Carrick Swan added the South Tipperary Under 21 A Hurling Championship title, sponsored by John Healy Lawnmowers and Quads, Killenaule, to the divisional senior crown won earlier in the season with a thrilling one-point victory over St Mary’s in a pulsating final at Kilsheelan on Saturday - a repeat of last year’s decider, when they also proved too strong for the Clonmel side.

Leading by three points, 0-15 to 0-12, with six minutes to go, Swan resisted a stirring revival from St Mary’s to edge home by the narrowest of margins. The Clonmel side battled to the very end, with points from James McGarry and a Ruairi Leahy 65 setting up a grandstand finish, and St Mary’s were still pressing for the equaliser when referee Keith Delahunty blew the final whistle.

Swan players and officials celebrated wildly, as their determination and bravery saw them retain their title. Trailing by two points, 0-7 to 0-5, after 25 minutes, they rallied to draw level at half time. They conceded the first two points of the second half but responded in fine style again to tie up the scores, and when Callum Lanigan put them ahead from a free in the 38th minute, they were never headed again.

Ace marksman Lanigan was once again the side’s top scorer, with eight points from frees and one from play in an outstanding display. Taylor Fleming was also in sparkling form upfront, with good displays also from Callum Walsh and Stefan Tobin.

At the back Aaron O’Halloran marshalled the defence brilliantly in a man-of-the-match display at centre back, and also got on the scoresheet in the second half with a monster point from distance after taking a pass from a cleverly-taken short free from Lanigan.

Full back Sean Power, as well as Nigel O’Keeffe and Owen Harrigan, were also prominent, with Sean Foley and Fionn Barry edging the midfield battle.

No blame could be attached to the St Mary’s inside forward line for the defeat with the trio of Aaron Cagney, Ruairi Leahy and Peter McGarry accounting for all their scores. Cagney was in outstanding form, with four points from play and four from frees; Leahy hitting two from play as well as two from a free and a 65, and dual star McGarry with two from play.

However, the back-up wasn’t available from further out the field and they were unable to match Swan’s spread of seven different scorers.

They will also rue too many wides. St Mary’s were solid in defence, with Thomas Charles having an outstanding game despite one mishit that resulted in a Swan point, and good displays also from Darragh O’Connor, Ross Slattery and Tadhg Sheehan.

On a lovely afternoon for hurling before a sizeable attendance, the Carrick side settled first and went two points ahead by the seventh minute from a Lanigan free, following a foul on Stefan Tobin, and Owen Harrigan, after taking a pass from Sean Foley.

St Mary’s were level within two minutes, Aaron Cagney opening their scoring with a fine point, and then pointing a free following a foul on McGarry. Lanigan restored the Swan lead with a sweet point from the touchline, and they went two ahead again with a Darragh Dunne score from a tight angle.

Again, St Mary’s hit back with two of their own, both from Cagney – he pointed a free following a foul on Leahy, who was bearing down on goal from a Darragh O’Connor pass, and then great work from Charles set up Cagney to score from play.

Corner back Nigel O’Keeffe restored the Swan advantage from distance before St Mary’s hit three points in a row during their best spell. Cagney tied up the score again following superb skills in midfield; McGarry then put the Clonmel side ahead for the first time; and Leahy followed up to put two between the sides, 0-7 to 0-5, after taking a pass from Ross Slattery.

As is their style, Swan came back strongly and a great move involving Senan Campbell and Stefan Tobin saw St Mary’s goalkeeper Cian Corcoran pull off a great goal-saving block from Kieran O’Donnell, but the referee was playing advantage and called back play for a free that Lanigan slotted over. When Lanigan pointed another free after he had been fouled himself, it left it 0-7 each at half-time.

St Mary’s started the second half stronger, with Ruairi Leahy restoring the lead from a tight angle, and Cagney doubling it from a free inside three minutes. But then over the next eight minutes, Carrick Swan hit four without reply to take a firm grip on the game. Lanigan reduced the margin from a free and then Taylor Fleming hit a superb score to level it again.

Swan had a goal disallowed for a square ball, but they maintained the pressure and went two ahead from another Lanigan free and then Aaron O’Halloran’s inspirational point from deep in his own half.

Cagney from a free had the Clonmel side’s first score in nine minutes to reduce the lead but they were never to draw level again, as Swan managed to keep distance between them. Stefan Tobin and Cagney traded points before two pointed frees from Lanigan in the space of sixty seconds put three points between the teams for the first time, 0-14 to 0-11, midway through the half.

Ruairi Leahy reduced the lead from a free following a foul on Cagney, but Callum Walsh responded for Swan to leave it still a three-points game with five minutes to go. And that proved to be a bridge too far for St Mary’s, despite a battling last period. McGarry’s point from play and a late 65 from Leahy gave them hope but a Swan defence, that had been brilliant throughout, just managed to shut up shop and deny St Mary’s that equalising point that would have taken the game to extra time.

The contrast in emotions at the end reflected what it meant to both sides, and there were loud demands from the St Mary’s support for what they believed should have been a free within scoring distance in their favour in the dying seconds.

But time ran out on them and Swan repeated the result of last year’s final to complete an impressive South senior and Under 21 double.

Carrick Swan: Adam Kerwick, Nigel O’Keeffe 0-1; Sean Power, Senan Campbell, Owen Harrigan 0-1; Aaron O’Halloran, Harry Still, Sean Foley, Fionn Barry, Taylor Fleming 0-1; Callum Lanigan 0-9, 8 frees; Callum Walsh 0-1; Stefan Tobin 0-1; Darragh Dunne 0-1; Kieran O’Donnell.

Subs: Nathan Booth for Harry Still; Callum Smith for Kieran O’Donnell.

St Mary’s: Cian Corcoran, Thomas Charles, Ross Slattery, Eoghan Walsh, Darragh O’Connor, Darragh Landers, Tadhg Sheehan, Jamie O’Keeffe, Oisin Forristal, Mark Corcoran, Dean Cagney, Joe Higgins, Ruairi Leahy 0-4, 1 free, 1 ’65; Peter McGarry 0-2; Aaron Cagney 0-8, 4 frees.

Subs: James Power for Dean Cagney, Shane Ryan for Joe Higgins, Niall Deely for Oisin Forristal.

Referee: Keith Delahunty (Moyle Rovers).

Match Report by Michael Heverin -  Nationalist.