Newport come back from the brink to draw relegation clash with Sean Treacys

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Relegation Final

Newport 1-18

Sean Treacys 2-15

A final quarter, Colin Floyd inspired Newport battled against the odds in the second half to fight back from a five-point deficit to rescue a draw against neighbours Sean Treacys in Nenagh to send this FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Relegation Final to a replay.

Second-half goals from Jody Ryan and Michael Feehan seemed to have Sean Treacys on their way to second-tier survival, and, playing with the fierce gale, the Newport ship looked to be sinking in this derby game.

However, Colin Floyd was the saviour for Newport as he stood tall in the final quarter when his side were trailing, winning and scoring frees and popping up with points from play to give his club a lifeline and another day out as this fixture will require a replay to determine who will be playing Premier Intermediate Hurling next year.

Atrocious conditions would affect the proceedings from the outset, with wind and rain howling down towards the scoreboard end in Nenagh which was to Newport’s benefit for the first 30 minutes.

The players on both sides struggled to get to grips with possession as the scrappiness started early and it took four minutes for Sean Treacys to get the first score of the game thanks to a Brian Carey effort from the 45.

Cian Flanagan has been the one shining light from Newport’s year, he flashed over a silky sideline cut from the dugout side to get his side up and running soon after; and after Sean Treacys re-took the lead through a Patrick Deegan point in the seventh minute, Newport hit three in a row from a brace of well-taken Colin Floyd points and a solo effort from Oran Connors. Newport ahead 0-4 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.

Sean Treacys were digging in for a battle though and the presence of Sean Ryan Rodgers as a sweeper had a consolidating effect as they tried to limit the damage against the wind. But they were doing more than that in the next ten or so minutes with three points in a brown from Michael Feehan and Paddy Carey (2) putting them ahead and playing the better hurling in all honesty.

Four points were shared between the sides up to the 26th minute of the half with Colin Floyd (free) and Pa Ryan the providers for Newport while Paddy Carey and Patrick Deegan supplied the Treacys scores.

Newport were struggling now and considering the breeze they had the advantage of, they needed a lot more attacking return, and they got it after 27 minutes when Shane Flanagan intercepted a poor puck out from Shane Stapleton to feed Oran Connors in on goal inside the 21; the corner forward making no mistake to bury the effort low to the bottom corner. A badly needed major for Newport.

Treacys very nearly responded with a goal of their own when Patrick Deegan sent Michael Feehan through with a clear sight of the goal to run at, but he just couldn’t hold possession; they did manage to recycle possession of the ball and point through Paddy Carey to respond well to the goal concession.

Shane Flanagan finished the half well for Newport with the final score of the game, again, punishing a poor Treacys puck out to point and giving them a two-point lead of 1-8 to 0-9 at half-time. All to play for in the second half.

Treacys were the stronger team in the third quarter and made the first move for home in that time, scoring a goal straight from the throw-in with a long ball falling to Jody Ryan who rifled a shot to the roof of the net.

The sides traded points in the next ten or so minutes as the conditions played havoc with the game, but a piece of class from Michael Feehan seemed likely to swing the results the way of the Kilcommon club, Feehan burning Cian Flanagan for pace and unleashing a bullet from the 21 into the corner of the net. Treacys in poll position at 2-13 to 1-11 with 15 minutes to go.

It looked like Newport’s goose was cooked now, playing against a gale and trailing by five points. But Colin Floyd had other ideas as he dragged his side back into the game scoring five of six unanswered points for Newport in the following ten minutes which saw them take a slender 1-17 to 2-13 as Treacys looked like they had a case of white-line fever.

Treacys equalised through a 65 in the 59th minute that ended a 17-minute wait for a score and when they took the lead through a cleverly taken Patrick Deegan point a minute into added time, it looked like it could be the winner.

However, Colin Floyd again stood tall and gathered a ball in his own half-back line, carried it with intent down the pitch, and through a free on the 45 that he duly converted in the third minute of added time.

That looked to be it but Sean Treacys will be kicking themselves after the game as they had the final chance of the game - and what a chance it was - with the resulting Shane Stapleton puck out landing on the 21 and substitute Cillian Kennedy found himself in space to shoot but rushed his strike to hit it wide. A guilt-edged chance missed.

Scorers: Newport: Colin Floyd (0-12, 0-7f, 0-1 65); Oran Connors 1-1; Shane Flanagan 0-2; Cian Flanagan 0-1 sl-cut; Conor O’Mahony, Pa Ryan 0-1 each.

Sean Treacys: Paddy Carey (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1 65); Patrick Deegan 0-4; Michael Feehan 1-1; Jody Ryan 1-0; Brian Carey 0-1.

Newport: Paul Hogan; Conor Hickey, Conor Floyd, Cathal Floyd; Aidan Moloney, Thomas Floyd, Cian Flanagan; Brendan Coffey, Diarmuid O’Riordan; Sean O’Brien, Colin Floyd, Odhran Floyd; Shane Flanagan, Pa Ryan, Oran Connors.

Subs used: Conor O’Mahony for Moloney (HT); Peter O’Sullivan for Coffey (HT); Andrew Hickey for T Floyd (45); Thomas Floyd for C Hickey (57, inj); Aaron O’Neill for O’Riordan (62).

Sean Treacys: Shane Stapleton; Paul Nolan, Sean Hickey, Andrew O’Brien; Shane Fahy, Sean Ryan Rodgers, Colm Kennedy; Patrick Deegan, Brian Carey; Darragh Carr, Stevie Carr, Patrick Dawson; Paddy Carey, Jody Ryan, Michael Feehan.

Subs used: Darragh Kennedy for Dawson (40); Cillian Kennedy for Fahy (56); Tom Hickey for D Carr (58); Christy Egan for O’Brien (63).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)