Tinahely triumph after battle with Aughrim
ON a beautiful sunny afternoon that would not have been out of place in June, Tinahely and Aughrim served up an entertaining game of football in the Under 15 ‘C’ final played in Askinagap on Saturday last.
Aughrim, the younger and overall slighter of the two teams, hung on to their physically stronger opponents for a long period of the game but Tinahely came good in the second half and put enough daylight between the side to run out comfortable winners on a score line of 1-13 to 0-9.
Oisin O’Gorman got Tinahely off the mark early on with a point but Alex Kavanagh levelled matters with a pointed free after ten minutes.
O’Gorman again put Tinahely ahead and they struck for a goal from Rory O’Dare shortly afterwards. Alex Kavanagh came back for another Aughrim point from a free to leave just the goal between the sides.
Tinahely centre forward Oisin O’Gorman, who had an outstanding first half, added two points from play to open the gap to five points. Aughrim’s Sam Carroll reduced the lead with a sweet point off his left foot.
Just before the half-time break the Aughrim midfielder Dylan Byrne, who had a fine game all through, converted a fine ‘45’ kick to leave just the goal between the sides at the half-time break, Tinahely 1-4, Aughrim 0-4.
Owen Hedderman got Tinahely off the mark with a point in the first minute of the second period.
The Tinahely goal had a narrow escape a minute later when an Alex Kavanagh free kick came back off the post and goalie Paddy Faye and full back Daragh Hayden did well to scramble the ball clear.
Alex Kavanagh pointed his next free in the third minute but from here on Tinahely went into a period of ascendancy.
They had unanswered points from Oran O’Callaghan (2), Oisin O’Gorman (2), Ross Lawless, Rory Tallon and Owen Hedderman to establish a 1-12 to 0-5 lead by twenty minutes. They were playing a nice brand of football and their half backs, particularly Oran O’Callaghan, were getting forward in support.
Alex Kavanagh stopped the one-way flow of scores when he pointed on twenty minutes. Aughrim finished strongly over the last five minutes.
Dylan Byrne repeated his first half finish when he pointed another’45’. Both he and Alex Kavanagh finished off fine performances from them both when they converted the final two Aughrim points. Oran O’Callaghan scored Tinahely’s final point.
This was a fine team performance from Tinahely, who ran out comfortable winners on a score line of 1-13 to 0-9.
Aughrim will take consolation from the fact that practically all of their squad are under age again for this competition in the coming year.
Scorers: Tinahely: Oisin O’Gorman 0-6, Rory O’Dare 1-0, Oran O’Callaghan 0-3, Owen Hedderman 0-2, Ross Lawless and Rory Tallon 0-1 each.
Aughrim: Alex Kavanagh 0-5, Dylan Byrne 0-3, Sam Carroll 0-1. Tinahely: Paddy Faye; Eamon Ennis, Darragh Hayden, Odhran Doyle;
Larry Kinsella, Colm Mutton, Oren O’Callaghan; Rys Nolan, Patrick Murphy; Rory Tallon, Oisin O’Gorman, Ross Lawless; Rory O’Dare, Tiernan McDonald, Owen Hedderman.
Aughrim: Calum McKenna; Leo Byrne, Hugh Gunning, Oisin Keegan; Stevan O’Toole, Shane Arthur, Philip Toomey; Dylan Byrne, Conor Edwards; Patrick Laccardi, Sam Carroll, Alex Kavanagh; Dermot Toomey, Conor Doyle, Joe McLean. Subs: Conal O’Brien, Jack Dowling, Lorcan Toomey, Cameron Byrne. Referee: Robert Roche (Carnew)