damage.

Rowland was instrumental in putting Nenagh in front for the first time after his sumptuous offload saw Blackmore in for the easiest of finishes. McMahon stretched the lead to seven with the successful conversion.

Crescent held off a number of Nenagh attacks but gaps began to appear in the third quarter and it was Pope that was the beneficiary, crossing for a third try on 67 minutes.

McKenna did manage to reverse the Nenagh dominance with a penalty but it was a brief respite.

Derek Corcoran then came off the bench to clinch the game for Nenagh with two cross-field kicks resulting in tries for Rowland and a second for Pope.

Crescent did get a consolation try in the final stages through Aaron Cosgrave, with McKenna adding the conversion, but it was Nenagh that came away from Thomond Park with a historic victory.

NENAGH ORMOND: J Rowland; D Gleeson, A Blackmore, W Coffey, C McMahon; B Pope, N Irwin; M Doran, D Murphy, M Burke; J O’Kelly, K O’Flaherty; J Coffey, E Murphy; J O’Flaherty.

Replacements: J Healy, C Skehan, S Frawley, F O’Meara, R Buckley, D Corcoran, C O’Doherty.

OLD CRESCENT: R Mckenna; J O’Dwyer, W Hoffman, S Mullally, D Hurley; J Duggan, G Fitzgerald; J Rickard, N Hardiman, J Considine; J Toland, Y Browne; O Toland, K Madden; J Lyons.

Replacements: J Byrne, E Creaven, S Monaghan, J McKeogh, D O’Grady, A Cosgrave, C Monaghan.

Referee: P O”Connor (MAR).