Tinryland have now lost their opening two games despite changing management while Bagenalstown are eyeing up a Semi Final.
2024 Michael Lyng Motors SFC Group 1 Round 2
Bagenalstown Gaels 0-15, Tinryland 1-10
By Stephen Bambrick
“Today is going to be the day that they’re gonna throw it back to you,” the line from the hit “Wonderwall” had some extra relevance given today’s (Saturday’s) Oasis ticket release and the week just gone with Tinryland under new management (Eddie Dowling, Paul Broderick, and Conor Byrne replacing John Nolan and his management team).
After a patchy start, they outscored the eventual victors 1-5 to 0-1 preceding half-time, looking to have offered vindication. Paddy McDonnell, though, had other ideas as he was the driving force behind helping Bagenalstown Gaels first gain parity in the halfway stage of the second half, and then kick for home in this SFC Group 1 clash. The Town are now guaranteed knockout football, while Tinryland have a must-win Round 3 encounter with MLR to decide their fate.
A cagey opening with just four scores by the 13th minute: James McGrath’s opener in the 6th minute was replied to by a pair of McDonnell (one from a free and one following a quick free) points and one from Cian Doyle, which had the Gaels 0-3 to 0-1 to the good. Scores were scarce but well-worked, with Diarmaid Walshe then getting a brace, the latter to equalize after Shane Redmond’s goal effort was blocked.
Tinryland played the final 10 minutes of the half with the handbrake off, fine kick passing first finding Conor Carew at 14 to point, though Cian Doyle did level almost immediately. This was before a Jonah Dunne run was halted inside the box, the resultant penalty taken by Carew, who, given his soccer background, fairly buried it past Ciaran Cunningham for 1-4 to 0-4. Redmond claimed a mark to convert soon after before another Dunne run profited Tinryland once again, with McGrath closing the half off with them 1-6 to 0-4 to the good.
Five points down last week early in the second half, it took goals to get the Gaels back on track. Tonight, white flags were enough with a similar deficit, Paddy McDonnell putting on a clinic of score-taking from both play and placed balls. The teams were level at 0-9 each in the 43rd minute, his brother Liam giving a hand with one of the four. It now looked like half-time came at the right/wrong time depending on which side you supported. This was just after Walshe had somehow cleared one off the Tinryland goal line. A now dominant Town eventually hit the front via Doyle’s trusty left boot before Walshe kicked another equalizer (and score of the night with the outside of the left), 0-10 to 1-7.
Bagenalstown Gaels hit the front once more with another McDonnell free following an illegal pickup, Oisin Dillon doubling the advantage before the recently introduced Shane Webb immediately halved the deficit. Guess what? Another free from McDonnell, complimented in the 56th minute by Jamie Clarke intercepting a kick-out to point, made it 0-14 to 1-8. A hallmark of a lot of their second-half scores was turnovers through over-carrying, pick-ups, etc., from the noticeably increased work rate.
Carew, following a patient build-up, pointed before livewire Liam McDonnell got his second of the evening with the clock in the red. Walshe opted to take a point from a close-in free in the 62nd minute to reduce the scoreboard to its final setting, 0-15 to 1-10.
Bagenalstown Gaels:
Subs: Sean Wall, Thomas McDonnell, Mark McDonald
Tinryland:
Subs: Niall Lowry, Shane Webb, Marcus Lawler, Mark Lawlor, Gillian Fagan
Referee: James Foley
