AGB hold out for victory as momentum builds
AGB DUNLAVIN 0-08 0-07
THIS game was a bit like the dreaded honours maths test in the leaving cert for the AGB and Dunlavin sides. Do well in it and the sky’s the limit. Fail and you’re doomed to repeat all the efforts and all the slogging in 2017.
This AGB side have been showing real quality so far this championship.
They took the Ballinacor defeat on the chin early on when other teams might have crumbled. Things looked very dark when they lost to Donard but sometimes momentum and the energies of the universe seem to be with you and AGB are looking like just such a side this year.
Dunlavin were gutted at the final whistle of this low scoring but decent Intermediate football championship encounter in Aughrim, the first of four games last Sunday, and brought to you live through the Mixlr app on a link on the Wicklow People Sport Facebook page.
The west side were afforded a late chance to equalise with a free from 50 years into the teeth of a strong breeze and Eoin Murtagh attempted to go short but overcooked his pass ever so slightly and AGB pounced and won the ball and Eddie Leonard sounded his final whistle.
Dunlavin men slumped to the ground. Gutted.
A draw wouldn’t have been an unfair result but AGB never really looked like losing the game and that’s probably a weird thing to say given that they only won by a point but that was the feeling when watching this game unfold.
The returning Mervyn Travers to the goal for the Arklow men proved to be a steadying effect on the fullback line where Carl Kirwan, Jim Tyrell and Tom Maher proved to be a tough line of defence.
Darragh Fitzgerald was excellent at half-back and across the way Gary Tyrell was industrious and never found wanting. Ciaran Hyland is showing quite well in the number six jersey and he brings a real strength to the very important position.
Ross Hynes didn’t have his best day but will be a massively important figure in the semi-final. Philip Gleeson was his busy self while Cormac Hyland brings a real positive dynamic to the equation.
The full-forward line of Cathal Kelleher, Philip Healy and Cormac O’Shea were decent without being mesmerizingly good and Ivan Hurley, Cal Kelly, and Padraic Kelleher all showed well when they came off the bench.
It’s a shame to see the Dunlavin men depart the championship. Theirs is a team filled with talent from the full-back line of Pauric Carmody, Alan O’Sullivan, and Harry Colbourne through their team with names like Eoin Murtagh, Jimmy Kelly, Gary Allen, Paul Murtagh, Shane Carthy and Daniel Dawson. The future is bright but the years can slip by oh so fast.
Dunlavin led by a single score at 0-04 to 0-03 at the end of the first half. Dunlavin played with the stiff breeze in the opening 30 minutes but had been held extremely well by the tenacious AGB defence but Dunlavin had finished the half very strongly with points from Mark Rigley, Gary Allen, and Rigley again sending them in leading by one.
A Philip Gleeson free early in the second half levelled matters but Daniel Dawson returned Dunlavin to the lead from play only to be tagged back again thanks to a fine point from Stephen Hurley while on the run.
Gleeson from play was answered by substitute Cian O’Sullivan to leave it at 0-06 to 0-06 before a Gleeson free pushed AGB in front once again after 51 minutes.
Cathal Kelleher gave AGB a two-point cushion as the game drew to a conclusion but James Sinnott dropped over a peach to leave just one between the sides with three to play.
Dunlavin were like hungry hyenas running around the place looking for scraps but AGB were in no mood to turn their lead over to the scavengers and they repelled them at every opportunity until finally Eoin Murtagh was bundled over 50 yards from goal and no doubt he considered having a go but he chose correctly and went short only to see his pass go too far and AGB eventually robbed the ball from the receiver and Eddie Leonard let rip on his whistle. Game over. 0-08 to 0-07.
AGB: Mervyn Travers; Carl Kirwan, Jim Tyrell, Tom Maher; Darragh Fitzgerald, Ciaran Hyland, Gary Tyrell; JP Hurley, Stephen Hurley; Ross Hynes, Philip Gleeson, Cormac Hyland; Cathal Kelleher, Philip Healy, Cormac O’Shea. Subs: Ivan Hurley for Ross Hynes; Cal Kelly for P Healy; Padraic Kelleher for P Gleeson.
Dunlavin: Ciaran O’Rourke; Pauric Carmody, Alan O’Sullivan, Harry Colborne; Eoin Murtagh, Jimmy Kelly, Barry Miley; Aaron Phelan, Thomas Kelly; Gary Allen, Paul Murtagh, Shane Carthy; Tom Davis, Daniel Dawson, Mark Rigley. Subs: Cian O’Sullivan for S Carthy; James Sinnott, Sean Phelan, Fionn Deegan for M Rigley.
Referee: Eddie Leonard