TINRYLAND 2-14 MLR 2-10
MOUNT Leinster Rangers gifted two first half goals and Paul Broderick produced a memorable individual scoring performance in Dr Cullen Park on Sunday as Tinryland took top spot in Group A.
It was one of the better club games at the venue in recent weeks and, after their great win over Éire Óg last week, Rangers will feel they didn’t play to their potential.
That is not to say Tinryland were not deserving winners but they certainly got a bit of help along the way.
The sides had shared a point a piece in the opening minutes when Eddie Byrne kept his cool to beat Trevor O’Reilly in the Tinryland goal in the fourth minute.
The keeper then produced an instinctive diving save to keep out an overhead flick from Derek Byrne while he must have breathed a sigh of relief to see an angled shot by the same player go narrowly wide.
It was all Rangers but they gave it all back when a quick kick out was gobbled up by the Tinryland full-forward line and Paul Doyle had the easy task of scoring from close range.
“Certainly we gave away two goals. It is hard enough to win championship games and we weren’t given anything easy. What we got we had to earn it,” said Rangers trainer Cyril Hughes.
Two points by Sean Michael Murphy settled Rangers after conceding a gift but they erred once more when a pass out of defence was intercepted. This time Broderick was the main beneficiary and suddenly there was daylight between the sides.
Tinryland started to play with renewed confidence against crestfallen opposition.
“It took us a good bit to start but when we got into it we won at midfield. The second goal helped us as well,” said Tinryland player, Padraig Townsend.
Paul Doyle and Gary Morrissey scored points while Sean Michael Murphy ended the first half scoring for his side with his fourth point to give Tinryland a flattering 2-7 to 16 lead.
In an eight-minute spell immediately after the break they put the game out of Rangers’ reach.
“Our forwards can do damage. They blend well together and Paul Broderick does damage with frees and play,” said Townsend. Ian Scully opened the second half scoring and Broderick kicked four points without reply.
It was job done. Mentally they relaxed and allowed Rangers to come back at them.
Eoin Doyle was at the end of a passing movement to score a morale boosting goal but at times they opted to try for points from long range which fell into the keeper’s welcome hands.
“It is one thing we have been working on in training. We try to kill the ball dead when we have an attack,” said Hughes.
Those misplaced kicks ruined much of their good work. Points from Sean Michael, Willie Hickey and Derek Byrne looked to be setting up a grandstand finish.
“We fell asleep for ten minutes but we got out of a hole there. We were lucky in one way but we deserved it,” said Townsend who would go on to score the insurance point after a Paul Broderick free completed a personal haul of 1-8 to put three points between the sides.
This result leaves the blue and white hooped side in a nice place.
“We are on top but we are not running away with ourselves now. Last few years we were not in the races at all but with a new manager we are playing well,” Townsend said. Funny he should mention the manager because as the players made their way to the dressing rooms there was a heated exchange among members of the same management team.
Afterwards sources in the club said it was just one of those things while Townsend himself laughed it off as well.
“He wasn’t happy with the way we played,” said the young man diplomatically.
Rangers were naturally downbeat afterwards but tried to look at the positives.
“It still is an encouraging performance. We only have two points. Two points is not much better than anybody else,” said Hughes.