Incredible - Carrick Swan survive thanks to Lanigan's late goal

Carrick Swan 3-16 Templederry Kenyons 1-21

Carrick Swan secured their Premier Intermediate status in the most dramatic of circumstances in their relegation final against Templederry Kenyons at Boherlahan on Saturday afternoon.

The contrast in emotions between the two teams and their supporters at the final whistle reflected what had just unfolded in five remarkable minutes.

In their best performance of the campaign to date, Swan were superb in the first half and led at the break by nine points, 1-14 to 0-8, a margin that in no way flattered them.

The second half couldn’t have been more different, and after being outscored by Templederry by 0-13 to 0-2 over the next 28 minutes, they trailed by two in the 59th minute. Then Stefan Tobin, in a man-of-the-match performance, hit his second goal of the game to restore their lead by a point.

Three minutes into added time, a Templederry sideline cut was met by team captain Sean Ryan who flicked it to the net to the cheers of the North Tipp club’s supporters.

After a gruelling campaign that never saw them reach the heights of the two previous years, Swan looked to be heading down to intermediate level. But then in the sixth minute of injury time, following a scramble in front of the Kenyons goals after a booming clearance from Swan goalkeeper Adam Kerwick, referee Alan Tierney ramped up the tension further when awarding a free to Swan.

Templederry defenders lined the goal, but ace marksman Callum Lanigan found a way through to the net, to add to the four pointed frees, and two from play, that he had already scored.

Swan players, officials and supporters reacted as if they had won the title itself. Templederry were crestfallen. Their hurling in the second half was outstanding, and Sean Ryan’s 63rd minute goal looked to be enough to keep them in the premier grade.

Such late drama seemed unlikely in the first half when the Carrick-on-Suir side raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after just six minutes, the goal a rocket to the Templederry net from Stefan Tobin after Callum Lanigan had set him clear. Listed at corner forward, Gavin O’Halloran quickly reverted to a sweeper role that proved hugely effective in curtailing the Templederry threat.

O’Halloran’s opening score in the first minute had set Swan on the way to a 0-4 to no score lead after less than four minutes, Lanigan from a free, Tobin with his first point of three, and Taylor Fleming scoring, before Sean Ryan from a free had Templederry’s opening score in the fifth minute.

The north side struggled to cope with Swan’s high-tempo game and the lead stretched to 1-8 to 0-2 by the 13th minute. Two in a row from Thomas Stapleton and another Ryan free helped to keep Templederry in touch, but by the 22nd minute, Swan had gone ten clear, 1-12 to 0-5, with scores from Tobin, Callum Walsh, a Lanigan free, and Aaron Dunne on an advantage, to a Kenyons response from another Sean Ryan free.

By half time it was back to nine points, 1-14 to 0-8, Templederry points from Ryan (2) and Liam McCutcheon, to Swan scores from Lanigan, one a free.

When Stefan Tobin pointed within 15 seconds of the restart it looked as if Swan were going to cruise to victory. Instead their high-intensity hurling from the first half deserted them, and they had to wait 28 minutes to score again. In that time Templederry hit thirteen points without reply.

Inspirational team captain Sean Ryan led from the front and was involved in their first four points, pointing two frees, hitting a great score from play following superb fielding, and then setting Adrian Ryan clear to point.

The south side were struggling to curb the Templederry surge. When Callum Walsh was fouled in the 58th minute, Lanigan made no mistake from 45 metres for his side’s first score since the opening seconds of the half, and tie the scores at 1-16 to 0-19.

But within a minute, two huge frees from Eanna Murray and Colm Murray put Templederry two ahead again as the clock ticked towards the 60th minute. However Swan replied to the second free in the very next move with Stefan Tobin’s second goal.

Two more crucial goals were to follow in a nerve-wrecking five minutes of added time – Sean Ryan’s to restore Templederry’s lead, and Lanigan’s late, late score to signal jubilant Swan celebrations.

That Swan will compete for the Seamus Ó Riain Cup again next season is due in large part to their never-say-die attitude and the brilliance on the day of Gavin O’Halloran, Stefan Tobin, Callum Lanigan, Eric O’Halloran, Scott Hogan and Callum Walsh.

Templederry will regret losing to such a late goal, and that their brilliant second half wasn’t enough to drive them to victory but Sean Ryan, Gearóid Ryan, Adrian Ryan, Eanna Murray, Mikey Ryan and Thomas Stapleton couldn’t have given more on the day.

Carrick Swan: Adam Kerwick; Aidan Hanlon, Aaron O’Halloran, Jack Murphy; Ben Mulcaire, Eric O’Halloran, Scott Hogan; Sean Foley 0-1, Callum Walsh 0-2; Taylor Fleming 0-1, Stefan Tobin 2-3, Callum Lanigan 1-7 (1-4f); Darragh Dunne, Aaron Dunne 0-1, Gavin O’Halloran 0-1. Subs: Sean Power for Aaron O’Halloran (35), Jamie Holloway for Darragh Dunne (44), Eoin Hogan for Fleming (56).

Templederry Kenyons: John Kennedy; Brian Rohan, Mikey Ryan, Christy Coughlan; Brian Stapleton, Eanna Murray 0-1, Dale Donnelly; Liam McCutcheon 0-2, Thomas Stapleton 0-1; Gearóid Ryan, Adrian Ryan 0-3 (1f), Colm Murray 0-3 (2f); Michael Collins, Sean Ryan 1-11 (8f), Mattie Hogan. Subs: Pa O’Leary for McCutcheon (38), Sean Collins for Hogan (48).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers).