Doyle’s point saves Avoca
Super battle against AGB
AGB AVOCA 2-9 2-9
AGB and Avoca served up a rip-roaring battle in their Philip Doyle Junior ‘B’ Football Championship encounter played at Pearse’s Park, Arklow, on Thursday night last, August 6.
The home side enjoyed a period of dominance in the opening quarter and built up a five-point lead before Avoca scored. The Black and Amber brigade recovered well and had moved into a two-point lead by the halfway stage.
They stretched that lead further in the early stages of the second half and led by six points at the three-quarter mark. It was now the turn of AGB to fight back. And fight back they did. As the game was about to enter the time added on period, AGB goaled to go ahead. However, Avoca didn’t die and Andy Doyle (Jnr) rescued them with a point from play before the call of time.
Arklow opened the scoring with a well planned and executed goal after two minutes. Shane McBride gained possession in midfield. He found Sean Crowley, who looked up and placed a perfect foot pass into the path of the in-rushing Mark Hurley. The half-forward buried the ball past John Harper for a great goal.
The home side were motoring well in the opening minutes while Avoca were a bit at sixes and sevens, making mistakes and getting punished for them. Sean Crowley and Tommy New were dominant around the middle and the flow of the game was in favour of the Arklow men.
Sean Hurley pointed two frees, both of which were moved forward for dissent, to leave the town side five points to the good. Corner-forward John Kinsella opened the Avoca scoring when he converted a free after ten minutes.
By now Avoca full-forward John Arthur was drifting out into the middle third of the field and was helping to gain greater parity. Avoca began to make a spirited effort to get back into the game.
Adam Tuke got a point from play following a quickly taken free and another point from a John Kinsella free left just two points between the sides at the first water break. The remainder of this half belonged to Avoca as they attacked at pace. Dean Power scored a great goal to put his side ahead after twenty minutes.
However, Avoca were guilty of some bad misses and their dominance in this period was not reflected on the scoreboard. Adam Tuke got his second point and Kinsella converted his third free as the game approached half-time.
Avoca now led by a goal but they were saved just before the break when goalkeeper John Harpur brought off a great save from Mark Hurley when it looked like he had to score his second goal. Sean Hurley closed the scoring for this half with his third point from a free to leave Avoca just ahead by 1-5 to 1-3 at the break.
The visitors got off to the better start in the second half. Two further pointed frees from John Kinsella had them four points ahead by five minutes. A pointed free by Daire McBride followed by another from half forward Niall Higgins brought AGB into the game. They should have gone ahead a minute later when Shane McBride found himself through on goal.
Unfortunately, his blistering shot came back off the cross bar and Avoca worked the ball back up field where John Arthur rubbed salt into the AGB wound by pointing to increase the gap to a goal.
AGB were now putting on a lot of pressure with the Avoca backs defending stubbornly. Just before the water break the visitors got the break, they had worked so hard for up to now. Daire McBride was penalised for over carrying.
John Arthur quickly pumped a long ball forward to Chris Arthur who fed Andy Doyle in space. Doyle moved goalward and finished off the move with a great shot to the roof of the net. Avoca now led by two clear goals 2-8 to 1-5.
They must have felt that they were on the road to victory. But they reckoned without the spirit of a determined AGB side who staged a great rally in the final quarter. Points from Shane McBride and Sean Crowley gave them hope.
The Avoca defence led by Liam Dickenson and Mick Fahy were holding out well but the pressure kept coming. Arklow kept pushing forward and were now dominant in the middle third. They were vulnerable to the early ball but Avoca had little opportunity to attack.
Donal O’Keeffe and Daire McBride had the gap down to two points as the game approached added time. And then the AGB attack eventually got through. Daire McBride was held up as he tried to work his way through for a goal. He sent a ground ball across goal where it was met by Sean Hurley.
AGB were ahead and the game moved into added time. There seemed to be a lot of added time played. This should have been of benefit to AGB. They were flying at this stage but missed several chances from play and were wide with two frees.
In a rare break away Avoca worked their way forward and forced a 45. This dropped short but broke out to Andy Doyle who split the posts with the equaliser.
The second half was played at full championship fervour as both sides battled for the spoils. Avoca will probably be happiest, feeling they saved a championship point while AGB will regret their failure to drive on in added time.
TWO of the opening round games of the Philip Doyle Junior ‘B’ football Championship campaign ended in draws after excellent games involving AGBG and Avoca and Tinahely and Knockananna.
Lacken-Kilbride got their championship off to a winning start when they bettered Baltinglass in Baltinglass while there were also wins for Bray Emmets, against St Patrick’s, and Newtown who defeated Newcastle by 0-10 to 0-5.
This Thursday night sees the second round get underway with some very interesting clashes on the horizon.
Newcastle welcome St Patrick’s for their second joust where a win would make up for