Nenagh complete great day in club's history

Nenagh Ormond won the Munster Junior Cup for the first time since 1948 in a tense final at Thomond Park yesterday. In one of the most memorable days in the club's history, Munster junior rugby's most sought after prize was captured just hours after the club's under-18s won the All-Ireland championship in Dublin.

Not that the win came easy - after 52 years little does. Kilfeacle, last year's defeated finalists, joined Nenagh in the competition's first all-Tipperary final and proved difficult to shake off, doggedly clinging on when Nenagh threatened to move out of sight. Their persistence nearly paid off in the final minutes as they camped in their opponent's territory and threatened a late steal.

Nenagh were not for moving, however. Bolstered by the return from the senior ranks of Noel O'Meara and Paul Spain, All-Ireland league medal winners with Young Munster and Garryowen respectively, Nenagh have become a polished outfit.

The foundations of the victory were established in a first half they dominated and in which the Delaney brothers, outhalf David and full back Liam, stepped forward to take the scoring plaudits. David Delaney was first up, slotting over a drop goal from 40 metres after 14 minutes. The game's only try followed seven minutes later. Nenagh's Kiwi scrumhalf Stephen Kidd took quick ball from a scrum 10 metres from the Kilfeacle line, Kilfeacle bought Noel O'Meara's decoy run, and David Delaney strolled in under the posts. He converted his own effort for a 10-0 lead.

Nenagh should have hammered home their superiority - twice they knocked on within inches of the Kilfeacle line. Instead Kilfeacle got a foothold in the match with a 31st-minute penalty from full back Ronan McDonagh. Liam Delaney and McDonagh exchanged further penalties in the closing five minutes of the half to leave the score 13-6 at the interval.

The high tempo of the game was maintained for the third quarter, again with Nenagh on top and again Nenagh passing up a try-scoring opportunity with the line at their mercy. Weariness then seemed to set in and Kilfeacle, for the first time in the game, began to enjoy some territorial supremacy. Two penalty misses - Kilfeackle missed four in total to Nenagh's two - just after the hour proved crucial, however. Following the second miss, Nenagh countered brilliantly with a quick drop-out and a searing run from winger John O'Donnell took play to Kilfeacle's line. A penalty followed, Liam Delaney re-establishing Nenagh's 10-point advantage.

It proved enough, McDonagh adding two more Kilfeacle penalties to ensure a nerve-wracking finale for the Nenagh supporters in the 3,500 attendance.

NENAGH ORMOND: L Delaney; J O'Donnell, C O'Brien, N O'Meara, K O'Meara; D Delaney, S Kidd; P Spain, D Peros, R Powell, D O'Meara, M Brislane (capt), P Nevin, J Moylan, R Hayes. Replacements: D Farrell for Moylan (52 mins), L Carey for Brislane (66 mins).

KILFEACLE: R McDonagh; M Collins, B McDonagh, T Ryan, P McLoughlin; P Hallissey, S Heuston; D Burke (capt), PJ McLoughlin, L Rafferty, P Coman, J McLoughlin, D O'Sullivan, S Flavin, A O'Sullivan. Replacement: J O'Sullivan for A O'Sullivan.

Referee: G Desmond (MAR).