John O’Shea at Cappawhite
Sean Treacys got their Tipperary Co Op West Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship off to a winning start at a sun-drenched Cappawhite on Sunday evening last.
Played in ideal conditions on a well-prepared surface, the Hollyford / Kilcommon side turned an early second half five point deficit into a seven point winning margin at the end, with Pat Deegan turning in a five star performance coming down the home straight.
After a mediocre opening thirty minutes, in a game that had lacked intensity and never reached the expected heights and where a converted penalty goal from Daragh Mooney was the difference between the sides, this game to life for the second half with end to end hurling.
An Eire Og major, three minutes after the restart, gave them a five point cushion and kick-started the contested in earnest.
The introduction of Seanie Ryan (Rodgers) to the Treacys defence was also significant as was the introduction of Darragh Kennedy. These two substitutions were to prove to be a telling factor, as was Mikey Feehan’s second half contribution.
The game eventually turned in Treacys favour, with four minutes of normal time remaining, and Eire Og just trailing by the minimum. First Pat Deegan fired over a point to ease the lead out to two, before disaster struck on the double for Eire Og.
First, a ball that should have been easily cleared downfield was turned into an attempted back pass, only to cross the line into an empty goalmouth. This was the final break that Treacys needed and Pat Deegan finished off the contest with two more minors in added time.
In the end Treacys will feel flattered with their seven-point winning margin, as the game was a much tighter contest than the final scoreline would suggest.
Eire Og defended the village end as the game started at a mediocre pace. Aidan Griffin got the scoreboard ticking after two minutes with a converted free, before good work from Pat Deegan on the far side ended with a Brian Carey goal two minutes later.
Seanie Ryan converted a free from around the half way line to reduce the deficit to the minimum. Pat Dawson then hit his opening score before Darragh Kelly split the posts, having been put through by Aidan Griffin.
With both sets of defenders on top, and no real flow to the game, scores were hard to come-by. Two points from Pat Dawson, one from a free, eased Treacys into a three point advantage by the quarter hour mark, 1.3 to 0.3. The game picked up for the second quarter, but again scorers were slow to materialise.
Tom Fox, from out around the midfield area and Griffin from a placed ball cut the advantage to the minimum before Pat Dawson and Mikey Feehan restored parity with ten minutes of the half remaining.
Seven minutes before the break, Conor O’Brien was hauled down and Daragh Mooney made no mistake from the resulting penalty, crashing the ball past Shane Stapleton to tie the game for the first time.
This score energised the Eire Og side in those minutes before the break, with Darragh Kelly collecting a great ball out of defence from Donal O’Dwyer before crashing a low shot to the corner of the Treacys net, going three up in the process. Pat Carey pulled one back, two minutes into added time to leave the half time score, Eire Og 2.5, Sean Treacys 1.6.
The second half started much livelier, an indication of what was to come. Dinny Crosse, from open play and Pat Dawson from a placed ball exchanged scores inside two minutes.
Treacys then spurned a few chances before Aidan Griffin goaled to put Eire Og in the driving seat with a six-point advantage. Sean Treacys introduced Seanie Ryan (Rodgers) to their defence and this began to pay dividends with the quality of the ball to their attack.
Pat Dawson fired over from open play, before Mikey Feehan got on to the end of a move after Pat Dawson made all the running. Feehan was initially knocked off balance but recovered sufficiently to boot to the ball past Mooney in the goal. Darragh Kennedy, another substitution, levelled the game for the second time as Treacys took the game to their opponents.
Eire Og responded and came right back into the contest. Aidan Griffin and Brian Carey traded minors before Conor O’Brien tied the game for the third time, as the game swung from end to end.
Points from Donal O’Dwyer and Dinny Crosse gave Eire Og a two point advantage as the game entered the final quarter. Treacys responded through Brian Carey and Pat Dawson before Darragh Kelly restored a one point advantage.
As the game headed towards the final ten minutes of normal time, Treacys again upped their game. First Pat Carey set up Brian Carey for goal number three, following a good run at the defence. Then Mikey Feehan’s run was thwarted when he was hauled down at the expense of a penalty.
Captain and goalkeeper Shane Stapleton made the long run up-field, but his well struck shot was saved by Mooney at the expense of a sixty five. Dawson converted the sixty five to salvage something from the attack, and go three up with eight minutes remaining.
Again Eire Og hit back and points from Seanie Ryan and Griffin ensured a nail-biting finish. Pat Deegan, who had been moved into the half forward line, really came into his own for those final minutes plus added time.
He fired over from out near the sideline keeping two between the sides. With two minutes of normal time remaining, the Eire Og defence seemed to have a situation in hand but choose not to clear their lines, instead opting for a back pass to the goalkeeper. Donal O’Dwyer’s attempted back pass just crossing the line into an empty net.
This gave Treacys the lift as the game headed into added time and two points from Pat Deegan gave Treacys victory.
Sean Treacys now play Cashel King Cormacs in round 2 at Annacarty on Sunday next.
Scorers & Teams:
Sean Treacys: Brian Carey (2.2), Pat Dawson (0.8, 6 frees), Pat Deegan (0.4), Mikey Feehan (1.1), Darragh Kennedy (0.1), Pat Carey (0.1), Donal O’Dwyer (Eire Og, own goal)
Eire Og: Aidan Griffin (1.4, 3 frees), Darragh Kelly (1.2), Daragh Mooney (1.0, pen),Seanie Ryan (0.2 frees), Dinny Crosse (0.2), Tom Fox (0.1), Conor O’Brien (0.1), Donal O’Dwyer (0.1)
Sean Treacys: Shane Stapleton (Captain), Brian Nolan, Andy O’Brien, Paul Nolan, Colm Kennedy, Tom Hickey, Brendan O’Dwyer, Stevie Carr, Pat Deegan, Eoin Sheldon, Cillian Kennedy, Brian Carey, Pat Carey, Mikey Feehan, Pat Dawson
Subs used: Seanie Ryan (Rodgers) for Tom Hickey (35), Darragh Kennedy for Cillian Kennedy (35), Jody Ryan (Rodgers) for Stevie Carr (55)
Eire Og Annacarty Donohill: Daragh Mooney, Darragh O’Brien, David Fox, Mixie Bradshaw, Paul Devlin, Brian Fox, Donal O’Dwyer, Seanie Ryan, Tom Fox, Connie Bradshaw, Conor O’Brien, Dinny Crosse, Paudie Bradshaw, Aidan Griffin, Darragh Kelly
Subs used; Eoin Kennedy for Paul Devlin (48), Eoin Bradshaw for Connie Bradshaw (48), Paul Downey for David Fox (51), Jack Kingston for Dinny Crosse (59)
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Kickhams)
