Eoghan Doughan held his nerve in the fifth minute of added time to catapult Nenagh CBS into the Dr Harty Cup final, as the 2024 champions edged out holders Thurles CBS in a pulsating all-Tipperary semi-final at Kenyon Park, Templederry.
Pic: John O’Loughlin (Photographer Thurles).
In front of a packed, sold-out crowd, the sides produced a contest of rare quality and intensity, swapping the lead repeatedly and drawing level on some ten different occasions during normal time.
Alas; Final score: Nenagh CBS 1-18 (21pts) Thurles CBS 0-20 (20pts).
Thurles looked to have rescued it late, when Jack Cahill landed a huge pressure free in stoppage time to square matters, ratcheting the tension around the ground. However just moments later, a frantic ruck inside the Nenagh half threatened to tip the game towards extra time, but Nenagh managed to break with purpose, delivering a long ball that allowed Patrick Hackett to win the decisive free with the clock all but red.
Up stepped Doughan, already the standout scorer on the day, and the Moneygall sharpshooter calmly floated over the match-winning placed ball to spark wild celebrations among the Nenagh support and book a return to a Harty Cup final.
The opening half set the tone: hard, fast and relentlessly accurate. Thurles, with Cahill’s frees and Tony Ryan’s excellent work from play, repeatedly pegged Nenagh back after the North Tipp side threatened to pull away. Nenagh’s crucial first-half breakthrough arrived when Eanna Tucker finished in the net, a goal that proved vital in a match where margins were microscopic.
At half-time, Thurles the defending champions shaded it, with score 0-11 (11pts) to Nenagh1-7 (10pts), and carried that momentum early in the second period to open a three-point advantage as Tiarnan Ryan and James Butler got into their stride.
Nenagh, however, showed serious composure under pressure. A decisive spell from the 38th to the 51st minute saw them surge with a run of scores, driven by Doughan’s unerring shooting and important contributions from Hugo Healy and Paul Cahalan.
Even then, Thurles refused to yield. Cahill struck two superb sideline cuts and, with Cillian Minogue keeping the scoreboard ticking, they dragged it back to the knife-edge before the dramatic finale unfolded.
For Thurles CBS, it was indeed a heartbreaking end to a truly brave title defence, playing their full part in a semi-final that will be talked about for a long time as a fitting future showcase for schools hurling in the Premier County.
Teams:
Thurles CBS: Rory Crosse (Boherlahan Dualla); Toby Corbett (Upperchurch Drombane), Darragh Hickey (Emeralds, Urlingford), Conor Kennedy (Boherlahan Dualla); Danny Barry (Fethard), Ryne Bargary (Boherlahan Dualla), Sean Griffin (Upperchurch Drombane); Jack Cahill (Ballingarry), Euan Murray (Thurles Sarsfields); Tony Ryan (Killenaule), James Butler (Sean Treacys) Tiarnán Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill); Eoghan Hickey (Holycross Ballycahill), Cillian Minogue (Thurles Sarsfields), Chris Dunne (Gortnahoe Glengoole).
Partaking Subs:- Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore) for Chris Dunne; Zach O’Keeffe (Holycross Ballycahill) for Hickey Darragh.
Nenagh CBS: Paddy McCormack (Moneygall); Diarmuid Fogarty (Kiladangan), Dara O’Dwyer (Kiladangan), Cormac Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Johnny Grace (Burgess), Shane Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Emmet Jones (Nenagh Éire Óg); Austin Duff (Toomevara), Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg); Patrick Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Paul Cahalan (Burgess), Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall); Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess), Patrick Hackett (Toomevara), Eanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg).
Partaking Subs:- Hugo Healy (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Emmet Jones; Rian McGrath (Kiladangan) for Paul Cahalan; Luke McKeogh (Ballina) for Joe O’Dwyer; Tom Boland (Kiladangan) for Eanna Tucker.
Referee: Joe Mullins (Clare).
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