S.F.L.Div 1
Palatine 1-10 Tinryland 1-10
This local derby played if front of a sizeable crowd in Bennekerry on Friday last ended in a draw after both teams looked to be in control at various stages.
The home team began well and were 3 points up by the 10th minute with 3 unanswered points from Padraig Kelly and a brace from their industrious centre forward Shane O’Neill. Slow starting Tinryland eventually woke from their slumbers in the 11th minute when Diarmaid Walshe converted a free won by Tinryland centre forward Cormac O’Brien. Two minutes later only the minimum separated the teams when Diarmaid Walshe scored a wonderful point after good play by Barry Power. Tinryland then had a chance to level matters but Diarmaid was wide on this occasion but the teams were level by the 20th minute when Cormac O’Brien lofted over a point following good play by Matthew O’Toole, Diarmaid Walshe and John Murphy. It got even better then when Tinryland took the lead for the first time in the 21st minute when Diarmaid Walshe converted a free won by himself.
Palatine then replied quickly with another successful free by Shane O’Neill after a foul on Jack Deacey. This score seemed to give the home team an extra pep in their step and they tagged on 3 further points from Shane O’Neill from dead balls as the fouls by the Tinryland defence mounted up.
With 2 minutes remaining in the first half disaster struck for Tinryland when a misplaced kick out by stand in keeper Paul Broderick went straight to Shane O’Neill and the Pal centre forward rattled the Tinryland net to put 5 points between the teams entering first half stoppage time. Palatine went further ahead on the stroke of half time when their wing back David Reid scored a wonderful point to leave the scoreboard reading Palatine 1-8 Tinryland 0-6 when referee Pat Murphy sounded the long whistle.
Tinryland introduced Shane Webb and Cormac Walshe into the fray on the resumption and Tinryland were first to decorate the scoreboard when Cormac O’Brien won a free and Diarmaid Walshe converted. Conor McGrath then entered the fray for Tinryland as Shane O’Neill extended the home team’s lead after Tinryland conceded another free. One of the scores of the match then arrived when Diarmaid Walshe raised a white flag and when the same player converted a free won by John Murphy in the 46th minute Tinryland supporters in the sizeable attendance started to believe that something could be rescued from this game. Tinryland continued to press and great work by mid-fielder Peter Hennessy was rewarded by another point from Diarmaid who was outstanding throughout in this local derby game scoring 1-8. With 7 minutes remaining Walshe scored again to reduce the margin to 2 points and it got even better with 4 minutes remaining when the man from Ballybar rattled the Pal net with as good an individual goal that has been scored in Carlow this year. Tinryland were now ahead for the first time since the 21st minute and in a backs to the wall game as the match entered stoppage time they contained the Palatine onslaught with some superb defending by Conor Ryan, John Murphy, Cian McGuire, Niall Lowry and Mark Mullen. Tinryland could have extended their advantage when Diarmaid Walshe offloaded to sub. Conor Carew but his shot hit the upright and Palatine survived to come back down the field and David Reid repeated his first half heroics with a wonderful equaliser from the corner flag to give Palatine a share of the spoils. This game doubled as the Andy Murphy Shield final in aid of Carlow Hospice and a sizeable donation will be on the way for this worthy cause. Tinryland have now gone unbeaten in the league for the first time in many years and will be seeded No. 1 when the semi-final pairings are decided.
Tinryland: Paul Broderick, Conor Ryan, John Murphy, Cian McGuire, Rory Doyle, Niall Lowry, Mark Mullen, Peter Hennessy, Barry Power, Conor O’Toole 0-1, Cormac O’Brien 0-1, Matthew O’Toole, Diarmaid Walshe 1-8, Mark Lawlor, Maurice Lawler. Subs: Michael Hosey, Shane Webb, Cormac Walshe, Conor McGrath, Conor Carew.
Palatine: Craig Kearney, Gavin Healy, Cian Cashman, Conor O’Doherty, David Reid 0-2, Brian Broderick, Stephen Reilly, Darragh Fitzpatrick, Jason Kane, Tommy Fitzharris, Shane O’Neill 1-7, Jack Deacy, Padraic Kelly 0-1, Josh Egan, James Cranny. Subs: Matthew Farrell, Cian Campion.
Referee Pat Murphy Fenagh
