Late Cooke winner seals Carrick Davins’ Intermediate survival

FBD Insurance County Intermediate Hurling Relegation Semi-Final

Carrick Davins 1-18

Clonoulty Rossmore 1-17

A brilliant winning point from Ray Cooke, four minutes into added time, secured Carrick Davins their intermediate status with victory over Clonoulty Rossmore in the FBD Insurance County Intermediate Hurling Championship Relegation semi-final at New Inn on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Whelan provided the pass and Cooke split the uprights to the delight of the Davins supporters. But they had one more anxious moment before they could celebrate. One minute later, Clonoulty Rossmore’s Aidan Loughman was fouled near the halfway line. Loughman had already pointed seven placed balls, but this time his effort tailed wide.

It meant that the Clonoulty Rossmore second string have one more chance to retain their intermediate status, but the victory allowed the Carrick-on-Suir supporters to celebrate as if they had won the title itself.

It wasn’t a great spectacle, with eighteen of the thirty-seven scores coming from placed balls, eleven from Davins’ Michael Whelan and seven from Loughman, but that didn’t lessen the Davins’ delight at their great escape.

Whelan punished any Clonoulty indiscretions with unerring accuracy from frees, with David Houlihan, Ray Cooke and Luke Faulkner providing the greatest threat up front. Lee and Conor Mackey had huge games around the middle third, with Brandon O’Sullivan, Aaron O’Halloran and Jonathan Cody impressive at the back.

After an underwhelming group campaign, shipping two heavy defeats to Kilsheelan Kilcash and Portroe, and a closer reverse to West neighbours Knockavilla Kickhams, Clonoulty Rossmore would have liked to secure their safety at the first attempt in the relegation semi-final, but now must prepare for a winner-takes-all battle in the final against Ballybacon Grange.

And they looked like they were about to achieve it when they led by three points, 1-17 to 1-14, with five minutes of normal time to play. There was going to be at least five minutes of added time due to second-half injuries. But then three in a row for the South men, from Cooke, a Whelan free and Lee Mackey, following a superb block from Conor Mackey to turn over possession, tied the scores before Cooke’s priceless winner.

Aidan Loughman was Clonoulty’s top scorer with 0-7 from frees and two 65s, with Robert Ryan hitting three crucial points from play in an outstanding display. Kieran Carroll hit 1-2, with Sean Ryan adding 0-2 as they upped their performance from the disappointing group games. Luke O’Neill, Padraig Carew and Jack Heffernan all played well.

Davins enjoyed the perfect start when Jonathan Cody put David Houlihan through for a goal in the first minute. But in a bright start to the game, it was 1-1 each after five minutes, Houlihan adding a point, with Kieran Carroll finding the net for Clonoulty and Sean Ryan R hitting a point.

It was still level, 1-4 each, after twelve minutes, with two pointed frees for Davins from Whelan and Luke Faulkner from play, and Aaron Ryan, Houlihan and Kieran Carroll for Clonoulty.

Loughman, from a free and a 65, put the West side two ahead, but there was very little between two evenly matched sides, and they were level again at 1-7 each, Carroll for Clonoulty and three Whelan frees for Davins.

Goalkeeper Cormac O’Connor then saved Davins twice in the space of seconds, with two great saves at the expense of a 65 that Loughman converted. When Davins’ James Houlihan was fouled from the puck-out, Whelan levelled again.

Two Loughman frees gave Clonoulty a 1-10 to 1-8 lead and they maintained that margin at the interval, 1-11 to 1-9, Whelan hitting a great point from play for Davins from a Lee Mackey pass, and substitute Fiachra O’Keeffe hitting the last score of the half for Clonoulty.

Davins enjoyed the better start to the second half and were level after five minutes through a Whelan free and 65, the latter after a great save from Clonoulty goalkeeper David Egan.

Loughman and Whelan exchanged frees before Clonoulty went three ahead for the first time, from Robert Ryan, a Loughman free and then James Ryan, to make it 1-15 to 1-12 entering the final quarter.

Just as it threatened to slip from Davins, goalkeeper Cormac O’Connor hit a huge free to bring it back to two points. Robert Ryan responded for Clonoulty with an outstanding long-range score and repeated the feat, following a Whelan free for Davins, to give the West Tipp side a three-point cushion entering the final minutes of normal time.

But when bravery, resolve and heart were needed, when a once proud senior club and county title winners were faced with the prospect of going one step closer to junior hurling, the Davins stood tall.

Four in a row when it mattered most, from Cooke, the unerring Whelan, Lee Mackey and, finally, Cooke again, saved their day and their season.

Scorers: Carrick Davins: Michael Whelan (0-12, 0-10f, 0-1 65s), David Houlihan 1-1, Ray Cooke 0-2, Cormac O’Connor 0-1f, Lee Mackey, Luke Faulkner 0-1 each.

Clonoulty Rossmore: Aidan Loughman (0-7, 0-5f, 0-2 65s), Robert Ryan 0-3, Kieran Carroll 1-2, Sean Ryan 0-2, Aaron Ryan, James Ryan, Fiachra O’Keeffe all 0-1 each.

Carrick Davins: Cormac O’Connor; Brandon O’Sullivan, Aaron O’Halloran, Shane Cronin; Harry Still, Jonathan Cody, Jamie Houlihan; Lee Mackey, Conor Mackey; David Houlihan, Michael Whelan, Erin Cronin; Charlie Butler, Ray Cooke, Luke Faulkner.

Subs used: David Cooke for Butler (47); Michael Ryan for Cronin (50); Conor O’Shea for Faulkner (57); Mark Roche for Cody.

Clonoulty Rossmore: David Egan; Luke O’Neill, Padraig Carew, James Horan; Robert Ryan, Aidan Loughman, Jack Heffernan; James Ryan (W), Paddy Ryan; Aaron Ryan, Paul Hayes, Oisín Fryday; Kieran Carroll, Seamus Kennedy, Sean Ryan (R).

Subs used: Fiachra O’Keeffe for Paul Hayes (30); Padraig Heffernan for Fryday (37); James Heffernan for Aaron Ryan (60).

Referee: PJ Nolan (Killea)