Bennekerry/Tinryland head north for All-Ireland series
The Bennekerry/Tinryland management team of Alison Miller, Conor Byrne, Chris Townsend and Niall Barrett show their satisfaction the team's Leinster Final success Photo: Pat Ahern
Bennekerry/Tinryland are on the road again. This time they head to Kingspan Breffni Park where they take on the Ulster intermediate football champions, Mullahoran from Cavan in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In their own province, the Cavan side put up big scores against St Galls of Antrim (6-10), Derrynoose of Armagh (8-16) and in the final against Carrickmacross (5-13). In an earlier round a Kate Fegan 20th minute goal was crucial as the provincial champions in waiting came through by 1-6 to 0-6 against Dungloe.
In the decider, four out of the six starting forwards recorded the bulk of the scoring with Emilia Mussi (1-4), Nichole Sheils (0-1), Aishling Sheridan (1-4, 3f) and Kate Fegan (2-2) all on target.
The Leinster champions beat Meath side, Dee Rangers by 3-12, 0-10 in the provincial final. They hit Carnew with 2-16 in opening round and Coralstown Kinnegad were blitzed 6-12 to 0-4. Their 0-10 to 1-5 win over St Patricks of Louth was as close as the scoreline suggests. All in all, the parallels are uncanny.
Chris Townsend took over the managers position this year in Bennekerry/Tinryland. The Tinryland senior football goalkeeper admits he had big shoes to fill in Niall Barrett.
“It was like taking over after Sir Alex,” says Townsend who still felt comfortable enough to bring last year’s manager back in an advisory role during the year.
“The team were left in a very good place so it was a case of continuing on what was there. I suppose it was adding a few bits which I thought would be relevant. It was an easier job than it could have been,” Townsend suggests.
He successfully guided his side through in what he describes as a tricky Carlow championship.
“Five senior teams in Carlow. Top two went to final. It was not straightforward. Our two toughest games were the last week of the group. We beat Old Leighlin in the penultimate game in Tinryland and we turned around a couple of days later to play St Brigids. They are an excellent up and coming team. It was a winner take all. We were seven points down at one stage. We turned it around to win by the bare minimum,” he said.
Old Leighlin in a final was the acid test but the reigning champions prevailed by 0-12 to 1-6 to take back to back titles. Now there was another opportunity to have a crack at Leinster.
“When the Carlow final was over and the celebrations had died down there was genuine ambition from the players. They really wanted to have a good go at Leinster. It never really worked out in the past. We haven’t had a rub of the green in previous years with players unavailable through injury and keeping the group together. Once we won our own county final there was a break and it gave us the opportunity to reset, re-energise, re-charge and give it our best shot,|” pointed out the rookie manager who led the Tinryland minor footballers to a B championship success last season.
Now he will watch events unfold on the side-line of what is a stadium steeped in history. He is aware of that too but when the whistle blows all that kind of stuff disappears.
“The history behind Breffni Park is massive,” acknowledges the Bennekerry/Tinryland manager.
“It will be a nice experience to play there. The pitch will be in top nick. All we need now is to bring a big crowd from Carlow.
“A pitch is a pitch. Two goal posts at each end. The rules are simple. The target is the same. You need to win the game wherever it is. That is all we can worry about.”
Bennekerry/Tinryland v Mullahoran (Cavan) Kingspan Breffni Park, Saturday, 2.30pm
Annaghdown (Galway) v O'Donovan Rossa (Cork), 1pm in Annaghdown
