ADULT MEN’S JUNIOR D FOOTBALL: For a second consecutive day at the weekend footballers from Tinahely suffered the pain of defeat in championship football.
On Sunday at Aughrim it was the turn of Tinahely’s ‘D’ championship team to bow to the power of Éire Óg as the Greystones men powered their way to the title with a truly convincing 13-point victory in a rather lop-sided final.
Here we were treated to contrasting styles from the teams. With more direct football Éire Óg moved the ball at speed and with purpose while Tinahely on the other hand preferred the passing game.
And it was the route-one football of Greystones that reaped the rewards and won the day.
And to make matters worse and more difficult for the Reds of Tinahely, they were down to 14 men minutes before half-time after winger Enda O’Keeffe was handed a second yellow.
Though Tinahely also lost the Junior ‘B’ final the day before, it was a very different story. On Saturday, Tinahely waged a brave battle and Bray Emmets were fortunate to emerge with a one-point victory by 2-13 to 3-9.
Tinahely started Sunday’s joust as if they were going to copy the positivity of 24 hours earlier. In less than a minute centre-forward Padraig Murphy had pointed them in front from a free, the product of a foul on his winger Damien Cullen.
Éire Óg’s Darragh Rush profited from a tap down from hyper-active go-to full-forward Richie Houlihan. Greystones on level terms after two minutes at 0-1 each. A minute later Houlihan was again the provider, this time for wing back Ruairi Parker, careering forward from his wing back position to blast the Tinahely net.
Éire Óg were on their way. Their direct football put Tinahely on the back foot. Tinahely’s over elaboration led to running into cul-de-sacs and attacks breaking down.
A quickly taken free opened up rare possibilities for Tinahely but Éire Óg’s goalkeeper Sean O’Neill was alert to the danger, palming a testing shot to safety. And Greystones full-back Dermot Blake was having a stormer, closing off most avenues to a struggling Tinahely.
No surprise really to see Tinahely trailing 0-2 to 1-4 at the break. And worse still they were down to 14 men, wing forward Enda O’Keeffe having been presented with that unwelcome gift of a second yellow.
Shortly after resumption Éire Óg’s centre-forward Colin O’Shea added further misery with quick-fire points to push the lead to 1-8 to 0-2 after 37 minutes.
Tinahely’s centre-forward Padraig Murphy displayed token resistance with a point on 39 minutes, but substitute Luke Dorgan heralded his introduction by Éire Óg by raising a white flag.
The largely one-way traffic continued to the last whistle, with the impressive Colin O’Shea bagging the second goal on 48 minutes.
O’Shea was joined by Luke Dorgan, and captain Colm Condon in finishing with a flurry of points for a decisive 13-point victory at the final whistle.
Éire Óg Greystones: Sean O’Neill; Shaun Horan, Dermot Blake, Gordan Bailey; Ruairi Parker (1-0), Max Scully, Kevin Booth; Phil McCarthy, Colm Condon (0-1); Fionn Melia, Colin O’Shea (1-4), Colm Shortt (0-3); Darragh Rush (0-2), Richie Houlihan, Cian O Longaigh. Subs: Luke Horgan (0-3) for C O Longaigh, Andrew Kealy for D Rush, Eoin O’Neill for Richie Houlihan, Mark Hayden for G Bailey, Taylor O’Sullivan for C Shortt.
U13 HURLING: Avondale took the spoils in the under-13 ‘B’ plate final in a keenly contested game with Éire Óg Greystones in Ballinakill on Monday evening last.
It was nip and tuck throughout a competitive game between two well-matched sides.
Éire Óg got off to a flying start when Arthur Lane rifled to the roof of the Avondale net in the third minute after a sublime pass from Jayden Byrne.
Avondale were off target with a couple of good scoring chances before Leighton O’Toole got them off the mark with a point from distance.
Éire Og broke up the field with Tom Fox finding Arthur Lane with an inch-perfect pass and Lane rifled home his second of the evening from close range to close out the opening quarter as Greystones lead 2-0 to a solitary point.
Avondale eventually settled into the game after a nervy start, Eoghan Doyle took the fight to Éire Óg as he split the uprights with an outrageous point.
Shane Kennedy harvested another white flag for the ‘Dales before Sal Maxwell steadied the ship with a well worked point in the 25th minute to stretch the lead out to four.
Cillian McInerney looked in for a third goal for Éire Óg but Cameron Byrne brilliantly saved from the Greystones man.
Avondale took the paint of the wrong side of the uprights twice before the half-time whistle sounded with the score reading 2-01 to 0-3 at the interval.
A mighty goal by the industrious Willie Phelan on the restart put Avondale back in the contest after great work by Tyler O’Neill and Tiarnan Byrne Cahill.
Will Phelan’s sheer persistence in the second half dragged his team back into the game. Phelan struck an equalising point moments later after a great solo run through the heart of the Greystones defence.
Back came Éire Óg with John Boyle restoring the lead in a welter of excitement after good work from Jayden Byrne to close out the third quarter, but this, unbelievably, would be their last score of the game as Avondale cranked up the pressure in a hectic finish.
Phelan levelled matters from the next attack before Leighton O’Toole edged the ‘Dales ahead late on. Willie Phelan closed out the game with a great point from the wing just before the full-time whistle sounded.
Coiste na nÓg Chairman Pat Dunne presented Will Phelan with the Wicklow People man of the match award and then presented joint captains Kevin Murphy and Tyler O’Neill to spark of wild celebrations by the Avondale faithful.
Éire Óg Greystones: Sean Donnelly; Hugo Fallon, Harrison Lynch, Lucas O’Shea; Donnacha Hinphey, Abhay Byrne; Tom Fox; Cillian McInerney; John O’Boyle (0-1), Declan Shanahan; Jayden Byrne, Arthur Lane (2-0), Tadgh De Roiste. Subs: Sal Maxwell (0-1), Tom Malon
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