Tinahely deserved draw

and miraculously stay out of the Tinahely goal.

However, Coolkenno would get their goal soon after through Ger Nolan. The centre forward received a ball over the top after god work from Cormac Byrne and Kavanagh and fired home for a Coolkenno team hitting the top at the right time.

Adam O’Neill levelled through a free before an effort from Cormac Byrne handed Coolkenno the lead for the first time in the game with ten gone in the half.

Shane Kenny was introduced by Tinahely and scored with his first touch after good advantage played by the referee and at the opposite end goalkeeper Alan Lillis thwarted Roche again with a fine save. Murphy and Gorman traded points for the two sides before Stewart Gilbert gave Tinahely the slenderest of leads with a fine score.

Coolkenno however, were to pounce for their third major of the night with five minutes to go in dramatic fashion. An effort from O’Neill somehow was deflected off the crossbar and into a goal mouth scramble.

Corner-forward Hugh Naughton somehow managed to turn the ball into the Tinahely net with a two point lead which was big in the conditions. Tinahely’s response however, was immediate. Niall Gorman fired over a score for the home side before Enda O’Keefe found his effort at goal saved by O’Donoghue.

Up stepped wing back Anthony Phelan to strike a 45 and despite having difficulty with his free taking earlier in the game he was not to be denied this time and levelled matters with the game entering injury time.

Coolkenno had two opportunities for another score but shots from outside the boot which are becoming all too common proved too difficult to convert with the wet ball. Tinahely also had a goal chance in injury time when a free dropped just short of the Coolkenno goal and in the ensuing scramble was poked wide. A fair result for both sides in a pulsating second half.

Alan Lillis, Danny Quinn, Kevin Doyle, Tony Lacey, Anthony Phelan (1-2), Ray McGlynn, Willie Quaile (0-1), Brian Hickey (0-1), Niall Gorman (0-2), Enda O’Keefe, David Dillon (1-0), Bill Kavanagh, Sean Pollard, Stewart Gilbert (0-1), Eric Donohue. Subs: Shane Kenny (0-1) for Pollard. Stephen Nolan for W Quaile.

Stephen O’Donoghue, Chris Bowes, Anthony Keogh, Patrick Byrne, Pauric Waterton, Pierce McCarthy, Billy Lucas, Adam O’Neill (0-2), Colm Murphy (1-1), Ian Roche, Ger Nolan (1-0), Johnny Kavanagh (0-1), Hugh Naughton (1-0), Daniel O’Neill, Cormac Byrne (0-1). Subs Rory Coleman for D O’Neill (black card)

Stephen Fagan THIS was the first round of the Philip Doyle Junior ‘B’ Football Championship between Avoca and Rathnew in Avoca’s home ground Rooster Park, a place were no team likes to go to get a result.

With the rain coming down in the bucket load, conditions were going to be tough especially for the man in the middle but unfortunately the game did not live up to expectations.

Rathnew had clocked up four wides in the first eight minutes; Avoca’s defence was under serious pressure battling hard to get out past their own 45yard line but managed to break though and got their first score from midfielder Patrick Kennedy.

There were good battles going on in various positions across the field but the stand out man of the day was Jem Hunter who seemed to be their go to man. It took Rathnew until the 17th and 18th minute to rack up their first scores and it was the man Jem Hunter that was involved in both scores.

At the other end of the field, full-forward Martin Kenny had set about business himself and put Jason Porter though on goal only to drive the ball straight at the keeper.

Rathnew then got through a tight defence which was being patrolled well by Chris Arthur and Bradley Moran but they hit the post and it went wide for a 45, some might have questioned the decision, up walked what the looked to be the Steven Cluxton of the Rathnew team, John ‘The Pieman’ Sayer to kick it, even with a few sniggers from the Avoca bench! Well the grin was on the other side as he retreated to his goal after converting the score. Just before the half-time whistle went, John Healy tagged on another for the visitors to leave it 0-05 to 0-02 at the break.

The second half started much the same as the first

Chris Canavan; Eoin Murtagh, Mikey Fahy, Bradley Moran; Chris Arthur, Robert Wilson, Niall McCauley; Patrick Kennedy (0-01), Andy Doyle; Dean Power, Steven McCauley, Anthony Doran; Jason Porter, Martin Kenny (0-05, 4f), M O’Neill. Subs: J Arthur for A Doran, D Keogh for M Fahy, R Ward for J Porter.

John Sayer 0-01 (45); Eric Doyle, Alan Clarke, Chris Murphy; James Kavanagh, Luke Corcoran, John Healy (0-01); Rob Byrne, Mick Nolan; Nigel Darragh (0-01), Bryan Murphy (0-01), Keith Doyle (1-00); Mick Doyle, James Hunter (0-07, 2f), Danny Quinn. Subs: B. Doyle for N Darragh, C Doyle for K Doyle.

Pat Hickey