Sean Treacys fight back for draw with Carrick Swan in Tipperary Premier Intermediate opener

FBD Insurance Tipperary County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship

CARRICK SWAN 1-16 SEAN TREACYS 1-16

In their opening game in this year’s FBD Insurance Tipperary County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship at Leahy Park, Cashel, on Sunday morning, Carrick Swan and Sean Treacy’s couldn’t be separated after a fully committed and  entertaining hour’s hurling.

One felt however, at the sound of the referee’s full-time whistle, that the West Tipperary side were the happier having come from five points down at the three-quarters mark to level in time added-on thanks to a monster point struck from inside his own half by Patrick Deegan. It was no more than Sean Treacys deserved after a spirited fightback. It had  looked as if the game was slipping away from them when Swan hit five without reply between the 38th and 44th minute, but bravely they stuck to their cause. At the end it would have been a pity if either side had to leave Cashel without something, and sensibly Paddy Ivors thought likewise and blew it up at the optimum moment.

Swan came into this game as favourites and would have wanted to start the county series well to get over the disappointment of a South senior final defeat the previous Sunday. But it was Treacys who had the better of the opening exchanges to lead by 0-4 to 0-2 after 11 minutes.

Brian Carey from 45 metres had the game’s first score after 40 seconds before Swan replied from Aaron Dunne in the fourth minute with a point from the sideline. Two minutes later Owen Harrigan from half-way put Swan ahead but it was all square once again when Patrick Carey converted his first free nine minutes in.

Difficult underfoot conditions and a wet sliotar were making it hard for skilful hurling, but Treacys were making the most of it and went two up with a great point on the run from captain Sean Ryan before Patrick Carey added another free won by Michael Feehan.

If Treacys had a fine free taker in Carey, Gavin O’Halloran was equally as effective from placed balls restoring parity at 0-4 each by the end of the first quarter with two long range frees for Swan.

Tit-for-tat the scoring continued. For Treacys, Paul Nolan from play and another Patrick Carey free, were matched from Swan by a Gavin O’Halloran free and an excellent point from Aaron Dunne after a crafty move linking Eric O’Halloran and Danny O’Hanlon in the build-up.

Sean Treacys got their noses back in front at 0-7 to 0-6 in the 24th minute with Patrick Carey’s fourth free of the morning, but immediately from the puck-out the Suirsiders hit back with a rocket of a goal from a tight angle by Eric O’Halloran which gave Shane Stapleton no chance in the Treacys goal.

Another excellent long range free from the sideline by Gavin O’Halloran made it 1-7 to 0-7, with Brian Carey doing well to point in a confined space for Treacys’ final score of the opening half. In time added-on at the end of the first 30 minutes both Eric O’Halloran and Owen Harrigan pointed for Swan, the latter score created by some good vision from Danny O’Hanlon with a diagonal pass from the corner to the free man.

Sean Treacys introduced both Patrick Deegan and Patrick Dawson at the interval and quickly had the deficit halved with two points in the second minute, both scored by Patrick Carey (one a free). A fine angled score from Swan captain Dean Waters soon made it a three points gap again, but not for long.

A long delivery from Emmet Ryan into the danger zone was seized upon by Patrick Carey and he shot home an excellent goal just four minutes into the second half to level the sides up once more, at 1-10 each.

But that green flag only seemed to galvanise the Swan and they quickly took control of matters, scoring the next five points without reply, with some excellent scores from Danny O’Hanlon, Taylor Fleming, Gavin O’Halloran (free), Eric O’Halloran and the inspirational Gavin O’Halloran again from 65 metres out on the sideline. At the 45 minute mark the scoreboard read Swan 1-15 Sean Treacys 1-10 and the Hollyford/Rearcross/Kilcommon boys looked to be in big trouble.

Quickly though, three pointed frees in three minutes from Patrick Carey eased them back, two of those frees won by the powerful running of Patrick Deegan and Sean Ryan.

When a Swan player was penalised for throwing the sliotar, once again Carey punished the indiscretion to make it a one point game, 1-15 to 1-14 with eight minutes of normal time still remaining.

Fully committed now, and fired up by a good attendance, both sides were giving their all in search of an opening day win. It looked as if things might be going the way of the Swan when Jamie Holloway, who had just come on as a sub, pointed from a tight angle.

But a determined Sean Treacys side was not beaten yet. A close-in angle free was driven by Jody Ryan but rose just over the crossbar to leave the minimum between the combatants as time went into the red. And it was Patrick Deegan who was to prove the hero of the hour with that huge effort from distance in the 62nd minute to tie up the scores for the seventh and final time in a thoroughly enjoyable and honest game of hurling.

CARRICK SWANS:

Kieran Lonergan, Jack Murphy, Billy Murphy, Dean Kiely, Colin Waters, Kevin Lanigan, Scott Hogan, Gavin O’Halloran (0-5, 0-5F), Owen Harrigan (0-2), Aidan Waters (0-1), Dean Waters (captain), Taylor Fleming (0-1), Eric O’Halloran (1-2), Danny O’Hanlon (0-1), Aaron Dunne (0-2).

Subs: Calum Walsh for A. Waters (43); Mikey Loughman for Harrigan (50); Jamie Holloway (0-1) for Fleming (56); 

SEAN TREACYS:

Shane Stapleton, Brian Nolan, Sean Hickey, Emmet Ryan, Christy Egan, Sean Ryan (captain, 0-1), Tom Hickey, Paul Nolan (0-1), Stephen Carr, Cillian Kennedy, Brian Carey (0-2), Michael Feehan, Patrick Carey (1-10, 0-9F), Jody Ryan (0-1F), Darragh Kennedy.

Subs: Patrick Deegan (0–1) for Nolan (HT); Patrick Dawson for D. Kennedy (HT); Mattie Feehan for Hickey (56).

Referee: Paddy Ivors (Ballingarry).