O'Toole scores late goal as Tinryland eventually put Éire Óg away
Tinryland's Conor O'Toole slides the ball to the Éire Óg net with Mark Daly and Niall Swan beaten.
Tinryland’s inconsistency continues. After handing out a ten point mauling over the weekend to Ballon, the Blue and White hoops appeared to go on a go-slow in this fifth round intermediate football championship tie at Netwatch Cullen Park on Tuesday.
Éire Óg were not a lot better but there are mitigating circumstances here. The sticky rain which had started to fall earlier in the afternoon and continued into darkness had to be a factor. Players needed that split second more which will always hand the initiative over and create indecision.
Ronan Quinlan knocked over an early point for Éire Óg. Mikey Byrne equalised for Tinryland and in a game of attrition for the remainder of the half, player endeavour had to be admired but scores were hard to come by.
Paul Broderick, in his heyday, would have loved the two-point rule. He tried it out here in the early stages into the O’Hanrahan end of the ground. His shot outside the arc but in front of the goal seemed to be dipping under the crossbar. Either Broderick’s team mate, Sean Murphy, or the Éire Óg keeper, Mark Daly, got a touch and deflected the ball over the crossbar.
Was this a genuine two-pointer? If the keeper got a touch well yes is the answer. If his right-half back colleague got his fingers to it well then probably not. In fairness the umpires were on the spot and they would have been in the best position to make a judgement. The waving of the orange flag indicated that the match officials were happy.
In any case, Éire Óg’s Jamie Coakley levelled the game with a two-pointer of his own. After that both sides had their moments with Jamie Doyle and Ross Moran points pushing Tinryland clear. Dermot Lawlor levelled with another two-pointer from play into the scoreboard end of the ground. Peter Hennessy replied in kind for Tinryland. Paddy Regan’s run punched a hole in the Éire Óg defence and his white flag eased Tinryland 0-8 to 0-6 clear.
A minute before the break, Corey Harmon, found the posts from outside the arc with the Tinryland keeper, Conall McGuire, deflecting a dropping ball over the crossbar to level the game at 0-8 each at the break.
Tinryland almost scored a goal early in the second half when John Murphy raided down the left and delivered a dangerous looking ball across the edge of the small square. Supporters were on their feet but to their dismay, Jamie Doyle got the touch ok but the ball flew wide of the left-hand upright.
Minutes later, that was all forgotten when Tinryland prised open a lax defence and this time Conor O’Toole made no mistake from close range. Murphy’s introduction had steadied Tinryland. The influence of the intercounty player was huge. He scored two points in the half and under his direction, Tinryland found a little bit more energy to squeeze out what became an emphatic win. Their loyal supporters were smiling at the end but once again they know what it is like to be put through the mill.
J Doyle 0-4 (2fs), C O’Toole 1-0, J Murphy 0-2, P Hennessy 0-2 (1-2p), P Broderick 0-2 (1-2p), R Moran 0-1, M Byrne 0-1,, P Regan 0-1, C O’Brien 0-1, D Moran 0-1.
J Coakley 0-4 (1-2p f), R Quinlan 0-3 (fs), C Harmon 0-2 (1-2p), D Lawlor 0-2 (1-2p).
Conal McGuire; Ross Moran, Conor Ryan, James Walker; Sean Murphy, Danny Moran, Mikey Byrne; Cormac Walshe, Paddy Regan; Cormac O’Brien, Peter Hennessy, Mark Mullen; Maurice Lawler, Paul Broderick, Jamie Doyle. Subs: Conor O’Toole for Broderick (24), John Murphy for Walshe (h/t), Rory Doyle for Mullen (45), Chris Townsend for Lawler (51).
Mark Daly; Ryan Donnelly Finn, Leon Fitzgerald, Niall Swan; David Dunphy, Eoghan Murphy, Cillian McGrath; Kelvin Chatten, Cialan Brady; Eoin Maddock, Jody Murphy, Dermot Lawlor; Jamie Coakley, Ronan Quinlan, Corey Harmon. Subs: Ruarc Murray for McGrath (48), Ivan Murphy for Harmon (53), Tom Behan for Quinlan (55), Jack Feehan for Lawlor (58).
James Foley (Kilbride).
