A RIGHT OLD BATTLE Eire Og Greystones and Avondale share the spoils

at Pearse’s Park, Arklow and robs Wicklow GAA supporters of the pleasure of watching one of the finest practitioners of our native games in the Garden county.

Emmet O’Sullivan sent a strong looking Avondale side into battle with Ray ‘Fiddler’ Nolan at full-forward and within 60 seconds the renowned hurler had the ball in the back of Martin Joyce’s goal after Nolan took a superbly struck sideline ball and turned his man sublimely before lashing home to the back of the net. A dream start for the Dales.

Eire Og were never going to be terribly worried by this early blow and Michael Walsh replied from play before James ‘Pooch’ Cranley popped over the first of his five points to reduce the margin to a single point and all after only three minutes of play.

Ray Nolan fired over a free shortly after and the full-forward was really electric in this game and showing signs that he is hurling really well with plenty of fire in the belly.

The physically impressive figure of Anto Byrne walloped over a free for Eire Og after seven minutes and a superbly struck effort from out near the sideline from Dan O’Neill had the sides tied at 1-01 to 0-04 after eight minutes of an absorbing clash.

Midfield maestro Eamonn Kearns gathered a fine Tom Finn puck-out and turned and walloped it between the sticks in a perfect of example of how to play no nonsense hurling before Cranley levelled matters once again from a free.

A forgettable five-minute spell of shooting followed with wides from Ray Nolan, Anto Byrne, Niall Heffernan, and Danny Nolan.

Ray Nolan then found his mojo and he fired over a point from play followed by one from a free to make it 1-04 to 0-05 after 16 minutes of hectic action.

A foul on Danny Nolan as he struck the ball gave James Cranley an easier free from where the ball landed and the Eire Og man made no mistake.

Lovely hurling then provided Ray Nolan another chance and given the form that the Avondale star was in there was no way he was going to miss.

Loose hurling earned Gavin Parslow a yellow card after he made contact with Dean Gahan and Nolan walloped over the free and there was better news for Avondale as Anto Byrne struck a woeful free straight to Niall Heffernan and the midfielder made no mistake.

The teams retired with Avondale leading by 1-07 to 0-06 and this was extended with a Diarmuid Phelan point before good play from Declan Byrne set up James Cranely for a fine effort from play.

You sensed that Eire Og were going to need a goal to help them rein in the Avondale men and that goal came from the hurl of Michael Walsh after 37 minutes after he rose highest to direct an Anto Byrne free to the back of Tom Finn’s net.

Ray Nolan and Anto Byrne exchanged points, Nolan’s from a free, Byrne’s from a 65, before Walsh popped up again to land the equalising score after 46 minutes played.

A super Danny Nolan then gave Eire Og the lead and from here on in it was helter skelter with points from James Cranley, Eamonn Kearns, and Dean Gahan before Declan Byrne dropped over the equalising score with two minutes to go.

Anto Byrne had one chance to sneak a winner with a free after a Sean Doyle foul but his effort went wide.

A very entertaining game in Arklow but one that could have been vastly improved by a better crowd and a full contingent of umpires to lend a hand with major decisions and flag raising duties.

As one spectator said, “they’d be queuing up to do it on county final day”.

Scorers – Avondale: Ray Nolan 1-06 (4f); Eamonn Kearns 0-03 (1f); Diarmuid Phelan 0-01; Dean Gahan 0-01, Niall Heffernan.

Eire Og Greystones: James Cranley 0-05 (4f); Michael Walsh 1-02; Anto Byrne 0-02 (1f, 1 65); Dan O’Neill 0-01; Danny Nolan 0-01; Declan Byrne 0-01.

Eire Og Greystones: Martin Joyce; Andrew Walsh, Daniel O’Connor, Peter Keane; Billy Cuddihy, Anto Byrne, Gavin Parslow; Ben Nolan, Danny Nolan; Declan Byrne, Kristin Flynn, Michael Walsh; James Cranley, Shane Nolan, Dan O’Neill. Subs: Jack Tanner for G Parslow (50mins); Kevin Byrne for D O’Neill (50min); Phelim Byrne for D Byrne (50mins).

Avondale: Tom Finn; Michael O’Toole, Eugene Dunne, Sean Doyle; Keith Byrne, Shaun Byrne, Oisin Heffernan; Niall Heffernan, Eamonn Kearns; Brian O’Hanlon, Dean Gahan, Karl Fallon; Craig Byrne, Ray Nolan, Diarmuid Phelan. Subs: Ronan Doyle for D Phelan, Paul Gahan for C Byrne,

Referee: Mattie Dowling (Carnew).