Late surge sends Carrick Swan into South Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final

Carrick Swan 1-16 St Mary's 0-15

A thrilling last-gasp win for Carrick Swan, a gut-wrenching defeat for St Mary’s – those were the main takeaways from Sunday’s incident-packed Clonmel Oil South Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship semi-final at Monroe.

Swan were level twice but never ahead as the dramatic tie entered added time. Referee Paul Guinan played eight minutes over and that was enough for the Carrick-on-Suir side to turn the game on its head.

St Mary’s, inspired by the imperious Sean Kennedy (with twelve points, eight from frees and four from play, he accounted for all but three of the Clonmel side’s total), led 0-10 to 0-3 at the break, and were still a point up, 0-15 to 0-14, at the clock ticked over the sixty-minutes mark.

A monster free from Gavin O’Halloran had just brought the margin back to a single point as the game went into added time and he then tied the scores at 0-15 each from another free, brought closer to the goal for St Mary’s dissent.

Two minutes later St Mary’s had the chance to regain the lead when Ruairi Leahy was fouled but Seamus Kennedy’s free into the wind tailed just wide.

Extra time seemed to be on the cards but Swan had other ideas. As time ran out, goalkeeper Kieran Lonergan’s quick puckout went the length of the field and deceived the St Mary’s defence as it bounced into the net.

There were mixed views post-match on whether a forward had managed a flick to finish the move but the goal goes to Lonergan for the distance and brilliance of the shot. It was a sickening blow for St Mary’s and a late pointed free from Gavin O’Halloran copper-fastened the Swan victory.

A minute’s silence was observed before the game following the recent death of esteemed St Mary’s president, Jimmy Collins, and the true-blue clubman would have been delighted with the performance of his side in the opening half. They played with the aid of a very strong breeze at their backs and they turned around at half-time seven points to the good, 0-10 to 0-3.

Swan suffered a blow in the game’s first play when Aaron O’Halloran was injured and was replaced by Jamie Holloway. The sides were level twice in the first eleven minutes, with two pointed frees from Sean Kennedy and Swan replies from Cory Ryan and Gavin O’Halloran.

However, the Clonmel side then started to make full use of the conditions. Ruairi Leahy restored the lead with a brilliant score, Sean Kennedy was equally impressive with an over-the-shoulder point, the hugely influential Sammy Ryan added another and Sean Kennedy from a free made it four in a row for a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.

Aaron Dunne interrupted their flow with a fine score before the Clonmel side hit another four without reply, all four from Sean Kennedy, three from frees, for their seven points half-time cushion.

With the breeze at their backs, Swan upped their tempo in the second half but could never fully eat into the St Mary’s lead until the closing stages. Gavin O’Halloran and Taylor Fleming hit early scores but they were cancelled out by two Sean Kennedy frees to maintain the margin at seven points.

They had brought it back to five points ten minutes in, 0-13 to 0-8, with Fleming again, substitute Callum Walsh and Dean Waters on the mark, to a Kennedy free in reply.

St Mary’s were denied what their supporters thought was a legitimate goal, following great work in the build-up from Ross Slattery, but it appeared the referee deemed the sliothar had been handpassed to the net in a goalmouth scramble.

Swan benefitted from the reprieve and hit three points without reply from Aidan Waters, a Gavin O’Halloran free and Eric O’Halloran to reduce the Clonmel lead to just two points, 0-13 to 0-11, midway through the half.

The final quarter was tense, with both sides seeking a place in the final against Killenaule. A brilliant catch from Seamus Kennedy set up brother Sean for a super point, only for Swan to hit back through Aaron Dunne. As the excitement mounted, Gavin O’Halloran was off target from two frees and Callum Walsh wide from play but their pressure eventually told when Eric O’Halloran put Dean Waters through for a great point that brought the margin back to the minimum, 0-14 to 0-13.

The momentum was with Swan but when Seamus Kennedy pointed a free into the wind, following a foul on Sean Kennedy, it restored the two points margin, with normal time up and excitement was at fever pitch among the St Mary’s supporters.

But typical Swan battling spirit was to finally win the day, and 1-3 without reply in added time secured their place in the final. St Mary’s were crestfallen after such a gutsy display but an over-reliance on Sean Kennedy’s brilliant scoring from play and placed balls cost them.

Apart from Kennedy, only Sammy Ryan and Ruairi Leahy scored from play, while Swan had eight scorers from open play and always posed the greater threat in front of goal.

Their second half display should put them in good spirits for what should a cracking final against Killenaule at 2pm this Sunday in Clonmel Sportsfield.

Carrick Swan: Kieran Lonergan 1-0; Dean Kiely, Billy Murphy, Jack Murphy, Colin Waters, Kevin Lanigan, Shane Torpey, Gavin O’Halloran 0-6, 4 frees; Aaron O’Halloran, Aidan Waters 0-1; Dean Waters 0-2; Cory Ryan 0-1; Eric O’Halloran 0-1; Taylor Fleming 0-2; Aaron Dunne 0-2.

Subs: Jamie Holloway for Aaron O’Halloran (injured), Callum Walsh 0-1 for Cory Ryan, Danny O’Hanlon for Jamie Holloway.

St Mary’s: Enda Dunphy, Ross Slattery, Tadhg Condon, Richie Gunne, James Morris, Oisin Power, Sammy Ryan 0-1; Seamus Kennedy 0-1 free; Thomas Charles, Michael Murphy, Peter McGarry, Ruairi Leahy 0-1; Niall Hoctor, Sean Kennedy 0-12, 8 frees; Josh Ryan.

Subs: Shane Ryan for Peter McGarry, Oisin Forristal for Niall Hoctor, Dean Cagney for Oisin Power.

Referee: Paul Guinan (Killenaule).