Tinryland find form at the right time to see off never say die Bagenalstown

Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Carlow S.F.C.

Tinryland 0-13                                       

Bagenalstown Gaels 1-7

Tinryland senior footballers with a good second half performance assured themselves of a place in the knockout stages with a 3 point victory over Bagenalstown Gaels at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.

This performance was a big improvement on their opening round game 5 days earlier and it sets up the men from Rathcrogue with a very good chance of topping the group if they can comfortably defeat Fenagh in the final group 1 game next week.

Tinryland minus Danny Moran began this game on the front foot and after winning the throw in had the ball over the bar after only 17 seconds via Maurice Lawler.

Bagenalstown replied in the 4th minute with a successful 45 from Paddy McDonald but Tinryland then enjoyed a mini purple patch with 3 unanswered points from Mark Mullen, Paul Broderick and Maurice Lawler; all well taken scores and all the product of good controlled play from Jonah Dunne, Shane Redmond, John Murphy and Conor Ryan.

Tinryland were then rocked back to reality when Bagenalstown's Danny Doyle took advantage of a mix up in the defence to crash the ball into the Tinryland net at the Dublin end after the men from the banks of the Barrow went route one which seemed to confuse the Tinryland rearguard.

Tinryland had missed a gilt-edged goal chance seconds before this set-back.

With the teams now level Tinryland edged ahead once again when Shane Redmond won a free and Paul Broderick converted.

The closing 10 minutes of the opening half saw Bagenalstown apply pressure and they were rewarded with 3 unanswered points from their chief threat Robbie Kane, Jack McCullagh and Kane again to put them 2 points clear before referee Paud O’Dwyer sounded the HT whistle.

‍Half Time score Bagenalstown Gaels 1-4 Tinryland 0-5. 

When the teams emerged for the second half the Tinryland selectors had rang the changes introducing Paddy Regan and Cormac O’Brien into the fray. O’Brien made an immediate impact running at the Bagenalstown defence and winning a free that Paul Broderick converted from a good bit out.

Tinryland got a further boost by the 35th minute when Bagenalstown sub Tomas McDonnell received a black card for a foul on Diarmaid Walshe and Paul Broderick levelled matters with a close in free. In the 39th minute Tinryland introduced Peter Hennessy into the action but Bagenalstown edged ahead once again via a converted free from Cian Doyle.

Tinryland then upped the ante in a big way, and a brilliant Diarmaid Walshe point in the 42nd minute levelled matters once again. This score was quickly followed by a Peter Hennessy point that could have been a goal but Tinryland were motoring now and great work by recently introduced sub.

James McGrath was rewarded when that man Paul Broderick lofted over a wonderful point as Bagenalstown manager Eddie Scally introduced Jamie Whelan off the bench.

Seven minutes of scoreless action then followed before Tinryland’s John Murphy gave his team a 3 point advantage after great play by Carlow player Jonah Dunne.

Another Paul Broderick point in the 59th minute allowed the Tinryland supporters heart rate to lower. This score was the product of great play by Conor O’Toole. With stadium announcer Marty Barry calling 4 minutes of stoppage time and another Paul Broderick point by the 62nd minute seemed to have won it for Tinryland. 

Tinryland performances however are always laced with some drama and with Bagenalstown throwing the kitchen sink at the Tinryland defence they conjured 2 points in stoppage time which left only one goal separating the teams and the Tinryland supporters heart rate was raised once again as referee O’Dwyer continued to allow play to carry on.

It was backs to the wall stuff now and the final play by Bagenalstown was snuffed out by the fresh legs of Rory Doyle who made a vital interception to deny the Gaels and guarantee Tinryland’s place in the knockout stages.

The final game will be against Fenagh next weekend and if Tinryland can score well we have a very good chance of topping group 1 and going direct to the semi-final.