One of Carlow's big guns set for the drop
Action from the 2023 county final between Éire Óg and Tinryland, it will be a very different game when then teams meet again on Sunday Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
The results don’t tell lies. It might be a surprise that one of these two teams will be playing intermediate football next season but Tinryland and Éire Óg are in a relegation final for a reason.
Quite simply Fenagh beat Tinryland in their opening group game. After that, they got a thirteen point thumping from Palatine. Against Bagenalstown Gaels in their final group game, they had to play against fourteen players for almost the entire second half and still couldn’t get the win. Yes there was that controversy over the point that wasn’t given but they still had 45 minutes to repair the damage. One draw in the championship speaks for itself.
Éire Óg can have no complaints. There was hope and good grounds to be optimistic when they came from seven points down to earn a deserved draw against Old Leighlin. Against Rathvilly, they led by five points in the second half and were unable to see out the win. A remarkable error when failing to keep three defenders back inside their own half handed Kevin Murphy a simple point and a draw to their arch rivals.
The performance against Mount Leinster Rangers was all but unforgiveable. It should not be forgotten that they were playing a side who have only been in the football training field for about three weeks since winning the senior hurling final.
A two-point defeat to Rangers should have been a lot more. Éire Óg were third (!) best on the day if that was possible. The YIs won a county senior title three years ago when they beat Tinryland in the final. Yet the Teach Asca side will dread this game. Will that fear prevent them from getting a performance? It is hard to see Tinryland winning but if they draw something from their league victory over Rathvilly earlier in the season they must have a chance. Recent Éire Óg teams have lost the habit of winning as Rathvilly and Palatine teams pass them by.
Éire Óg
