Keane’s late goal fires St Mary’s to South U16A hurling title

South Tipperary U16A Hurling Championship Final

St Mary’s 2-15

Carrick Swan 0-18

Second-half goals from Aidan Gaffney and Darragh Keane proved decisive as St Mary’s claimed the South Tipperary U16 ‘A’ Hurling Championship title with a three-point win over Carrick Swan at Monroe on Saturday morning.

A sluggish start had seen St Mary’s trailing by 0-7 to 0-1 midway through the first half, and the margin could have been greater if Swan had converted all their possession into scores, but St Mary’s eventually settled and were only two points behind at the break, 0-9 to 0-7.

They went ahead for the first time when Gaffney’s goal gave them a 1-9 to 0-10 lead eight minutes into the second half. And even though Swan came back to lead twice more in the final quarter, the Clonmel side finished the game stronger.

It looked like the cup was making its way to Carrick-on-Suir, making up for the disappointment of last year’s final when Swan lost to Mullinahone, as Swan led by a point, 0-18 to 1-14, with a minute of normal time left to play.

But St Mary’s finished with a flourish, and their winning goal was good enough to grace any game. A flowing move involving Emmet Cagney and Diarmuid Brennan ended with the final pass to Darragh Keane, who rifled to the net. Two points was still a vulnerable lead as Swan rallied, but the insurance point three minutes into added time from Ruairi Hennessy saw the cup making the short journey into Clonmel.

That looked an unlikely outcome after fifteen minutes when an Alex O’Dwyer-inspired Swan raced into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead. O’Dwyer hit four points, two from frees and two from play, one a superb effort after great fielding, with Charlie Torpey and Craig O’Donnell, with two, also getting on the scoreboard. The solitary Clonmel reply was a fine point from Emmet Cagney.

The margin was still six points, 0-9 to 0-3, by the 21st minute, with two Brennan frees for St Mary’s and O’Dwyer again for Swan, following a turnover from Jack Kiely to break up a St Mary’s attack. But St Mary’s ensured that the game was not going to drift away from them, with the last four scores of the half, from Leon Kelly, two in the space of thirty seconds from Cagney, and the last score of the half from Brennan following good play from the impressive Conor Harvey.

Swan lost midfielder Zach Cleary to a leg injury just before the break, but they extended their lead to three within forty seconds of the restart from an O’Dwyer free. St Mary’s hit back through a Brennan free, after he had been fouled himself, and Keane from play, before Cagney set up Gaffney for the goal that gave them the lead for the first time.

When Brennan scored from the puck-out, it put the Clonmel side 1-10 to 0-10 ahead, a significant turnaround after their early first-half difficulties.

In a highly competitive game that showcased the emerging talent in both town clubs, Swan hit back with four points on the bounce, two frees from O’Dwyer, a brilliant point from Jack Kiely and then Alfie Waters setting up Charlie Torpey for the lead after a poor clearance from St Mary’s created the chance.

Hugh McGarry set Keane up to tie the scores again, but then Jack Kiely hit two in a row to push the lead out to 0-16 to 1-11 with ten minutes to play. A Brennan 65 brought the margin back to the minimum again and the game was there to be won as both sides upped their intensity.

Swan hopes were raised again when Aidan Sweetman doubled the lead, but it was level again three minutes from time through a Brennan free and Leon Kelly.

It was mostly Swan who edged in front in tight situations, and they did so again when Craig O’Donnell restored the lead. But St Mary’s battled back once more, and this time they didn’t take their points, but went for the killer score with Keane’s brilliant goal.

The Swan intensity didn’t lessen as they probed for the scores that would either win the game or force extra-time, but they couldn’t breach the St Mary’s defence, with one intervention from Conor Mahadevaiah typifying the resolve of the defenders.

Conor Harvey and Jude McGarry both impressed as well at the back as St Mary’s withstood the Swan pressure throughout. Aidan Gaffney and Darragh Keane took their goals well, with Emmet Cagney, Leon Kelly and Ruairi Hennessy all doing well.

Carrick Swan players were gutted at the final whistle as they couldn’t have given more. Alex O’Dwyer led from the front with four points from play and five from frees; Craig O’Donnell and Jack Kiely hit three each, with fine displays as well from Charlie Torpey, Oran Reade and Aaron Brennan.

Scorers: St Mary’s: Diarmuid Brennan (0-7, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Darragh Keane 1-2, Aidan Gaffney 1-0, Emmet Cagney 0-3, Leon Kelly 0-2, Ruairi Hennessy 0-1.

Carrick Swan: Alex O’Dwyer (0-9, 0-5f), Jack Kiely, Craig O’Donnell 0-3 each, Charlie Torpey 0-2, Aidan Sweetman 0-1.

St Mary’s: Charlie O’Neill; Liam Murphy, Hugh McGarry, Conor Mahadevaiah; Cillian O’Reilly, Daniel Tobin, Conor Harvey; Ciaran Condon, Ruairi Hennessy; Leon Kelly, Emmet Cagney, Diarmuid Brennan; Darragh Keane, Aidan Gaffney, Jude McGarry.

Subs used: Kaine Tobin for Murphy (53); Darren Phelan for Hugh McGarry (53).

Carrick Swan: Glen Delaney; Tadgh Robinson, Oran Reade, Billy O’Sullivan; Liam Walsh, Aaron Brennan, Aidan Sweetman; Charlie Torpey, Zach Cleary; Jack Kiely, Alex O’Dwyer, Conor Russell; Alfie Waters, Craig O’Donnell, Ryan Walsh.

Subs used: Cian Norris for Cleary (30, inj); Conrad Ryan for O’Sullivan (53).

Referee: Nigel Carrigan (Ballybacon Grange)