Treacys keep qualification hopes alive with strong win over Moyne Templetuohy

FBD Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship - Group 1 - Round 2

Sean Treacys 1-19 

Moyne Templetuohy 2-11

By John O’Shea

Sean Treacys revived their hopes of qualification from Group 1 with a solid display of front running as they disposed of Moyne Templetuohy in this round 2 Premier Intermediate Hurling clash at Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds, Clonoulty on Saturday afternoon. 

They led by 1-11 to 0-5 at the half before pushing on after the break, with Pat Dawson and Mikey Feehan leading by example.

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After Dawson had given the West side the lead after two minutes, they were never headed, as they recovered from their opening round loss to Thurles Sarsfields. Both sides had goal chances inside the opening minute, in a game played before a good crowd, on an afternoon conducive to good hurling. 

On their first attack, the Mid side went close when Ben Moore was wide of the mark at the far end and from the resulting puck-out, Treacy’s attacked up the left side, but James Butler’s strike on goal was brilliantly saved, at the expense of a 65 by goalkeeper Liam Butler. 

This was the first of three top-class saves by the stand-in keeper, who was deputising for the injured Paul Maher.

In a game where scores were hard to come by early on, Treacys drew first blood inside the opening quarter when Pat Deegan rifled a shot past Butler for the opening goal at the road end to set down a marker. 

With Seanie Ryan (Rodgers) operating at the centre of their defence and Colm Kennedy in attack, Treacy’s began to put scores on the board and had gone into a nine-point advantage at the break. 

Moyne Templetuohy were finding it difficult to get into any sort of rhythm but drew a good save from Shane Stapleton, and Ben Ryan was just wide of the mark on 30 minutes.

The second half had a similar pattern to the opening period. Butler made a point-blank save from Cillian Kennedy at the expense of a minor early in the third quarter. Gearoid O’Connor kept Moyne in touch from placed balls, but they were unable to crack the tough tackling Treacy’s defence. 

They trailed by eleven points halfway through the final quarter, before a late rally cut the deficit to five. Ben Ryan got in for a goal on sixty minutes before Gearoid O’Connor rifled a 20-meter free to the roof of the net, three minutes into added time, for what were consolation scores.

Moyne Templetuohy defended the road goal for the opening thirty minutes and attacked from the throw-in, down the stand side. Ben Moore was wide of the mark from a tight angle when a goal looked on. 

From the puck out, Brian Carey found James Butler on the left wing, who took on the Moyne defence, but his goal shot was well saved by Liam Butler at the expense of a 65. 

Pat Dawson converted to get the scoreboard moving after two minutes. Three minutes later, Butler again came to the rescue of the Mid side, with another top-class save. Dawson doubled Treacy's advantage from a placed ball before Gearoid O’Connor opened Moyne’s account after ten minutes.

Both defences were giving little away, but Sean Treacy’s drew first blood when Pat Deegan got in behind the defence to rifle past Butler for the opening goal after 12 minutes. 

From the restart Moyne attacked down the stand side and Shane Stapleton came to Treacy's rescue when saving from Cormac Deegan. Dawson and Deegan exchanged minors from placed balls before Dawson fired over his fourth of the day from open play to give Treacys a 1-4 to 0-2 advantage after fifteen minutes.

Conor Bowe cut the deficit with a well-taken point, but Treacys hit back in triplicate. Paul Nolan set up Colm Kennedy for a minor before Pat Dawson converted a free from a tight angle, and then Cillian Kennedy chipped in with the first of his two points on 21 minutes. 

The West side were making all the running and growing into the game with huge intensity. Tom Meade pulled one back before Tossy Hammil drew a free, which Cormac Deegan converted. 

Pat Dawson hit his seventh from a placed ball before Ben Ryan was wide of the mark with only Shane Stapleton to beat. Colm Kennedy closed out the half with his third of the afternoon before referee Paul Guinan brought the first half proceedings to a close with Treacys leading by 1–11 to 0-5.

Following the restart, play was very scrappy with no real pattern. It took all of six minutes to advance the scoreboard when Colm Kennedy stretched Treacy’s lead with his second minor, after Liam Butler saved from close-in, deflecting the shot over the crossbar. 

Moyne hit two on the bounce from Conor Bowe and a converted placed ball by Gearoid O’Connor. Treacys replied with Mikey Feehan and Eoin Sheldon getting in for minors, either side of Gearoid O’Connor landing his third free. 

O’Connor was keeping the Mid side in touch but not making any inroads to Treacy's advantage. Following three minors on the bounce coming up to the 54th minute, they had stretched their advantage out to eleven points. 

Finn Jones, from open play and Pat Dawson, from a sideline cut, traded scores before two late goals from Ben Ryan and Gearoid O’Connor in added time offered some consolation to the Mid side.

This victory for the West men should be enough to keep them out of the relegation battle, but it also gives them a qualification chance when they take on Gortnahoe Glengoole in round 3. 

This second loss for Moyne Templetuohy leaves them with a mountain to climb when they take on Thurles Sarsfields in their final group game.

Scorers: Sean Treacy’s: Pat Dawson (0-10, 0-7f, 0-1sl-cut), Pat Deegan 1-0, Colm Kennedy 0-3, Cillian Kennedy 0-2, Shane Stapleton 0-1f, Seanie Ryan, Eoin Sheldon, Mikey Feehan 0-1 each.

Moyne Templetuohy: Gearoid O’Connor 1-5f, Ben Ryan 1-0, Cormac Deegan 0-2f, Conor Bowe 0-2, Finn Jones, Tom Meade 0-1 each.

Sean Treacy’s: Shane Stapleton; Christy Egan, Sean Hickey, Paul Nolan; Andy O’Brien, Seanie Ryan (Rodgers), Brian Carey; Mikey Feehan, Eoin Sheldon; James Butler, Colm Kennedy, Pat Dawson; Cillian Kennedy, Pat Deegan, Stevie Carr.

Subs used: Darragh Carr for Stevie Carr (41).

Moyne Templetuohy: Liam Butler; Shane Lowe, Ciaran Lloyd, Eoin Gorman; Pierce Meade, Eanna Guilfoyle, Paudie Gleeson; Conor Bowe, Cathal Guilfoyle; Gearoid O’Connor, Tom Meade, Cormac Deegan; Ben Ryan, Tossy Hamill, Ben Moore.

Subs used: Diarmuid Fogarty for Paudie Gleeson (HT, inj); Danny Moore for Eoin Gorman (HT); Diarmuid Leahy for Eanna Guilfoyle (33, inj); Sean Hayes for Cormac Deegan (39); Finn Jones for Tossy Hammil (47).

Referee: Paul Guinan (Killenaule)

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