Tinahely too strong for AGB

Laura Hogan dominates

TINAHELY AGB 3-19 2-7

TINAHELY powered to victory over AGB in their latest league encounter last Friday evening in Pearse’s Park, Arklow.

Laura Hogan was the chief tormentor of the home side from a scoring point of view with an impressive tally of 10 points to her name (three from frees) but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the reigning county champions despite what the scoreline might suggest.

AGB enjoyed two very healthy periods in this game, the first 15 minutes and the last 10 minutes. However, disastrously from their point of view, Tinahely completely owned the middle 35 minutes and totally destroyed the home team in that time with goals from Ciara Byrne, Jackie Kinch and Eimear O’Brien sickening the AGB challenge.

It could have been quite different for the home side had they taken early chances when the momentum of the game was with them.

They led by 1-1 to 0-2 after 11 minutes when Orla Hayes rifled home to the back of Sarah Hogan’s net having been picked out by full-forward Grace Hurley who had dropped deep and had collected a ball completely unmarked 30 meters from the Tinahely goal with only Shannagh Goetelen and Ciara Stokes minding the house.

Tinahely drew level ten minutes later thanks to two points, one from a Laura Hogan free and the other from Ciara Byrne and from this point until the last 10 minutes the visitors own the game and picked off scores at their leisure with the only negative event being the injury to corner-back Ciara Stokes who pic ked up what looked be a nasty wrist or finger injury after blocking an AGB shot in the opening half.

AGB finished strong to be fair. They got their second goal early in the second half when Annmarie Keegan blasted home with five gone to make it 3-11 to 2-1 and they added the last four scores of the game, two from Keelin Stafford and two from Rachael Byrne.

Tinahely’s dominance can be credited to several aspects of their play. Niamh Kenny was a formidable barrier to AGB’s progress at full-back with Grace Hurley enduring relentless pressure when in possession.

The visitors’ half-back line of Aisling Winterbottom, Áine Byrne and Amy Maher proved to be quite strong over the course of the game, certainly during Tinahely’s period of outright dominance.

The midfield pairing of Emily Mulhall and Jackie Kinch drove hard at AGB while Sinead Byrne and Orla Kealy worked tirelessly either side of the lethal Laura Hogan.

Up top, Ciara Byrne looked threatening throughout while Eimear O’Brien and Loretta Gilbert gave the AGB full-back line plenty of food for thought over the course of the hour in a sun-kissed Pearse’s Park.

Plenty to work on for Tinahely. They looked vulnerable at stages in this game and had AGB taken the sniffs of goal chances that came their way in the opening half when they were running hard at the county champions who knows what way the opening half would have went.

AGB will look to build on those two very positive periods they had in this game. They’re in dire need of an out and out scoring forward but if they work as hard as they did for those spells for an entire game they will cause the majority of teams plenty of headaches.

Scorers – Tinahely: Laura Hogan 0-10 (3f), Jackie Kinch 1-2 (2p), Ciara Byrne 1-2, Loretta Gilbert 0-1, Orla Kealy 0-1, Eimear O’Brien 0-1, Siofra Byrne 0-1, Emily Mulhall 0-1.

AGB: Orla Hayes 1-0, Aine O’Reilly 1-0, Rachael Byrne 0-3, Keelin Stafford 0-3, Eve Rogers 0-1.

Sarah Hogan; Ciara Stokes, Niamh Kenny, Shannagh Goetelen; Aisling Winterbottom, Aine Byrne, Amy Maher; Emily Mulhall, Jackie Kinch; Sinead Byrne, Laura Hogan, Orla Kealy; Ciara Byrne, Loretta Gilbert, Eimear O’Brien. Subs: Siofra Byrne, Jade Shannon.

Linda Dempsey; Caolfhlinn Kavanagh, Emer Kelly, Meadbh O’Connor; Nicola Storey, Emma furlong, Keelin Stafford; Sarah Carnett, Orla Byrne; Annmarie Keegan, Rachael Byrne, Aine O’Reilly; Eve Rogers, Grace Hurley, Orla Hayes. Subs: Muireann O’Connor, Rebecca O’Sullivan, Ciara Forde.

Stephen McNulty