Sean Treacys preserve Premier Intermediate status as Newport drop through trapdoor

FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Relegation Final

Sean Treacys 2-19

Newport 1-19

By James Hayden

A teak-tough Sean Treacys side consigned Newport to the third tier of hurling in the Premier County following a determined and assured performance at a breezy and chilly Ragg pitch on Saturday afternoon last.

In what proved a hotly contested premier intermediate relegation replay Sean Treacys fielded an unchanged side from the drawn decider while Newport drafted in the experienced Conor O’Mahony, Andrew Hickey and Peter O’Sullivan from the start on this occasion.

Sean Treacys elected to play with a stiff breeze in the opening half and from the very get-go they had Newport in all sorts of trouble. Timmy Floyd’s charges weren’t at the races in the opening quarter and it was in this opening fifteen-minute period when the damage was really done.

Treacys hit the ground running with inspirational efforts from Sean Ryan and Stevie Carr before Michael Feehan raided for a fourth-minute goal. Feehan, who was excellent throughout, tore through the Newport rearguard after snapping a sweet Paddy Carey delivery and although Paul Nolan got his hurl to the rasping shot and cleared his lines, the umpires adjudged that the sliotar had crossed the plane of the goal line to ensure a tonic start for the Ger O’Toole managed side.

Further well-worked points from Colm Kennedy and Patrick Dawson served to embellish Treacys advantage before a struggling Newport side finally got off the mark thanks to an eighth-minute Conor O’Mahony point from range. 

Treacys responded with another brace with Paddy Carey on target from play and a placed ball to put eight points between the sides. Oran Connors snaffled a badly needed point for the men in purple and gold but in reality, they were struggling to cope with the influence of Stevie Carr and Sean Ryan, both of whom were pulling the strings in defence and attack for Treacys.

Paddy Carey and Aidan Moloney traded points mid-way through the half before upstepped Michael Feehan for a beautifully flighted 16th-minute effort to fire his side into a 1-8 to 0-3 lead. Colin Floyd responded for Newport with a well-struck free before Treacys retorted with efforts from Darragh Carr and Sean Ryan to fire Treacys into a nine-point advantage with eight minutes remaining to the break.

Pa Ryan pulled one back with a fine 22nd-minute effort but Stevie Carr responded for the Treacys. Cian Flanagan arrowed over a 23rd-minute strike to cut the deficit to eight once more before Treacys broke through the Newport cover right on the stroke of half-time. Treacys found themselves with numbers in attack and should really have bagged their second goal but Michael Feehan’s point-blank effort was saved on the line by the outstretched leg of Conor O’Mahony with the sliotar ricocheting over the crossbar for Treacys twelfth point of the game.

Newport responded with a Colin Floyd free in time added on before Michael Feehan set up Darragh Carr for Treacys final point of the half to ensure the men from Rearcross and Kilcommon went in at the break with a comfortable and fully deserved 1-13 to 0-7 lead.

A certain amount of soul searching was required at the interval for a Newport side who failed to fire on all cylinders in the opening half and with the biting breeze now in their favour they took the game to their near neighbours right from the re-start.

Three pointed frees on the bounce from Colin Floyd cut the deficit to six by the 38th minute before a close-range free went a begging for the Newport men. Somewhat against the run of play, Treacys were buoyed by their second goal of the game on the 42-minute mark after the Newport defence was cut wide open by Stevie Carr and Patrick Deegan before Paddy Carey rattled the Newport et with a cracking shot to restore Sean Treacys interval advantage, 2-13 to 0-10.

Newport refused to let the heads drop though with efforts from Colin Floyd and Conor O’Mahony adding to their tally before up stepped Michael Feehan once more to arrow over a sublimely struck 44th minute effort. Newport surged back upfield once more though and were handed a huge boost on the three-quarter hour mark with a cracking Colin Floyd goal injecting much-needed impetus into Newport’s challenge.

With the momentum now well and truly with Newport Pa Ryan arrowed over two from play before Cono Floyd narrowed the gap to just two points with a cracking 52nd-minute point. Treacys retaliated with a brace from Paddy Carey before Conor Floyd was on target from range to leave three between the sides with just five minutes of normal time remaining, 2-16 to 1-16.

Paddy Carey responded with a fantastic Treacys point but the purple and gold tide kept rising with successive Colin Floyd frees added to a well-taken Cian Flanagan point bringing Newport to within a solitary point as the game ticked past the 60-minute mark.

With three minutes of injury time signalled Newport threw everything at Treacys but Ger O’Toole’s side dug deep once more with Michael Feehan once again popping up to set up Patrick Deegan for a crucial point. Paddy Carey put three between the sides with a booming long-range free before Treacys were forced to fight a rearguard action in the dying moments of the game.

Diarmuid O’Riordan raided late for Newport but his goalbound shot was saved by Shane Stapleton on the Treacys goal line before a last gap free which saw 31 players inside Treacys own 45’ line yielded nothing for a Newport side who will now swap places with Moneygall as they drop to the intermediate ranks of hurling in Tipperary.

Sean Treacys: Shane Stapleton; Christy Egan, Sean Hickey, Andrew O’Brien; Brian Carey, Sean Ryan (0-2), Colm Kennedy (0-1); Patrick Deegan (0-1), Paul Nolan; Darragh Carr (0-2), Stevie Carr (0-2), Michael Feehan (1-3); Paddy Carey (1-7, 0-4f), Jody Ryan, Patrick Dawson.

Subs used: Darragh Kennedy for Dawson (49); Cillian Kennedy for D Carr (57); Donnacha O’Brien for J Ryan (63).

Newport: Paul Hogan; Conor Hickey, Diarmuid O’Riordan, Andrew Hickey; Conor Floyd (0-2), Cian Flanagan (0-2), Thomas Floyd; Odhran Floyd, Shane Flanagan; Peter O’Sullivan, Conor O’Mahony (0-2), Pa Ryan (0-3); Aidan Moloney (0-1), Colin Floyd (1-8, 0-7f), Oran Connors (0-1).

Subs used: Jack Ryan (Cooper) for C. Hickey (46); Aaron O’Neill for Moloney (55); Jack Delahunty for S. Flanagan (60).

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels)