Treacys and Éire Óg combo battle to West U19 title win over Arravale Rovers

McGrath Oil West U19B Hurling Championship Final

Éire Óg/Sean Treacys 2-18

Arravale Rovers 1-19

By John O'Shea

The Eire Og/Sean Treacys combination are the McGrath Oil West Under 19B Hurling champions following their two-point victory over Arravale Rovers at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds Clonoulty on Wednesday evening. This is the second victory for this combination in three years, having also collected silverware in 2021.

Played in excellent conditions, on a well-maintained pitch, this game also saw the return to the club scene of top referee, Fergal Horgan. While this was an exciting game, it lacked overall quality with a lot of handling errors, and developed into a shoot-out between Darragh Kelly and Sean O’Mahony, with 1-25 coming off placed balls, 1-12 for Kelly and 0-13 for O’Mahony.

The combo attacked the dressing room end and were quickly out of the traps with Darragh Kelly hitting 0-5, including 0-3 from placed balls, inside the opening seven minutes. Also during this opening period, Ben Dudley in the Arravale goal went full length to save from James Butler.

It took nine minutes for Arravale to open their account, with a converted free from Sean O’Mahony and gradually they ate into the combo advantage, drawing level by the 22nd minute. However, Eire Og/Treacys finished the stronger and were ahead at the break by three points, 0-11 to 0-8.

On resumption, following the half time break the exchanges were equal, but the first big break fell to the combo. Darragh Kelly dispatched a penalty to the net after thirteen minutes and Larry Collins added another green flag five minutes later. Both of these goals could have been prevented in so far as the Arravale defence were in control, but lost possession in both cases.

Arravale staged a comeback in the final ten minutes, Adam Ryan got in for a goal and the sides were on level terms, with two minutes of normal time remaining, but Darragh Kelly wrapped up the game in the closing minutes with two late points, one from a free and the other from a 65.

The game started with Arravale defending the dressing rooms end, but it was the combo who were quickly off the mark from a Darragh Kelly free inside the opening 45 seconds. Kelly followed up with three more, one from a free, going four to the good with five minutes on the clock.

Arravale were slow to start and could have been in real trouble. Ben Dudley save brilliantly from James Butler after the corner forward cut through the defence from the far corner. Darragh Kelly converted the resulting 65. The town side eventually got on the scoreboard after nine minutes when Sean O'Mahony put over his first placed ball of the evening. They got more into the game but still trailed by 0-7 to 0-3 by the quarter mark.  

They then hit a purple patch, hitting five unanswered points in a seven-minute spell, with O’Mahony to the fore and a Ciaran Kelly point from play bringing them level for the first time with eight minutes of normal time remaining before the break.

The Combo regrouped and Darragh Carr put over before Darragh Kelly hit three frees in succession, bringing his tally to 0-10 before the half-time whistle sounded with the Combo three to the good.

Eoin Doocey cut the deficit two minutes after the restart, but Darragh Kelly replied from a free. Points from Sean O’Mahony and David Ryan reduced the deficit to the minimum, with five minutes gone, but again the combo were quick to reply.

This was the trend all through the game, the combo’s ability to hit back quickly, not letting Arravale gain a foothold. With thirteen minutes gone, the combo were awarded a penalty which Darragh Kelly converted, striking high and hard to the keeper's right.

Larry Collins followed up with goal number two, five minutes later and it looked as if they would drive on.  However, Sean O’Mahony put over the next three points and Adam Ryan hit a goal to bring the town side to within one point, before David Ryan tied the game with two minutes remaining. This was as close as they would get as Darragh Kelly hit two late scores to get the combo over the line by a two-point margin.

Scorers: Eire Og/Treacys: Darragh Kelly (1-14, 1-0 penalty, 0-12f), Larry Collins (1-1), Darragh Carr (0-2), Michael Furlong (0-1). 

Arravale Rovers: Sean O’Mahony (0-14, 0-13f), Adam Ryan (1-1), David Ryan (0-2), Ciaran Kelly (0-1), Eoin Doocey (0-1).

Eire Og/Treacys: Michael Ryan; Colin Heffernan, Max Carroll, Aaron Linehan; Daniel Kelly, Colm Kenny, Scott Ryan; Ronan Carr, Adam O’Dwyer; Michael Furlong, Darragh Kelly, Adam Kelly; James Butler, Darragh Carr, Larry Collins.

Subs used: Liam Crosse for Adam Kelly (53).

Arravale Rovers: Ben Dudley; Alan Delaney, Ronan O’Connor, Odhran O’Dwyer; Sean Lewis, John Paul Lohan, Peter Ryan; Eoin Doocey, David Ryan; Ciaran Kelly, Sean O’Mahony, Adam Ryan; Shane Quigley, Daniel Ryan, Gavin Cussen.

Subs used: Evan Hawkins for Daniel Ryan (38), David O’Brien for Gavin Cussen (38), Brendan Delaney for Sean Lewis (45), Gavin O’Meara for Ronan O’Connor (48).

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams)