TENSIONS RUN HIGH
AGB and Tinahely must meet again after thriller
TINAHELY AGB 2-7 0-13
THE replay of this Arklow Bay Hotel Division 1A clash between AGB and Tinahely would be well worth going to see given the drama and subplots that will be carried forward from this entertaining if low on quality game in Joule Park Aughrim last week.
It was a game that provided plenty of drama and some fine scores, but it was also a game that produced, from an AGB perspective, six shots dropped short to Niall Byrne (Tinahely had one) and a total of 16 wides, 11 of those belonging to Damien Redmond’s men. Add to this the fact that AGB were without up to nine potential starters, including Darragh Fitzgerald, and it might be fair to say that the Arklow side left Joule Park Aughrim feeling a little better about themselves.
However, Tinahely had plenty of positives to take from the game as well. They held AGB scoreless for 20 minutes and had amassed 1-4 themselves by that stage, the goal from Rory Stokes who lashed home from close range after good work from Jason Cush.
They had a second major before the break, this one from Cush himself, and were looking comfortable at 2-4 to 0-4 at the break despite AGB’s willingness and ability to break forward at pace.
The confidence that comes from having enjoyed an unbeaten run was evident for all to see as Tinahely romped into an early lead in this game. Rory Stokes, Tony Darcy (two, one free) and Noel Mulhall were all on the board with points by the 14th minute, but while that might sound like there was only one team playing the opposite was the case. AGB were creating chances and causing Tinahely plenty of difficulties, they just couldn’t get the ball over the bar.
The game was quite messy in terms of possession with 42 turnovers taking place, 22 for AGB, 20 for Tinahely and both managers will be looking for more security in this regard the next day out.
AGB’s Chris O’Brien, who had a fine game from midfield, stopped the rot and got them off the mark in the 20th minute, five minutes after Stokes had almost ripped the AGB net with the game’s opening goal.
Shane McBride grabbed two points before the break and Cathal Kelleher added another before Jason Cush fired home for Tinahely’s second goal to leave it 2-4 to 0-4 at the break.
The opening 18 minutes of the second half were finely balanced, with Tony Darcy profiting from a stunning ball from Alan Dillon to point, Shane McBride replying at the other end, Stephen Hurley cutting the Tinahely lead, Darcy replying from a free and Chris O’Brien popping over his second of the day which, aside from a few wides and the likes, brought us up nicely to the 45th minute of the game. From this point things got very interesting.
Tinahely’s Alan Dillon made a burst forward and was bearing down on the AGB goal coming in from the dressing rooms at the village end of the pitch.
He got his pass away but collided with AGB’s Danny O’Harte in the process. Play continued for a short period before the ball came to Stephen Hurley who, with Alan Dillon still lying on the ground in some distress behind him, proceeded to boot the ball out over the sideline on the bank side around the AGB 45-yard line so that attention could come on for Dillon.
The Tinahely attacked received his treatment and was able to continue and the game resumed with the Tinahely sideline ball.
Now, unlike soccer, there is no rule, unwritten or otherwise, that suggests or directs the opposing team to return the sporting gesture made by Stephen Hurley by returning possession to them so that the game can continue.
Tinahely, through Rory Stokes, resume play from the sideline ball. Stokes went short to Tony Darcy who returned to Stokes who swung over an absolute beauty of a point.
Needless to say, this did not go down well with the AGB team or management, and, interestingly, Tinahely did not score again in this game, as AGB took complete control with points from Darragh Culleton, Stephen Hurley, Shane McBride and Chris O’Brien to make it 0-13 to 2-7 and without a shadow of a doubt if there had been 60 more second to play an AGB victory looked certain as momentum was completely with Damien Redmond’s men at this stage.
However, time was not their ally, and referee Noel Kinsella sounded the three shrill blasts to signal time up with the majority in the crowd expecting extra-time to follow.
But there was to be another twist in the tale.
On the official notification of the game there was no mention of the prospect of extra-time and therefore both teams or one team were perfectly within their rights not to play extra-time and AGB, without a raft of potential starters, opted to not play the extra-time and await a replay, expected to be fixed for two weeks’ time.
A heated discussion took place in the middle of the field between both sets of management and members of the Wicklow CCC where it is believed that the incident involving Stephen Hurley kicking the ball out to allow attention to come in for Alan Dillon was mentioned among other issues.
Expect drama aplenty when these two sides meet again. It will be a clash not to be missed.
– Tinahely: Rory Stokes 1-2, Tony Darcy 0-4 (1f), Jason Cush 1-0, Noel Mulhall 0-1.
AGB: Shane McBride 0-4, Chris O’Brien 0-3, Stephen Hurley 0-2, Cathal Kelleher 0-1, JP Hurley, Karl Kirwan 0-1, Darragh Culleton 0-1.
Niall Byrne; Conor Hatton, Michael Byrne, James Gilbert; Kevin Mulhall, Willie Dillon, John Blake; Stephen Dillon, Noel Mulhall; James Hedderman, Jason Cush, Alan Nolan; Tony Darcy, Rory Stokes, Alan Dillon. Subs: David Blake for J Blake (9min, inj), Willie Qualie for J Hedderman (39min), Daniel Ging for T Darcy (50min), Brian Walsh for W Dillon.
Mervyn Travers; Karl Kirwan, James Tyrrell, Tadgh O’Callaghan; Tom Maher, Danny O’Harte, Andrew Maher; JP Hurley, Chris O’Brien; Stephen Hurley, Darragh Culleton, Cathal Kelleher; Dara McBride, Shane McBride, Philip Healy. Subs: Sean Hurley for D McBride (50min), Ciarán Hyland for D Culleton (56min), Mark Fitzgerald for T Maher (57min).
Noel Kinsella (Kilbride)
Scorers Tinahely: AGB: Referee: