Silvermines gain morale boosting win

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 1

Silvermines 1-22

Carrick Swans 0-23

Silvermines’ went into this final round County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship game on Sunday evening knowing they were headed for a relegation battle but will do so with a little confidence after recording a hard-earned and deserved win over an understrength Carrick Swan team in Gortnahoe.

Both sides came into the game knowing that the result meant little in terms of where they would finish the group, with Carrick Swan guaranteed the top spot while Silvermines were headed to the relegation scrap, and that certainly diluted the intensity of the contest as a result.

The Swan took full advantage of that fact and made six changes to the team which defeated Ballina in round 2, with Kieran Lonergan, Scott Hogan, Gavin O’Halloran, Eric O’Halloran, Callum Lanigan, and Aidan Waters all rested in preparation for the quarter-finals; in essence, it gave them a chance to give other players a chance.

Silvermines couldn’t afford such a luxury given the lack of confidence in this young team as they face into the relegation quagmire and they went strongly at this one to give them some much-needed confidence, and they got the result in the end.

Conor McKelvey and Michael Corcoran were the outstanding players for the North club, while Jason Forde’s relocation to centre-back brought about a far more solid look defensively to the side.

It looked much better to the overall make-up of the team with Conor McKelvey really stepping up to the mark in attack, taking over the free-taking duty and he was the one to get the scoring off and running with a second minute free.

Indeed, the ‘Mines were the sharper team in the opening quarter and had taken a 0-7 to 0-5 thanks to McKelvey, Andy Hayden, Ger Leamy, and long-distance frees from Forde.

Hayden was looking a menace and had extended the lead to three with his second point in the eighteenth minute but the Swan did start to motor before the break with Aaron Dunne (3), Owen Harrigan, and Callum Walsh the chief scorers; however, it was the ‘Mines who led at the interval, 0-12 to 0-10, after late scores from the two Darragh’s, McKelvey & Treacy, and a classy Conor McKelvey score.

Michael Corcoran took the fight to the Swan all evening and set the tone from the throw-in of the second half, gathering possession, and powering down the middle before slotting over his first of the game.

He had a green flag raised seven minutes later after a ranging Jason Forde free broke off Ger Leamy around the square and it was Corcoran who reacted fastest to flick the ball to the net.

That would turn out to be the games key score and it would lead to a purple patch for the ‘Mines with two Conor McKelvey points extending their lead to six, 1-16 to 0-13.

Credit must go to the Swan who did battle back and the energy from captain Eric O’Halloran and Taylor Fleming brought them back in contention as the pair scored in quick succession in the 41st minute. Fleming in particular was using his pace to good effect and he and Aaron Dunne would hit the next two scores to bring it back to a one-score game with a quarter of an hour to go.

However, Conor McKelvey was playing with great confidence and despite a few missed frees in the final throes, he was largely effective hitting two from play either side of another Michael Corcoran score to give them a three-point lead with ten minutes remaining.

Taylor Fleming and substitute Sean Foley kept the Swan in the hunt in the next six minutes, but Silvermines managed to find the scores needed through placed balls from Forde (1) and Conor McKelvey (2) to keep them in front and despite a late attempted free at goal from Aaron O’Halloran, they held on to record a much needed win for their confidence as they look to preserve their Premier Intermediate status for 2025.

Player of the Match: Conor McKelvey (Silvermines)

Silvermines: Conor Murphy (6); Micheál Hogan (7), Ronan Sherlock (6), Daragh Nolan (7); Darragh McKelvey (0-1, 7), Jason Forde (0-3, 2f, 1 65, 8), Eddie Ryan (7); Michael Corcoran (1-2, 8), Darragh Treacy (0-1, 7); Adam Steed (6), Conor McKelvey (0-12, 8f, 9), Cathal Treacy (6); Andy Hayden (0-2, 7), Ger Leamy (0-1, 6), Séan Nolan (6).

Subs: Tiernan Flynn (NR) for Ryan (56).

Carrick Swan: Adam Kerwick (6); Dean Kiely (7), Colin Waters (7), Jack Murphy (6); Colin Loughman (0-1, 7), Mikey Loughman (6), Ben Mulcaire (7); Aaron O’Halloran (0-4, 3f, 7), Shane Torpey (0-1, 7); Owen Harrigan (0-1, 6), Dean Waters (0-2, 7), Taylor Fleming (0-4, 8); Dean Walsh (6), Aaron Dunne (0-6, 2f, 8), Callum Walsh (0-1, 6).

Subs: Eric O’Halloran (0-2, 7) for Torpey (20, inj); Sean Foley (0-1, 7) for Harrigan (49); Ryan Waters (6) for M Loughman (51); Sean Power (6) for C Loughman (55).

Referee: Tom Loughnane (Gortnahoe/Glengoole).