Borris-Ileigh finish strongly to shrug off Templederry Kenyons

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship - Round 2

Borris-Ileigh 0-29

Templederry Kenyons 0-23

Brendan Maher tallied up a massive score of 16 points as Borris-Ileigh produced a decisive second half performance to put away a very game Templederry Kenyons side who played well for 40 odd minutes of this encounter in Nenagh earlier this evening.

The game was finely poised at half time after a free flowing and high scoring first half where both teams had the eye well in with some really prolific point scoring from all the forwards on show, but a highly profitable purple patch between the 46th and 54th minute from Borris took the game away from the Kenyons, in a period where they scored six unanswered points.

This was a different looking Borris team as some positional switches were made from their heavy loss to Thurles in round one, with Jerry Kelly featuring at centre back, while Ray McCormack slotted in at full back and Brendan Maher started the game at midfield but featured prominently in the half forward line as the game wore on.

Templederry’s achilles heel so far this year has been their defensive porousness, and it continues to be an issue, and after shipping 2-30 to Drom in the first round, they just couldn’t prevent the dam from bursting in the final quarter of the game.

The dry and hot conditions in Nenagh were ideal for hurling and the game started at a blistering pace in what was essentially a score a minute contest as the teams went point for point up to the tenth minute.

Brendan Maher and Éanna Murray frees got both teams off the mark after two minutes, and the looseness early on gave plenty of space for shots from the restarts, as Borris got their scores in the opening ten minutes through Maher (3 frees), JD Devaney, and Kevin Maher, while Templederry looked sharp with Gearoid Ryan, Brian Stapleton, and Matthew Hogan on target as they led 0-6 to 0-5 by the 11th minute.

Borris hit a run of scores without reply thereafter through more Brendan Maher placed balls along with well taken efforts from range by Kieran Maher and Eddie Ryan, the latter score coming from a quickly taken free from Brendan Maher.

Both sets of forwards looked to have the eye in though, and it didn’t take Templederry long to respond, as they outscored Borris by five points to two in the next ten minutes with brilliantly taken points from brothers Mike and Sean Ryan, along with Éanna Murray and Odhran Murphy also finding the target to make at a draw game at 0-11 apiece at the 24 minute mark.

Templederry were looking more prolific from open play, but their indiscipline would cost them before game’s end, and despite a fantastic Tim McCutcheon save from a JD Devaney effort a minute before the break, three Brendan Maher placed balls in the final five minutes gave Borris the narrowest of half time leads at 0-14 to 0-13.

Borris came quickly out of the blocks after the resumption and reeled off four unanswered points in five minutes to extend their to five points in as many minutes, but in fairness to Templederry, it didn’t faze them greatly as they continued to go about their business, and responded in kind to that Borris flurry with four of their own by the 44th minute through points from Brian Stapleton, Colm Murray, and two Éanna Murray frees.

However, it was a false dawn for the Kenyons, as in the following ten minutes Borris would plunder six points on the bounce with Brendan Maher frees (3) proving to be Templederry’s undoing along with points from play from the Kenny’s (Conor and Shane), and a well taken JD Devaney point to leave the men in maroon ahead 0-24 to 0-18 in the 54th minute.

In essence, that was all she wrote as the only thing left to determine was the margin of victory as the sides traded the final ten points in the last of normal time and injury time. It was a good win for Borris’ but they will need an unlikely series of events to occur in the final round of games to progress due to Drom’s big win over Thurles Sarsfields in the other game in the group.

Scorers: Borris-Ileigh: Brendan Maher (0-16, 0-13f, 0-1 65), Conor Kenny 0-4, JD Devaney 0-3, Shane Kenny, Kevin Maher 0-2 each, Kieran Maher, Eddie Ryan 0-1 each.

Templederry Kenyons: Sean Ryan (0-8, 0-5f), Éanna Murray (0-5, 0-4f), Brian Stapleton 0-4, Gearoid Ryan 0-2, Matthew Hogan, Odhran Murphy, Mike Ryan, Colm Murray 0-1 each.

Borris-Ileigh: James McCormack; Seamus Burke, Ray McCormack, Sean McCormack; Kieran Maher, Jerry Kelly, Liam Ryan; Brendan Maher, Tommy Ryan; JD Devaney, Dan McCormack, Eddie Ryan; Niall Kenny, Conor Kenny, Kevin Maher.

Subs: Shane Kenny for N Kenny (38); Paddy Stapleton for D McCormack (61).

Templederry Kenyons: Tim McCutcheon; Liam McCutcheon, Christy Coughlan, Tadhg McLoughlin; Darragh Carey, Tom Stapleton, Brian Stapleton; Matthew Hogan, Colm Murray; Gearoid Ryan, Éanna Murray, Odhran Murphy; Sean Ryan, Padraig O’Leary, Mike Ryan.

Subs: Michael Hayes for M Ryan (59); Michael Ryan for McLoughlin (59); Conor Looby for C Murray (59).

Referee: Peter Carroll (Burgess)