Nolan’s save sends Tinahely into orbit
TINAHELY and Avondale served up a great battle in the first SeniorfFootball championship semi-final in Aughrim on Saturday evening last.
The sides finished level when Ryan Cahill rescued the Dales at the end of the game with a last gasp equaliser.
Coming to the end of the second period of extra-time Tinahely led by a clear goal but once again Avondale were rescued, this time by Conor McGraynor, who deflected home a goal for the Rathdrum men to bring the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Even this contest went down to the wire with Alan Nolan facing Conor McGraynor in the gathering darkness for the fifth and last penalty kick.
The score stood at 4-3 in favour of Tinahely. Conor needed to score for Avondale to stay in the competition. He struck what looked to be a perfect shot, a ground ball just inside Alan Nolan’s right post. But the Tinahely man dived to his right and touched the ball round the post to put his side back into their first county final since 1984.
While the Tinahely men celebrated and Avondale were crestfallen, friend and foe alike were agreed that this was a cruel way to exit the championship. But that’s the way it is.
Both sides made changes to their selected line outs just before the throw in. Tinahely started with Willie Dillon at midfield for the selected Eoghan Byrne while Eoin Darcy came into the attack instead of Jason Cush. For Avondale, Adam Benson Byrne did not start and was replaced by Ross Ward, who came into the attack.
The opening quarter of the game up to the water break, was dominated by Tinahely, who hit the ground running.
Matt Ging got their opening point after two minutes followed by another from full-forward Alan Dillon a minute later. Oisin McGraynor pointed a free in the fourth minute for Avondale but the Dales were making very little progress in these early stages.
Attempts to get talisman Conor Byrne on the ball were being thwarted by Tinahely full-back Michael Byrne, who was keeping a tight rein on the Avondale man.
Tinahely were mixing their attacks between ball carrying in passing movements from the half backs and midfielders, alternating between kicked passes to the full forwards Matt Ging and Alan Dillon.
Ging scored a great point off his left foot after six minutes followed by an excellent Eoin Darcy point just as the referee called a halt for the water break. The ball broke
kindly for Darcy in midfield and he raced through the middle carrying the ball more than 50 metres to put his side 0-4 to 0-1 ahead.
Avondale were struggling to get into the game and Tinahely would not have been flattered with a greater lead. Yet within four minutes of the restart, Avondale drew level. Conor McGraynor, very quiet up to now, fielded a great mark at midfield. He kicked a pass directly in front of Dean Gahan, supporting from the half backs. Gahan made ground and placed a perfect pass to Conor Byrne who had eluded the attention of Michael Byrne to shoot past Alan Nolan.
Despite Tinahely playing most of the football up to now, the sides were level at 0-4 to 1-1. Two points from Eoin Darcy, one from a free and the second from play, having been set up from a line ball, put Tinahely back ahead again.
Oisin McGraynor pulled back a point from a free. Then as we entered the time added period at the end of the first half, Tinahely struck for two goals, one allowed and one disallowed. Firstly, Brian Walsh got on the end of a free, punching the ball past Brian Burke in the Avondale goal. Following a discussion between referee and the umpires, the flags were crossed and the goal disallowed for a square infringement.
It was a let off for the Dales but two minutes later they were hit again. Alan Dillon knocked down the ball into the path of Matt Ging, who finished off from close in to leave Tinahely ahead at the break by 1-6 to 1-2.
It was clear that Avondale would need to move up another gear in the second half to have any hope of moving on to the final.
Cillian McDonald extended the Tinahely lead to five points when he pointed in the opening minute of the second half. Conor Byrne began to shake off the shackles of the Tinahely defence and fired over two quick points to pull the gap back to a goal.
While Alan Dillon pointed again
for the South men, the Dales came back immediately and Conor McGraynor had the ball in the Tinahely net.
Unfortunately for Avondale, he had hand passed across goal to Conor Byrne but the ball had carried over the goal line directly before Byrne got the touch and the score was disallowed.
But Avondale had gone up that extra gear and were now putting the Tinahely defence under pressure. Two points from frees by Oisin McGraynor plus two more from Marc Baker and Conor Byrne had the sides all square at 1-8 apiece at the water break time.
The game was now in the melting pot and still all to play for. Excitement was building to fever pitch and both teams were battling strongly.
Eoin Darcy and Oisin McGraynor exchanged points from frees before Rory Stokes pushed Tinahely ahead again with a great left footed point from a 45 just as the game entered the time added period.
Ryan Cahill saved Avondale’s bacon when he took a pass from Eoin Baker to shoot the equaliser in the third minute of added time. 1-10 apiece at the end and now we headed into extra-time.
Avondale began the extra-time period well and Aaron Baker put them ahead with a point after five minutes.
Back came the Tinahely men and Alan Dillon restored their lead with a goal after eight minutes. Oisin McGraynor and Eoin Darcy exchanged points from frees to leave the Red and Whites 2-11 to 1-12 ahead at the break.
Conor Byrne reduced the gap to the minimum from a free straight on the restart. Willie Quaile and Eoin Darcy (free) stretched the Tinahely advantage to a goal as we approached the end.
The Dales needed a goal --- and they got it when Conor McGraynor deflected home a high dropping ball with time almost up. They had one more possible opportunity to
win but a passing movement in front of the Tinahely goal broke down and the chance was gone.
The dreaded penalty shootout now loomed as darkness approached. Even in this final contest the pattern of the earlier game continued.
Eoin Darcy goaled, Oisin McGraynor levelled, Jason Cush scored, Ryan Cahill levelled again. When Brian Burke saved Matt Ging’s shot and Zach Cullen converted goal number three it was now advantage Avondale.
Rory Stokes kept Tinahely alive and when Cian O’Hannain struck the post the score stood at three scores apiece with one penalty kick each still to come. Noel Mulhall put Tinahely ahead again and finally we had Alan Nolan becoming the hero of the day when he made that final save at the death.
When it seemed almost impossible to separate the two sides, it literally came down to the final kick of the day.
What a shame that such a fine contest should be decided in this manner.
What a shame that it all should happen in an almost empty stadium. A game that was a slow burner early on, slowly built into an epic battle, honestly fought by both sides right to the end.
Alan Nolan; Conor Hatton, Michael Byrne, Fionn Furlong; Kevin Mulhall, Shane Hogan, Bradley Hickey; Willie Dillon, Brian Walsh; Rory Stokes (0-1), Cillian McDonald (0-1), Eoin Darcy (0-6, 4f); Matthew Ging (1-2), Alan Dillon (1-2), Paddy O’Rourke. Subs: Willie Quaile (0-1) for P O’Rourke. Eoghan Byrne for W Dillon. James Hedderman for K Mulhall, Noel Mulhall for M Ging, Jason Cush for E Darcy, Curtis Keating for C Hatton.
Brian Burke; Simon Cullen, Eoin Baker, Shane Beevor; Zach Cullen, Saoirse Kiernan, Dean Gahan; Conor McGraynor 1-0, Barry Sheehan; Eugene Dunne, Oisin McGraynor 0-6 (5f), Marc Baker 0-1; Cian O’Hannain, Conor Byrne 1-4 (1f), Ross Ward. Subs: Padraig Geoghegan for B Sheehan (blood sub), Adam Benson Byrne for S Beevor, Aaron Baker (0-1) for O McGraynor, Ryan Cahill (0-1) for E Dunne, Oisin McGraynor for B Sheehan.