Tinahely deserved draw Hunter on fire as Rathnew topple Avoca Village win in rainy Rooster Park

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

Tinahely: Coolkenno: Referee: RATHNEW AVOCA

half with Rathnew having the majority of the possession with Nigel Darragh adding a point from the start.

Then came that man again, the predator Jem Hunter, with a point and almost straight away was through again and was took down by full-back Mikey Fahy who will not want to see that man for a while again. The ref had a quick chat with Mikey and showed him the black card. Hunter converted the free.

The game was starting to slip away from Avoca but Martin Kenny had other ideas and was putting in a good shift at the other end of the field and tagged on two more scores for himself but the comeback was shorted lived went Keith Doyle rattled the onion sack for the Village boys.

You could say game over, but wing back Chris Arthur made a serious amount of runs up his side of the field and at times their were lining up to stop him but he would drop the shoulder and sell them the side step and away with him again.

Nigel Darragh said enough was enough and they exchanged pleasantries which resulted in two yellow cards, both sides started to empty their benches as steam started to arise from some players, with the Avoca men’s backs to the wall and never say die attitude they still fought back well but tempers flared a small bit and a few cards were shown and Eric Doyle got showed his second yellow and headed to the line but the game was as good as over at this stage, Hunter tagged on another two points and Bryan Murphy got one to finish the game on 1–11 to Rathew and 0-06 to Avoca.

Avoca: