Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Carlow SFC
Tinryland 0-14 Bagenalstown Gaels 1-11
Tinryland senior footballers are staring at a relegation play off with Eire Og despite their best performance to date in this year’s championship which ended all square at Netwatch Cullen park on Sunday 21st September.
This was a game that Tinryland should have won having dominated possession in the opening 30 minutes. The game began with a Bagenalstown Gaels point in the 2nd minute from their centre back Jack McCullough but it was the men from Rathcrogue that were showing the urgency for the next 20 minutes when they raced into a 4 point lead by the 25th minute following a Diarmaid Walshe two pointer and excellent scores from Walshe, Paddy Regan Cormac O’ Brien, Niall Lowry and Paddy Regan again which left the interval score 10 points to 7 in favour of the men in blue and white.
The big talking point of that opening half was a point in the 15th minute that was waved wide by the umpire when for many observers including the KCLR team on commentary it looked as if the ball had gone over the bar. The kicker Niall Lowry was adamant that he had scored a point as was the Tinryland captain Danny Moran who was certain that it was a Tinryland score.
Bagenalstown Gaels other first half point scorers were Oisin Dillon, a brilliant two pointer, Cian Doyle (2), and Paddy McDonnell.
When referee Marion Hayden re-started proceedings it was Bagenalstown Gaels that showed the urgency gaining parity by the 45th minute with 3 unanswered points from Robbie Kane, Paddy McDonnell and Kane again. The men from the banks of the Barrow then took the lead for the first time since the 2nd minute when Cian Doyle slotted over another point as Tinryland sent on James McGrath to add injection to their attack. McGrath had a great chance of equalising but was narrowly wide shortly after his introduction. 3 minutes later Tinryland were back on level terms when Diarmaid Walshe raised a white flag following good work by Jonah Dunne. Tinryland regained the lead with 8 minutes remaining when National ploughing champion John Murphy pointed following good play by Niall Lowry. The key moment in the game then arrived in the 58th minute when Tinryland were rocked by a Danny Doyle goal which edged the Gaels 2 points ahead with time ticking away. To their credit Tinryland responded with late points from James McGrath and Jonah Dunne but after 1 minute was signalled as injury time Tinryland supporters were stunned when the referee blew the long whistle almost immediately even though there were at least two minutes stoppages in this game due to a sending off of a Bagenalstown player and an injury to Tinryland player Jonah Dunne. Tinryland will try to study the video regarding the Niall Lowry disputed point but unless the decision is reversed, they will face Eire Og in the match to decide who will drop to Intermediate ranks next season. Who would have predicted that scenario at the start of the season? Tinryland have requested an urgent meeting of the CCC to review the failure to award the point that Niall Lowry scored given the implications of the final result for Tinryland and the SFC.
Tinryland: Chris Townsend, Ross Moran, Conor Ryan, Michael Hosey, Jonah Dunne 0-1, Paddy Regan 0-2, Diarmaid Walshe 0-6, John Murphy 0-1, Mark Mullen, Peter Hennessy, Cormac O’Brien 0-1, Niall Lowry 0-1, Danny Moran 0-1 (Captain), Maurice Lawler, Cathal O’Toole. Sub: James McGrath 0-1
Bagenalstown Gaels: Ciaran Cunningham, Thomas McDonnell, Jason Wall, Sean Wall, Niall Bolger, Jack McCullough, Mark McDonald, Patrick McDonnell 0-3, Shane Clarke (Captain), Danny Doyle 1-0, Jamie Clarke, Darragh Nolan, Cian Doyle 0-5, Robbie Kane 0-2, Oisin Dillon 0-1. Sub: Andrew Casey.
Referee Marion Hayden Eire Og.
