Upperchurch upset by flying Swans

GAA: FBD Insurance County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 1

Carrick Swan 1-17

Upperchurch/Drombane 1-15

Report: Michael Heverin in Littleton

Carrick Swan produced one of the shocks of the opening weekend of the county hurling championship with a well-deserved win over Upperchurch/Drombane in this Premier Intermediate group 1 opener on Friday.

South champions Swan followed up on their impressive run in the divisional championship to throw Group 1 wide open.

Mid side Upperchurch/Drombane, relegated from the senior grade last year, were expected to make an immediate return to the top flight but hadn’t bargained on the indomitable spirit of the Carrick-on-Suir team.

The Swan victory was secured with a brilliant second half performance. They struggled to penetrate the Upperchurch defence in the first half, where Luke Shanahan, Ger Grant, Keith Ryan, and Gavin Ryan were superb in containing the Swan threat.

At the other end, a Paddy Phelan goal gave them a 1-4 to 0-6 lead in the 20th minute.

And when they added points from Paul Ryan, a Gavin Ryan 65 and Paddy Phelan over the next five minutes, it looked as if they were heading for an expected win. But two late Swan points brought it back to a two-points game at the break, 1-7 to 0-8, and that proved to be the springboard for their second half performance.

Man-of-the-match in the South final Callum Lanigan, sparked the comeback with another outstanding performance. He pointed a free when he was fouled himself in the first minute and when he scored a goal from a tight angle a minute later, it gave Swan a lead that they never again surrendered.

On five occasions Upperchurch had the lead back to a single point, but they could never level, with Swan always replying and coming back with a riposte.

The game ended in a welter of excitement, with both teams urged on by their supporters. Swan led by two entering added time, 1-16 to 1-14, but following the script, Upperchurch came back to within a single point two minutes later from a Paul Ryan free.

The next possession was vital, three minutes into injury time, and it fell to Swan, who won a sideline on the stand side. Gavin O’Halloran had already pointed a sideline cut and he repeated the feat for a superb score and the icing on the cake for the Carrick side.

O’Halloran’s two sideline cuts, and another from Ben Mulcaire, were crucial scores for Swan but they had match-winners all over. Callum Lanigan, who is in the form of his life, hit 1-5 from play and four frees, while six other Swan players scored from play.

Upperchurch will rue a first half performance that saw them hit nine wides, from play and placed balls, in the first quarter alone.

While their defence was well on top, their forwards couldn’t translate the dominance into scores.

Player of the Match: Callum Lanigan (Carrick Swan)

Carrick Swan: Kieran Lonergan, Dean Kiely, Scott Hogan, Jack Murphy (0-1); Colin Loughman, Gavin O’Halloran (0-2 s-cuts); Ben Mulcaire (1 s-cut); Aaron O’Halloran, Shane Torpey, Eric O’Halloran (0-1); Callum Lanigan (1-8, 0-5f); Taylor Fleming (0-1); Aidan Waters (0-1); Aaron Dunne (0-1); Dean Waters (0-1).

Subs: Owen Harrigan for Dunne, Callum Walsh for A Waters, Danny O’Hanlon for Fleming, Luke O’Dwyer for Torpey.

Upperchurch/Drombane: Ciaran Shortt; Luke Shanahan, Ger Grant, Keith Ryan; Niall Grant (0-1); Gavin Ryan (0-2, 1f, 1 ’65), Ailbe O’Donoghue; Dean Carew, Aaron Ryan (0-3); Diarmuid Grant, Paddy Phelan (1-1); Colm Ryan, Paudie Green, Paul Ryan (0-7, 3f); Pat Ryan (0-1).

Subs: Paul Shanahan for C Ryan, Conor Fahey for Greene; AJ Shanahan for Phelan.

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels).