Silvermines clip under-par Swan wings to ease into yet another Junior B county final

FBD Insurance Junior B Hurling Championship Semi Final

Silvermines 2-19 

Carrick Swan 0-12

By John O’Shea

Silvermines, who are back-to-back North champions, are through to the final of the FBD County Junior B Hurling championship following their 13-point victory over South champions, Carrick Swan, at a cold and windy Golden on Saturday afternoon. 

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Playing with the aid of a strong wind, which was blowing towards the dressing room end, for the opening thirty minutes, they got to the pitch of the game from the start. 

The Mines were better able to cope with the wintry conditions and had built up a 0-7 to 0-1 lead by the 17th minute, with six different players on the score sheet. They were confident on the ball, and their distribution had the Swan defence stretched at times. 

After Sean Spillane found the net on 22 minutes, they followed up with four unanswered minors to put themselves in a winning position at the short whistle, 1-11 to 0-3.

After the restart, despite playing into the strong wind, they hit three of the opening four points to go 13 to the good. However, the Swan made a mini recovery and hit six of the next eight points, but were still nine in arrears as the game entered the final ten minutes of normal time.

Carrick Swan were reduced to fourteen players on 51 minutes following the dismissal of Evan Hogan on a second yellow card, and this numerical disadvantage swung the game back in favour of the North champions, as they finished on a high with substitute Ger Leamy getting in for their second major in added time. 

Swan finished the game with 13 players when Jack Kelly was dismissed on a straight red card in added time.

Silvermines got off to the perfect start with Willie Keogh taking a pass from Michael Hogan to split the posts at the near end, inside the opening minute. A minute later, they had doubled their advantage when Ronan Cunneen got off the mark, Ciaran Timmons the provider. 

By the ninth minute, their advantage was out to three following an Orrie Quirke minor. At this early part of the game, it was becoming evident that the Swans’ third team were faced with a mountain to climb against a team that were moving through the lines with ease, with Eddie Ryan and Cathal Gleeson manning the centre of their defence. 

Stephen Hahessy eventually got the Swan moving on the scoreboard, after a number of missed chances, both from open play and placed balls, the wind being a contributing factor to their wayward shooting. 

Silvermines quickly replied from a Ronan Cunneen converted 65, before Ciaran Timmons put over from all of seventy meters. Cathal Gleeson followed up with a minor from inside his own half before Sean Spillane put six between the sides at the start of the second quarter. 

Jack Kelly opened his account for Swan from a placed ball, but a Sean Spillane goal eight minutes before the break rocked the South champions, when his snapshot on the turn rocketed to the right corner of James Waters' goal. 

The Mines followed up with four points on the bounce, with two from Ronan Cunneen and one each from Willie Keogh and Eamon Corcoran. Jack Kelly closed out the scoring in added time from a placed ball, leaving the Mines ahead at the short whistle, 1-11 to 0-3.

The South champions needed a good start to the second period if they were going to make an impression and get back into the game. Although facing into the wind, it was Silvermines who made the running after the restart. 

Willie Keogh and Ronan Cunneen hit two points inside 60 seconds, before Jack Kelly was on target for Carrick from a 65. Ronan Cunneen hit his sixth minor from a placed ball before Swan hit a purple patch, hitting four minors in a seven-minute spell. 

Evan Hogan was first to a breaking ball to put over on 38 minutes, and Jack Kelly followed up with three from placed balls. This cut the deficit to nine as the game entered the final quarter.

Ronan Cunneen hit two on the bounce, one from a free, but Swan replied with a brace, one from Jack Kelly and the other from Stephen Hahessy. Swan were reduced to fourteen with nine minutes of normal time remaining, following the dismissal of Evan Hogan after receiving a second yellow card. 

Orrie Quirke and Jack Kelly traded minors, but it was Silvermines who finished the stronger, taking advantage of the extra man. Ger Leamy and Stephen Hahessy exchanged points before Leamy found the net for a second major deep in added time. 

Silvermines, who were defeated at the final hurdle last year, are back in a final where they play Thurles Sarsfields.

The North champions will be pleased with their overall display. They were the more balanced side with good ball coming out from their defence. In attack, Willie Keogh, Sean Spillane and Ronan Cunneen were always dangerous and proved a handful for the Swan defence.

Carrick were always chasing the game and were over-reliant on Jack Kelly from placed balls. Stephen Hahessy was their main threat in attack, but overall, they lacked any penetration to trouble the Mines' defence.

Scorers: Silvermines: Ronan Cunneen (0-9, 0-5f), Sean Spillane, Ger Leamy 1-1 each, Willie Keogh 0-3, Orrie Quirke 0-2, Eamon Corcoran, Cathal Gleeson, Ciaran Timmons all 0-1 each.

Carrick Swans: Jack Kelly 0-8f, Stephen Hahessy 0-3, Evan Hogan 0-1.

Silvermines: David Shanahan; Ben Claffey, Eddie Ryan, Tiernan Flynn; Michael Hogan, Cathal Gleeson, Sean Murphy; Eoin Seymour, Orrie Quirke; Sean Spillane, Willie Keogh, Ciaran Timmons; Ronan Cunneen, Eamon Corcoran, Daniel Ryan,

Subs used: Brian Leamy for Cathal Gleeson (45); Fionn Ryan Mulqueen for Daniel Ryan (50); Sean Ryan Prendiville for Sean Murphy (56); Kieran Fogarty for Michael Hogan (58); Ger Leamy for Eamon Corcoran (58).

Carrick Swans: James Waters; Ryan Kerwick, Darren Murphy, Sean Boland; Warren Fleming, John Walsh, Gavin Parslow; Alan Walsh, Daniel Walsh; Stephen Hahessy, Rowland Fitzpatrick, Jack Kelly; Evan Hogan, Darren Waters, David Walsh.

Subs used: Keith Walsh for David Walsh (HT); Bobby Coady for Warren Fleming (HT); Jamie Long for Gavin Parslow (HT); Warren Fleming for Darren Waters (52).

Referee: PJ Nolan (Killea)

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