Carlow Credit Union S.F.L. Div. 1 final
Tinryland 0- 14 Rathvilly 0-10
A famine of 57 years going back to 1968 was ended in Netwatch Cullen park on Friday 6th June when Tinryland senior footballers captured the senior league title against Co. champions Rathvilly. This was a game the club needed to win so badly and the players and management delivered the league title in impressive fashion against a dogged team from the Wicklow border.
After 8 minutes of scoreless play during which Tinryland and Rathvilly missed some scorable chances it was the men from Rathvilly that opened the scoring when centre forward Brandon Kelly converted a free won by himself. Two minutes later Diarmaid Walshe opened the Tinryland account with a spectacular two pointer to edge Tinryland ahead. Sixty seconds later Cormac O’Brien stretched the Tinryland lead to 2 points after good play by Conor Ryan and it got even better after another sixty seconds when the impressive Conor Carew scored Tinrylands 2nd two pointer to give his side a 4 point lead after fifteen minutes.
Rathvilly responded with a Brandon Kelly point in the 16th minute and when Ed Finnegan pointed 5 minutes later Tinryland knew they were in a game. The latter stages of the opening half saw the men in blue and white up the ante with a Diarmaid Walshe point and another two pointer from the same player which extended our lead to 5 points before Rathvilly closed the first half scoring with an Ed Finnegan point to leave the interval score Tinryland 0-8 and Rathvilly 0-4.
When referee Marion Hayden re-started proceedings Tinryland had introduced Maurice Lawler into the action with Rathvilly springing Daire Curren from the bench. A defensive error after one minute gave Rathvilly a lifeline and they responded with an Ed Finnegan point to reduce the Tinryland advantage to 3 points. More good play by Shane Redmond, Lorcan O’Connor, Ross Moran and Conor Ryan resulted in a Conor Carew point to put Tinryland four points ahead once again. Rathvilly then settled down to enjoy a purple patch and within a six-minute spell they scored 4 unanswered points via Brandon Kelly (3) and Jake Elliott who levelled matters in the 42nd minute after intense Rathvilly domination. Tinryland then began to empty their bench introducing veteran player Cormac Walshe into the action and the tide began to turn once again in Tinryland’s favour when Jonah Dunne regained the lead for the men from Rathcrogue. Conor Byrne was then sprung from the bench to add fresh legs to the Tinryland defence, but it was Rathvilly that responded with another Ed Finnegan point. With six minutes remaining Tinryland regained their advantage with a brilliant Peter Hennessy point who capped a great second half for his team. This score was followed by Tinrylands 4th two pointer from another second half warrior in Cormac O’Brien and when the same player slotted over another point one minute into stoppage time after good play by Matthew O’Toole and Tinryland had finally ended the 57 year famine since their last senior league title.
The focus will now turn to the Michael Lyng Motors S.F.C. which begins in 3 months’ time and there will be great interest in the draw for the championship which will be held in the coming days.
Tinryland: Chris Townsend, Danny Moran, Ross Moran, Jonah Dunne 0-1, Lorcan O’Connor, Conor O’Toole, Niall Lowry, Conor Ryan, Shane Redmond, Peter Hennessy 0-1, Diarmaid Walshe 0-5, Cormac O’Brien 0-4, Matthew O’Toole, Conor Carew 0-3, Jamie Walker. Subs: Maurice Lawler, Cormac Walshe, Conor Byrne.
