Corey Ryan produces late winner for Carrick Swan in South Tipperary senior hurling semi-final

Carrick Swan 0-17 Mullinahone 0-16

A superb score from substitute Corey Ryan sealed Carrick Swan's place in the Clonmel Oil South Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final with a last-gasp victory over Mullinahone in a hugely competitive and entertaining semi-final at Monroe on Saturday evening.

The sides had been level on ten occasions over the hour, and after ten minutes without a score between them in the final quarter, the game looked set to be heading for extra time. But Swan continued to press for the winner and when the opportunity arose in the last minute, Corey Ryan proved to be the player to grasp it.

His shot from distance split the uprights and secured the Carrick-on-Suir side a place in this weekend’s final, where they will meet Killenaule – the side they lost narrowly to in last year’s decider.

Swan deserved the victory. They made better use of the strong breeze in the first half than Mullinahone did in the second, turning around two points to the good, 0-12 to 0-10. And even though the CJ Kickhams men scored the first four points of the second half, to turn a two-points deficit into a two-points lead, Swan were quickly level and were never headed again.

An attack that was already playing well, with Callum Lanigan, Taylor Fleming and Aaron Dunne in fine form, was further strengthened with the introduction of match winner Ryan, Dean Waters and Danny O’Hanlon from the bench.

Mullinahone will regret missed chances. After points from a Michael Dunne free and Sean Curran drew them level at 0-16 each nineteen minutes into the second half, the game went another ten minutes without a score until Ryan’s later winner. A combination of poor shooting and balls dropped short into the hands of Swan 'keeper Kieran Lonergan proved costly.

It was perhaps not surprising that the game ended without a goal, with Lonergan and his opposite number Eoin Kelly in fine form. Lonergan was flawless in dealing with high balls dropping into his area - and also brave as he took a heavy knock with one high catch. Legendary Tipperary forward Eoin Kelly is now as reliable between the posts as he was in attack, and was a solid last line of defence.

Callum Lanigan, who ended the game as top scorer with eight points, all but one from placed balls, opened the scoring for Swan in the second minute with his only score from play. Michael Dunne equalised for Mullinahone a minute later, and the sides were level on three further occasions over the next ten minutes.

A Lanigan' 65 was cancelled out by a Dunne free, before the same players exchanged further points from frees to leave it 0-3 each after eight minutes. When Enda Keane put Mullinahone ahead for the first time it led to a period of dominance for the Kickhams men.

A long range free from Lanigan drew the sides level again but Mullinahone went two ahead with a quick reply from Eoin Fennelly and another from Sean Curran to make it 0-6 to 0-4.

A brilliant move from Swan, involving Scott Hogan, Aaron O’Halloran and Jack Murphy, ended with a super score from Taylor Fleming. Mullinahone stretched the lead to two again after Daire O’Brien set up Sam Rowan for a fine score.

As play continued to swing from end to end in a highly competitive encounter, Swan were level again within a minute, with a second point in the space of two minutes from the impressive Taylor Fleming, and another from Aidan Waters. They edged ahead through Aaron O’Halloran as the game entered the second quarter but a free from Sean Curran, following a foul on Conor O’Brien, had Mullinahone level again, 0-8 each.

Lanigan from a free, and a great point from Danny Dunne, after he was set up by Sam Rowan, tied the game again, before Swan put some daylight between the teams for the first time. Aaron Dunne hit the first of three in a row for the Carrick side, Eric O’Halloran made it a two-score game, and another Lanigan free pushed the margin out to three points for the first time, 0-12 to 0-9, four minutes from the break. 

By the interval it was down to two points again, 0-12 to 0-10, with a superb point from Enda Keane, and Mullinahone emerged for the second half in similar scoring vein, hitting four without reply in the space of four minutes. Sean Curran opened the second half scoring with a pointed free inside thirty seconds, Jake Shelly added two from play, and another from Sean Curran put them 0-14 to 0-12 in front four minutes in. 

However, Mullinahone were to score only twice more over the next 26 minutes, and that scoring drought proved costly.

A superb sideline cut from Ben Mulcaire opened the second half scoring for Swan six minutes in, and when Taylor Fleming gathered a loose Mullinahone clearance to shoot over and level, Swan were never to be headed again.

Swan had a genuine goal chance when Eric O’Halloran set up Aidan Waters for a shot that was deflected over the line for a '65 that Callum Lanigan converted. Another Lanigan free stretched the lead to two when Taylor Fleming was fouled after gathering another lovely Ben Mulcaire sideline into the danger area.

Swan now looked the better side but Mullinahone never gave up the battle, and two points in the space of thirty seconds, from a Michael Dunne free and Sean Curran, tied up the score again at 0-16 each with just over ten minutes to play.

Play continued to swing from end to end. Mullinahone failed to convert good chances, and Lanigan saw a '65 come back off the upright that would have put Swan ahead.

As defences tightened up to avoid any mistakes, it was likely to take something special to avoid the game going to extra time. And that special spark was provided by super sub Corey Ryan who had the bravery to go for his score from distance and give Swan the opportunity this weekend to exact revenge on Killenaule for last year’s final defeat.

Extra incentive for Swan in the final, if any were needed, is that a Killenaule win would draw the Slieveardagh side level with Swan in the divisional roll of honour, with 24 titles each. Swan, for their part, would like to push the gap out to two.

Carrick Swan: Kieran Lonergan, Dean Kiely, Scott Hogan, Jack Murphy, Colin Loughman, Gavin O’Halloran, Ben Mulcaire 0-1 sideline; Aaron O’Halloran 0-1; Shane Torpey, Eric O’Halloran 0-1; Callum Lanigan 0-8, 5 frees, 2 ‘65s; Taylor Fleming 0-3; Aidan Waters 0-1; Aaron Dunne 0-1; Mikey Loughman.

Subs: Dean Waters for Mikey Loughman; Corey Ryan 0-1 for Shane Torpey; Danny O’Hanlon for Aidan Waters, Luke O’Dwyer for Taylor Fleming.

Mullinahone: Eoin Kelly, Martin Kehoe, Paul Curran, Colin Shelly, Danny Dunne 0-1; Eoin Fennelly 0-1; Alan Curran, Conor O’Brien, Sean Curran 0-5, 2 frees; Enda Keane 0-2; Jack Shelly 0-2; Daire O’Brien, Sam Rowan 0-1; Michael Dunne 0-4 frees; Eoin O’Dwyer.

Sub: Darragh Linnane for Alan Curran.

Referee: Paddy Ivors (Ballingarry).