Pre-competition favourites Thurles Sarsfields have been eliminated from the Tipperary senior hurling championship at the group stage.

It’s the first time since 2019 that Tipp’s most decorated club – beaten at the semi-final stage by champions-elect Loughmore–Castleiney last year - has failed to make it to the business end of the Premier County’s SHC.

Sarsfields beat Cashel King Cormacs by 0-25 to 1-19 in their Group Two closer at Holycross on Saturday evening but agonisingly missed out on progression by the narrowest of margins – they needed to win by one more point to leapfrog Cashel into second place in the final group standings.

In hindsight, the killer blow for Sars was Eoghan Connolly’s goal from a penalty on the stroke of half time, which had the sides level at the break, 1-7 to 0-10. Five unanswered points left Thurles six to the good in the second half but they were unable to hold onto the four-point-plus winning margin they needed to advance.

Meanwhile, Nenagh Éire Óg (who beat Sarsfields by five points in the first round) recovered from their shock defeat to Cashel King Cormacs in the second round, beating Mullinahone by 2-23 to 2-11 to confirm passage to the quarter finals as group winners.

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