Dowling and Ruane contribute 12 points as Tullow CS reach South Leinster semi-final
Aaron Dowling scored nine points for Tullow CS
Tullow Community School overcame a slow start in this South Leinster Schools Senior Football Quarter-final on Thursday at their own school premises.
but they finished well to emerge worthy winners.
Fresh from his goalscoring heroics last weekend to help Fighting Cocks in a Leinster Junior final, Aaron Dowling scored nine points while another member of that team, Dylan Ruane, scored three points from midfield.
The Gorey college struck first when Noah Byrne found the net with a rocket into the top left-hand corner. Tullow looked to have repaired the damage when a passing movement saw Adam Cleary raise a green flag at the town end of the ground.
Again, Creagh College came forward and this time Leighton Fleming got around his marker to fire home. The County Wexford side held the lead for the remainder of the half as Darragh O’Toole and Ciaran Gethings picked off frees. At the interval, the visitors led 2-5 to 1-4 as little went right for Tullow.
If there had been an explosive start to the game, the third quarter matched much of what had gone on in the final ten minutes of the half.
It was tit for tat with Creagh holding onto their three to four point lead. With ten minutes to go, Jack Corcoran struck for a vital home goal and now the momentum swung in the way of Tullow CS. There was one controversial moment when Dowling stroked the ball towards the posts from out on the right. Creagh mentors were adamant it was a wide but referee, Enda Hulton, wrote the score into his notebook.
From there, Tullow CS built on their advantage and stretched for the winning post. Dylan Ruane scored the third of his points from play while Jack Corcoran also raised a white flag.
Dowling’s late point from a free was all but the insurance score. The visitors battled to the final whistle and from a home point of view there was still a bit of defending to do. There was one scare when the ball bounced in the small square before a Tullow defender took possession and drew the foul.
That was it and while it was tight the best team probably won on the day.
A Dowling 0-9 (6fs), J Corcoran 1-1, D Ruane 0-3, A Cleary 1-0, D Byrne 0-1
L Fleming 1-1, C Gethings 0-4 (fs), D O’Toole 0-4 (fs), N Byrne 1-0, A Hourihane 0-1.
Callum Boland McIntyre (Rathvilly); Sean Hourihane (Ballon), Darragh Corcoran (Rathvilly), Kyle Moloney (Fighting Cocks); Ethan Hutton (Coolkenno), Daire Byrne (Rathvilly), Cathal Lyons (St Patricks); Dylan Ruane (Fighting Cocks), Joseph Gibbons (Rathvilly); Adam Cleary (St Patricks), Brynn Nolan (Rathvilly), Freddie Gibson (Ballon); Luke O’Brien (St Patricks), Aaron Dowling (Fighting Cocks), Jack Corcoran (Rathvilly). Subs: Thomas Fitzgerald for Moloney (25), Enda Byrne (Rathvilly) for Lyons (47).
Christopher Besanson; Daniel Higgins, Patrick Flynn, Ryan Murphy; Noah Byrne, Steve Kavanagh, Ben Hughes; Jamie Kennedy, Ciaran Gethings; Leighton Fleming, Aaron Gethings, Faoián Corbett; Aaron Hourihane, Daragh O’Toole, Jack Buggy. Subs: Eoin Gethings for A Gethings (40), Eoghan Dixon for Fleming (45), A Gethings for Kavanagh (55).
Enda Hulton (Éire Óg)
