Nenagh Éire Óg strike seven past Roscrea in impressive North final performance to claim title

North Tipperary U17 A Football Championship Final 

Nenagh Éire Óg 7-14

Roscrea 1-6

By Liam Hogan 

Nenagh Eire Og were just too good for Roscrea and ran out easy winners in the North Tipperary U17A Football Championship final played at MacDonagh Park last Saturday before noon.

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In what could be a historic win, that is, if the age groups are changed to even numbers at next Wednesday night's County Board meeting, this Nenagh win was a complete performance once they established a grip on the game.

But it took a while. The opening minutes had a balanced look about them with Roscrea grabbing the opening score from a Michael Dooley free in the sixth minute. Michael Cleary MacLoone levelled two minutes later and the same player was instrumental in taking the game to another level. Over the next five minutes he kicked three points as Nenagh went 0-6 to 0-1 in front after seventeen minutes.

Despite conceding a second point to Roscrea, when Jack Walsh scored a 45, the Nenagh machine went in search of more scores starting with another Cleary MacLoone point in the twentieth minute.

Within the next two minutes the gap stretched even more as Michael Ryan found the back of the net for goal number one. Goal number two soon followed as a quick free by Cian Clarke found Eanna Tucker unmarked and the Nenagh midfielder had the net shaking. Twelve points in front, it looked game over.

But in fairness, Roscrea kept up the fight. Their half back line of Charlie Carroll, Luke Murphy and Kalem Moloney stuck to the task in keeping the Nenagh attacks limited, while Liam Dunphy and Jack Walsh made inroads up front, but the Nenagh defence led by Adam Boland had no mercy.

The Nenagh attack had no mercy either and the remaining minutes of the half saw Nenagh in search of more scores. After a Cian Clarke point there was goal number three when Eanna Tucker scored his second, leaving Michael Cleary MacLoone with the final score of the half as he added a close-in free. Half time: Nenagh Eire Og 3-9 Roscrea 0-3.

Any thoughts of a Roscrea revival were dealt a major blow as Nenagh secured another 2-2 on the board inside the opening three minutes of the new half, with Aodhan Tucker and Michael Cleary MacLoone the goal scorers.

There was no let-up, and on reaching the forty-second minute it was 5-12 to 0-3 for Nenagh before Roscrea struck a positive six-minute period, scoring 1-2 without reply. Jack Walsh posted a free, quickly followed by a Jack Ryan score from play, before centre back Luke Murphy moved upfield to score a goal. Roscrea would only secure one more point, but the final minutes belonged to Nenagh and goals in the fifty-third and fifty-fourth minute by Adam Quigley and Zack Ryan made it a big day for the light Blues.

Scorers: Nenagh Éire Óg: Michael Cleary MacLoone (1-7, 0-2f); Eanna Tucker 2-1; Adam Quigley 1-1; Michael Ryan, Aodhan Tucker, Zack Ryan 1-0 each; Adam Boland, Cian Clarke 0-2 each; Charlie Talbot 0-1. 

Roscrea: Jack Walsh (0-3, 0-1f); Luke Murphy 1-0; Michael Dooley 0-1f, Jack Ryan, Liam Dunphy 0-1 each. 

Nenagh Éire Óg: Rhys Cottrell; Anluan White, Michael Kennedy, Ronan Quinn; James Heffernan, Adam Boland, Evan Whyte; Aodhan Tucker, Eanna Tucker; Adam Quigley, Michael Cleary MacLoone, Cian Clarke; Harry Walsh, Michael Ryan, Charlie Talbot. 

Subs used: Zack Ryan for Talbot (48); Cian Ryan for White (51); Diarmuid Nolan for Walsh (52). 

Roscrea: Aaron Tooher; Marko Pasalic, Calum Mitchell, Bobby Hayes; Kalem Moloney, Luke Murphy, Charlie Carroll; Jack Byrne, Michael Dooley; Jack Ryan, Liam Dunphy, Billy Kennedy; Cillian Moloney, Sean McLoughney, Jack Walsh. 

Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Newport)

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