Rathvilly romp past Tinryland
Adam Burgess points for Rathvilly despite the attempted block of Tinryland's Cian McGuire.
Monsoon conditions for most of the first half and for a spell in the second spoiled this Carlow Credit Union Senior Football League Division 1 semi-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday. As it was the Tinryland team which took the field had little resemblance to that on the programme which would suggest a climate of confusion within.
This turned out to be the case on the field too with the reigning division one league champions only scoring one point in the half through a Paddy Regan effort from play.
Their opponents made most of the running and by the break Padhraig Bolger, Brandon Kelly and Kevin Murphy had all scored two points each. Adam Burgess and Darragh Murphy both scored a point with Rathvilly leading 0-8 to 0-1 at the change of ends.
Rathvilly continued to dominate in the second half but all they had to show for their efforts in wet conditions was a pointed free from Kelly. On 38 minutes a booming two-pointer from Tinryland’s Diarmuid Walshe took the bad look off the score-line.
The eventual winners almost collared a goal when Josh Moore got inside the Tinryland cover but he was denied by a good block from keeper, Conall McGuire. By this stage, Tinryland had become a little bit more urgent in their play but didn’t take the few chances which came their way. At least they were in the game and Conor Carew added another two-pointer to leave only four between them.
Rathvilly responded with scores from Bolger and Ryan Sibbald. While there was little chance of them losing the game, a goal from Brandon Kelly scotched any further notions of a comeback from Tinryland.
While the earlier rain had ceased it came back again midway through the second period. Five unanswered points from Rathvilly with Liam Gavin landing two frees to go with points from Kevin Murphy, Brynn Nolan and Kelly eased the Wicklow border side towards a tasty looking final clash against Éire Óg. The outcome of that will hardly define the season for either club but a match between these two sides is always something to look forward to.
B Kelly 1-3 (1f), L Gavin (1-2pf, f), P Bolger, K Murphy (1f) 0-3 each, D Murphy, A Burgess, R Sibbald, B Nolan 0-1 each.
D Walshe 0-2 (1-2p), C Carew 0-2 (1-2p), P Regan 0-1.
Regan Murphy; Paraic Deering, Josh Moore, Daire Byrne; Eric Molloy, Dara Curran, Padhraig Bolger; Ed Finnegan, Kenneth Bello; Adam Burgess, Brandon Kelly, Peter Burgess; Jake Elliott, Darragh Murphy, Kevin Murphy.
Brendan Murphy for Bello, Liam Gavin for Elliott, Brian Smith for Murphy, Ryan Sibbald for P Burgess (all h/t), Brynn Nolan for A Burgess (45).
Conall McGuire; Rory Doyle, Conor Ryan, Chris Townsend; Mark Mullen, Niall Lowry, Maurice Lawler; Paddy Regan, Sean Murphy; Seamus McCullough, Diarmuid Walshe, Conor Carew; Cormac O’Brien, Adam Mullen, Jamie Doyle.
Jamie Walker for Mullen (43), Danny Moran for Lawler (48).
James Foley (Kilbride).
