Early Doyle goal decisive in Sarsfields progression

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter Final

Thurles Sarsfields 1-23

Sean Treacys 0-23

Report: John O’Shea In Drombane

Thurles Sarsfields are safely through to the quarter final of the County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship following their three point victory over Sean Treacys on Saturday with a Tommy Doyle goal after just thirty-one seconds proving to be the difference.

From the outset, the more slicker and fluent Sarsfields attack were causing problems for the West men, with Pa Bourke, Jack Lanigan, and Doyle in particular on their game. Their cross-field passing opened holes in the Treacys defence, with Bourke capitalising during the opening thirty minutes. Jack Lanigan grew into the game and gave a man of the match performance, hitting 0-15 over the hour, eleven from placed balls.

Sarsfields gained possession from the throw-in and fed a long ball down into the left hand corner where Cillian Minogue won possession. Instead of laying off to Pa Bourke near the sideline, he opted for a long cross-field ball to the unmarked Tommy Doyle, who raced at the defence before firing a low shot to the corner, past Shane Stapleton.

Treacys hit back through the stick of Paddy Carey from a placed ball, before Jack Lanigan put over the first of his fifteen minors. Pa Bourke had drawn a free, after receiving another cross-field ball from Doyle.

Brian Carey was on target following an up-field run to receive a pass from Larry Collins. Carey was on target again after Sarsfields were penalised for overcarrying in an effort to clear their lines. This cut the deficit to the minimum, before Sars replied in triplicate, through Lanigan (free), Bourke, and Liam McCormack to give them a four point cushion after ten minutes. They were using the cross-field passing to their advantage, with Treacys slow to counteract.

Treacys hit a mini purple patch, replying with four points in a three minute spell, Paddy Carey punished an over carrying offence, Shane Stapleton found the range from his own 45 metre line and Cillian Kennedy fired over after recycling an attack. Paddy Deegan tied the game for the first and only time with twelve minutes gone.

Sean Treacys then had a big chance to raise a green flag, after a long ball from Eoin Sheldon over the top found the unmarked Colm Kennedy, but his shot was saved by Michael McCormack.

The West men suffered the first key injury when they lost the services of Andy O’Brien at the end of the opening quarter. Pa Bourke eased Sarsfields back in front before finding Tommy Doyle with a one-handed ground pass to Tommy Doyle, to put two between the sides.

Paddy Carey and James Butler replied, either side of a Jack Lanigan free. Lanigan was again on target, this time from open play, following a short pass from Pa Bourke.

Sarsfields were always able to hit back and found scores more easily, with the movement of their forwards. Paddy Carey pulled one back, before Pa Bourke, under pressure, scored his third point over the shoulder. Doyle and Lanigan put four between the sides, but Carey hit back from a placed ball after Sarsfields were blown up for an alleged throw ball.

Lanigan hit his seventh of the half before Christy Egan closed out the scoring with a point on thirty minutes, with Sarsfields in front at the short whistle, 1-13 to 0-12.

Treacys were dealt another huge blow when Paddy Carey didn’t emerge for the second half after receiving an injury just before the break. He was replaced by Pat Dawson who took over the free-taking duties as James Butler and Cillian Kennedy found the target inside ninety seconds, but any sign of a recovery was quickly quenched by the Mid champions. They replied with three on the bounce, two from Lanigan and one from Liam McCormack, after winning a puckout.

James Butler got in for his third minor, when he was first to react to a breaking ball following a long range free from Shane Stapleton.

Scores were traded for most of the remainder of the second half with Sean Treacys unable to penetrate the strong tackling Sarsfields defence for the goal that they required to push on with Michael Cahill at the centre of the Sarsfields showing all his experience when needed most.

TEAMS - Thurles Sarsfields: Michael McCormack (6); Fionn Fogarty (7), Kieran Costello (7), Kieran Moloney (7); Michael Purcell (6), Michael Cahill (Capt 7), Seosamh Ryan (7); David Corbett (7), Cathal Moloney (6); Tommy Doyle (8), Jack Lanigan (8), Darragh Minogue (6); Cillian Minogue (6), Pa Bourke (8), Liam McCormack (7).

Subs: Rory Purcell (6) for C Minogue (47); Conor Lanigan (6) for D Minogue (49); Jack O’Mara (6) for Purcell (53).

Sean Treacys: Shane Stapleton (7); Paul Nolan (Capt 7), Sean Hickey (6), Brian Nolan (7); Andy O’Brien (6), Sean Ryan (8), Brian Carey (6); Paddy Deegan (8), Eoin Sheldon (6); Colm Kennedy (6), Mikey Feehan (7), James Butler (8); Cillian Kennedy (7), Paddy Carey (7), Larry Collins (6).

Subs: Christy Egan (6) for O’Brien (14 inj); Pat Dawson (7) for P Carey (HT inj); Brendan O’Dwyer (6) for Egan (43); Darragh Carr (6) for Sheldon (55); Jody Ryan (6) for Collins (55).

Referee: Shane O’Neill (St. Marys).