PURE HEARTBREAK
Tinahely’s Leinster dream dies against Naomh Ciaran
NAOMH CIARAN (OY) 3-10 TINAHELY 0-7
TINAHELY’S dream of bringing home a first ever Leinster football crown in ladies football died in the November rain in Kinnegad last Sunday evening when they fell to a very strong and excellently organised Naomh Ciaran of Offaly in the provincial decider.
The final result was known by all at the grounds when the Offaly champions harvested a devastating 1-2 in the absence of Jackie Kinch who had been sent to the sin bin by Carlow referee Jonathan Murphy after a foul on Kate Kenny.
Tinahely, while looking under serious pressure and needing something very special to dig them out of a hole, were still in the game to a certain extent prior to Jackie’s departure. But when that yellow card flashed under the lights in Kinnegad Rory Stokes’ side were in massive trouble and with Ellee McEvoy, Kate Kenny, Roisin Ennis and substitute Roisin Egan all in superb form there was only ever going to be one winner from there on in.
It was a disappointing end to what has been a magical season for the Co. Wicklow five-in-a-row champions. Victories over the Louth and Dublin champions sent them into this decider in very good health but the ridiculous delay stemming from the Old Leighlin farce won’t have helped them in any way shape or form.
Matters off the field didn’t determine this Leinster final, however. They certainly didn’t help, but in the end, it came down to the better team on the day winning, there’s just no other way to say it.
A very healthy crowd made the trip to Kinnegad to support the Tinahely women and the tiny stand at the midlands’ venue was packed to capacity when the ball was thrown in for this Leinster Intermediate football final.
Naomh Ciaran’s slow start offered a real sense of confidence to the Tinahely supporters as did the manner in which their players set to work with Jackie Kinch, Aoife Gorman, Aimee Maher and Jessie Byrne all getting through a huge amount of work early on as they tried to supply the Tinahely forwards.
Rory Stokes’ side needed a bright start to settle the nerves and set them off on a road to victory but a number of early chances of points were spurned in favour of going for goals and a tight-marking and relentless Naomh Ciaran defence weren’t keen on suffering any majors and the thought that those misses might come back to bite later on was never far away in that first half.
Tinahely drew first blood through a fine Ciara Byrne score but Naomh Ciaran soon showed their attacking potential when Kate Kenny, wearing eight but lining out at full forward, released Aoife Corbett whose shot was brilliantly saved by Emily Hadden in the Tinahely goal.
The problem for Tinahely was that Kate Kenny looked to have the beating of the Tinahely defence, could kick competently and accurately off both feet and had superb help from all angles when the Offaly side attacked.
Tinahely were playing with Laura Hogan dropping deep to win possession but this denied them a real focal point for their attack in many ways. Hogan winning ball anywhere between the 14 and 21 is worrying for any side but when the talented attacker is winning or receiving ball at midfield or on the 45 the worry is reduced and a tenacious defence such as Naomh Ciaran’s can handle pretty much anything that is thrown at them.
Tinahely’s Loretta Gilbert was denied a goal at the other end not long after Hadden’s fine save before a converted free from Laura Hogan made it 0-2 to 0-0 with the hard-working defence of Sarah
Hogan, Niamh Kenny and Ciara Stokes surviving up until that point but it was abundantly clear that trouble was on its way.
Naomh Ciaran’s first score arrived after 23 minutes played and it arrived courtesy of the superb Ellee McEvoy, listed at corner-forward but who roamed at will, and it was a hammer blow to the Co. Wicklow champions. McEvoy finished to the net from close range after a pass from Kate Kenny, to give her side a narrow one-point lead.
Gilbert responded with a point for Timahely to level the game, but the Offaly kingpins would finish the first half very strongly.
Roisin Cockram’s effort gave the Offaly side a lead, before Kate Kenny doubled their advantage.
McEvoy then pointed from close range, before a free from Kenny on the stroke of half-time left the score board reading 1-4 to 0-3 in favour of Naomh Ciaran at the interval.
The game was very much up for grabs at the break, as either side were capable of winning and the rain was most certainly not easing up, with the conditions far from ideal for a Leinster final.
Ciara Byrne opened the second half scoring to reduce the deficit to three, though Kenny responded with a free to restore her side’s advantage.
A huge moment in the game arrived at this point. Laura Hogan was played in for goal and had a great opportunity to raise a green flag but her wicked shot flew over the bar. This was a big moment in the match, as a goal would have given Tinahely huge momentum.
Substitute Roisin Egan and Hogan then traded points, before a free from the latter left just two points between the teams and Tinahely were very much alive and well in the tie but they were going to need at least one goal you sensed.
The excellent Roisin Egan then scored her second point, before Jackie Kinch was sent to the sin bin in the 46th minute, following a foul on Kate Kenny and the latter pointed the resulting free to leave four between the sides.
Jackie’s absence was devastating. Her presence alone in the middle third of the field, not to even mention her footballing ability, robbed Tinahely of confidence and capability. Naomh Ciaran understood this and went for the jugular.
Ellee McEvoy got the games crucial score in the 49th minute, as Aoife Corbett reacted quickest to a poor Tinahely kick-out, passing to McEvoy who made no mistake with the finish.
Egan’s third point left eight between the sides and the game was over as a contest at this stage in truth.
Naomh Ciaran’s pressure on the Tinahely kick-out made life very difficult on Emily Hadden who also had the awful conditions to deal with.
Ellen McEvoy added another score for Naomh Ciaran, before Egan scored a goal of her own in the 64th minute to seal the victory and condemn Tinahely to a really disappointing defeat.
Rory Stokes’ side will undoubtedly recover. They are as resolute and talented a bunch as your likely to find. The 12-point losing margin is a gross insult to the team and totally unwarranted and undeserved.
No argument will be made against the reflection that Naomh Ciaran were the better team on the day. The Offaly champions possessed players who can kick off both feet, they were ravenously hungry in defence and confident and clinical in attack but Tinahely will know that had they taken those early points or had they at least converted one goal chance to put serious doubts in the Naomh Ciaran heads then who knows what might have happened.
Sadly, the reality is that a welloiled and capable outfit crushed the Leinster dream for another year.
But Tinahely are fighters. They’ll be back, no doubt about it.
Scorers- Naomh Ciaran: Ellee McEvoy 2-2, Roisin Egan 1-3, Kate Kenny 0-4 (0-2f), Roisin Cockram 0-1.
Tinahely: Laura Hogan 0-4 (0-3f), Ciara Byrne 0-2, Loretta Gilbert 0-1