Gavin O’Halloran stars as Carrick Swan top their group in Tipperary PIH Championship

FBD Insurance County Premier IHC Group 2 Round 3

Carrick Swan 1-20 Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 0-14

Six points without reply during a six minutes spell in the second half was the springboard for Carrick Swan to ease past the challenge of Éire Óg Annacarty-Donohill in the FBD Insurance County Premier IHC Group 2, Round 3 clash at Anner Park, Cloneen on Saturday afternoon.
After an even first half, with the sides tied at the break, 1-6 to 0-9 - the goal for Swan a brilliant strike from Eric O’Halloran - the south Tipp side upped the tempo in the second to consolidate their position at the top of the table. It was a disappointing second half from Éire Óg but they at least avoided the relegation trap door, that fate falling to fellow west side Sean Treacys following their defeat to Thurles Sarsfields.
Swan midfielder Gavin O’Halloran has been one of the top performers in the championship to date and he put in another outstanding display here. His 13 points – nine frees, two stunning sideline cuts, a 65 and one from play – was achievement enough, but his overall contribution from open play was huge as Swan top their group a year after saving their senior status in the last game of the 2022 campaign.
Sharpshooter Aidan Griffin nearly matched O’Halloran’s total from placed balls, with nine converted for Éire Óg, but four points from play over the hour was never going to be enough as the west side dropped off the pace after the interval.
They were the better team in the first quarter, Griffin from a free putting them ahead in the third minute. Gavin O’Halloran’s first pointed free two minutes later tied up the score and it was 0-2 each following a lovely Connie Bradshaw point for Éire Óg, from a Conor O’Brien pass, and a Swan point from Eric O’Halloran.
Swan took the lead for the first time with the first of Gavin O’Halloran’s sideline cuts – a skill he has superbly perfected – but three in a row for Éire Óg, all from Griffin frees, put them 0-5 to 0-3 ahead after fifteen minutes. Gavin O’Halloran from a 65 reduced the arrears again before a lovely point from Kev Fox made it a two-point game again.
Thirty seconds later came the game’s only goal, a brilliant score from Eric O’Halloran that had the Swan supporters in full voice. The second quarter was an even affair, with a Griffin 65 levelling the score again, 0-7 to 1-4, with parity again on two further occasions up to the break. A Corey Ryan effort might have given Swan an interval lead but after the umpire initially waved the white flag, it was ruled wide following an intervention from referee David Ryan.
Team captain Brian Fox put Éire Óg ahead again thirteen seconds into the second half but that was the last time they led as they failed to match the intensity of Swan who had their eyes firmly fixed on topping the group.
Within two minutes Swan had regained the lead, through Gavin O’Halloran’s second sideline cut followed by his first from play. Another O’Halloran free sandwiched between two Griffin frees had Swan one point ahead, 1-9 to 0-11, nine minutes into the second half but that was the last time that the game was competitive.
Between the 11th and 17th minutes, Colin Waters hit a monster point from play; Gavin O’Halloran followed up with two pointed frees; Owen Harrigan hit a nice point; Gavin O’Halloran converted another free and Aaron Dunne made it six in a row with a super score to push the lead out to 1-15 to 0-11.
It was all one-way traffic at this stage and when Aidan Griffin pointed a free in the 19th minute, it was their first score in ten minutes. That six points lead had gone out to nine by the finish as Swan controlled the game and only an Éire Óg goal could offer the west side some hope. But that never came and Swan keeper Kieran Lonergan was alert all through, making many crucial saves.
A point from play from Connie Bradshaw, and Seanie Ryan from play, were Éire Óg’s only scores in the last 11 minutes, including five minutes of added time. Swan managed those closing minutes well, shutting up shop at the back and bringing on fresh legs off the bench. They finished their scoring with points from Colin Waters, Calum Walsh, a Gavin O’Halloran free and Owen Harrigan.
At the other end Lonergan made another good save from 2010 All Ireland medal winner Conor O’Brien, whose contribution to the Éire Óg causes remains significant.

SCORERS AND TEAMS
Carrick Swan – Kieran Lonergan, Jack Murphy, Billy Murphy, Dean Kiely, Colin Waters 0-2; Kevin Lanigan, Scott Hogan, Shane Torpey, Gavin O’Halloran 0-13, 9 frees, 2 sideline cuts, 1 65; Owen Harrigan 0-2; Eric O’Halloran 1-1; Taylor Fleming, Corey Ryan, Danny O’Hanlon, Aaron Dunne 0-1.
Subs – Calum Walsh 0-1 for Corey Ryan, Sean Power for Shane Torpey, Dean Walsh for Danny O’Hanlon, Calum Lanigan for Taylor Fleming, Ben Mulcaire for Colin Waters.

Éire Óg Annacarty-Donohill – Daragh Mooney, Daragh O’Brien, David Fox, Paul Devlin, Conor O’Brien, Tom Fox, Kev Fox 0-1 Donal O’Dywer, Paudie Bradshaw, Darragh Kelly, Brian Fox 0-1; Connie Bradshaw 0-2; Seanie Ryan 0-2 free; Michael Bradshaw, Aidan Griffin 0-8 frees, 1 65.
Subs – Dinny Crosse for Donal O’Dwyer, Cian Mooney for Kev Fox, Paul Downey for Aidan Griffin, Eoin Bradshaw for Connie Bradshaw, Daniel Kelly for Daragh O’Brien.
Referee – David Ryan (Cashel).