burges

All square in the North Final

BURGESS 2-17 V 1-20 NENAGH ÉIRE ÓG

Match Report by Burgess GAA

It was honours even in McDonagh Park Nenagh after 64 pulsating minutes of hurling. A last minute smash and grab goal by Paul Ryan deep in injury time rescued a draw from the jaws of defeat for the home side.

Burgess hurling against the wind in packed McDonagh park and had the best of the early exchanges. With seven minutes elapsed Burgess were well worth their five points to two lead. The Burgess scores coming off the back of some fantastic fielding and direct running. Chopper, Tossy, Spudy and Dewi were all on the scoreboard with fine efforts from play while the ever accurate Minty tacked on a trade mark free. By the fifteenth minute Nenagh had recovered their composure had the game tied at 5 each. The Nenagh scores coming by way of three frees and two from open play.

burges panel

Nenagh continued their ascendancy Into the 24th minute when a pointed penalty after a spectacular Niall McGrath save put them in a four point lead, 0-9 to 0-5. Burgess responded through a pointed Minty free which Nenagh quickly cancelled out. Burgess had the better of the remainder of the half out scoring Nenagh three points to one to leave the half time score Burgess 0-9 Neagh 0-11. The final Burges scores of the half coming from two minty frees and two wonderful points from Danny Ryan and Chopper. Burgess were well pleased to be going in at half time only two points adrift, hurling well and wind advantage to come.

Two minutes into the second half Minty bisected the posts with a ’65 to reduce Eire Og’s lead to just one point. Frees were exchanged to bring the score to 0-11 to 0-13 when Burgess captain Damien O’Brien notched over a fine point from play to leave the scoreboard reading Burgess 0-12 Nenagh 0-13. A minute later Eire Og had yet another free to stretch their lead back out to two points again. The in a wonderful two minute spell of pressure Burgess found the Eire Og net twice to leave the score Burgess 2-12 Nenagh 0-15. Minty quickly added another free followed by three Eire Og points, two from frees, to make it a draw game with 53 minutes elapsed.

The final nerve wracking minutes saw Burgess surge into a three point lead with points from Minty and Tossy and we dared to dream of victory. Referee Michael Murphy decided that four minutes of injury needed to be played and with almost the last puck of the game Nenagh’s  Paul Ryan found the Burgess net. Burgess almost found a winner directly off the puck out Bill O’Flaherty’s shot went narrowly wide.

Our lads hurled tremendously well and were in hard luck not to take the spoils today. They did themselves and the parish proud in and enthralling piece of theatre that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it . The murmur on the bank was that the replay will be held in the same venue on Sunday next at 5pm. We go again!!

Niall McGrath defies gravity and physics to deny Eire Og
Niall McGrath defies gravity and physics to deny Eire Og