Tullamore survive on their wits as brave Edenderry miss golden chance

A VERY relieved Tullamore returned to the Senior Football Championship final for the fourth year in a row as they broke Edenderry's hearts with a dramatic late win in a compelling semi-final in O'Connor Park on Sunday afternoon.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship semi-final

Tullamore 1-13
Edenderry 1-12

It might be stretching it to suggest that they got out of jail here but only slightly as Tullamore sailed very close to the wind and Edenderry were within touching distance of a shock win. The underdogs were two points up with five minutes left and Tullamore were in serious trouble after a terrifically exciting second half.

After struggling considerably for a prolonged spell, Tullamore finally regained their composure and began to play football again at the game's most crucial junction. Having coughed up possession with alarming ease for much of the second half, they retained it much better late on and drove at Edenderry with powerful intent.

Eventually, the pressure told, though Edenderry contributed to their own downfall as two of Tullamore's late points came from frees for pick ups. Tullamore's last three points came from Harry Plunkett frees in the 57th, 58th and 64th minutes. The second came after Edenderry goalkeeper, Mark Young, who had a bit of a kamikaze second half, handled on the ground and the last came when Darragh Farrell did the same – the experienced Edenderry man had made a stunning first half save to keep his side going.

The four minutes of injury time was up at that stage and referee Fergal Smyth gave Edenderry an extra minute and a half to salvage the game and force extra time but they couldn't manufacture a shot – having been quite mediocre at times, Tullamore defended very well in that extra time, staying close to their men but making sure they didn't cough up a soft free.

They held on for dear life but this was one of those days where Tullamore were not at their best and survived on their wits, more than anything else. It was a very closely contested game, full of swings and round abouts and it could have went either way. It would be very wrong to suggest that the better team didn't win but make no mistake about it: Tullamore played poorly enough to lose, Edenderry played well enough to win and had the result went the opposite way, no one in Tullamore could have complained – just as Edenderry supporters shouldn't be looking for scapegoats now or blaming the referee.

In the wind up, it all boiled down to a Tullamore penalty scored and an Edenderry one missed and those were two defining moments in the second half.

Tullamore now face Ferbane in the final and will know that they will have to play much better to win. It was another thrilling game of football, albeit with plenty of mistakes and balls spilled.

Like the Ferbane and Rhode meeting on Saturday, the game didn't spring to life in the first half but ignited in the second – and it could very easily have went to extra time as well.

Without doing anything spectacular, Tullamore were marginally the better team in the first half but it was also clear from the throw in that Edenderry were very much up for it. Short of their best form for most of the season, this was easily Edenderry's best display and the changes they made worked very well as their team looked to have a better balance – Adam Mahon and Mark Abbott were given forward roles as was Jordan Hayes while Alan Harte did well at midfield as Edenderry went agonisingly close.

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The first half was shadow boxing compared to the second. Edenderry got the first two points but then Tullamore played their best football, scoring four in a row to lead by 0-4 to 0-2 aftter 11 minutes. Cormac Egan almost got in for a 14th minute goal – the Tullamore flier had an excellent opening twenty minutes and he brilliantly made space but his shot was superbly saved by Young and Luke Plunkett just failed to punch the rebound to the net. Tullamore were full value for their 0-6 to 0-3 lead after 21 minutes.

Edenderry got going after this and got three of the next four points to bring it back it back to a point – Nigel Bracken made a fantastic interception to stop Darragh Farrell getting in on goal in the 29th minute but it was brought back for a free that Cian Farrell tapped over. Luke Plunkett's point made it 0-8 to 0-6 at half time.

The second half barely gave you space to catch your breath. Tullamore took control in the 33rd minute when Aaron Leavy brilliantly converted a penalty after Mark Young took Oisin Keenan-Martin out of it as he went so bravely for a long ball in – Young was very relieved to get away with a yellow card and Keenan-Martin was clearly shook, limping off minutes later.

With a 1-8 to 0-6 lead, Tullamore were in the driving seat but two big things changed the game. The main one was the brilliance of Edenderry sharp shooter Cian Farrell, who almost single handedly brought his side to victory. The other was Tullamore badly lost their way – until the final minutes, they became very cautious on the ball, their energy levels were not right and they struggled to break the line. Their volume of mistakes and turnovers conceded crept dangerously high but it was really the Cian Farrell show that got Edenderry into a winning position. Another factor was Lee Pearson really tightening up on Cormac Egan, who had emerged as a match winner in the first half, but lived on sparse supplies in the second.

Tullamore did contribute to their own problems and they got very lackadaisical and sloppy in the minutes after the goal. Instead of turning the screw, they conceded two quick points to the now rampant Farrell, the first a free and the second a stunning kick with the outside of his right boot.

Dan Fox's point settled Tullamore but another super Farrell point was followed by a 45th minute Edenderry goal to turn the game on its head – Diarmuid Egan lost the ball out the field, Edenderry swept forward and Cian Farrell set Sean Doyle through for a goal and a shock 1-10 to 0-9 lead.

Harry Plunkett equalised with a fine free but Edenderry now scented blood. They were awarded a 51st minute penalty when Cian Farrell was fouled by Luke Egan but Corey White made a great save from the Edenderry forward - White did advance out off the line well before the ball was kicked and the penalty should have been retaken. The ball rebounded to Mark Abbott who fired over the lead point, 1-11 to 1-10.

Cian Farrell put them two ahead with a 55th minute '45' and Tullamore were reaching for the panic button. They took off their two sharpest forwards, Dan Fox and Luke Plunkett, scorer of three and two points respectively, and they were staring a devastating defeat in the face. Then suddenly, they got it going again and the way in which they did this on a day when a lot of things went wrong took character and was the sign of a very good team. One of the subs introduced, Niall Furlong also made a huge difference, doing the simple thing well and raising the bar for all around him – what he did in the closing minutes was very important to the outcome.

In the closing ten minutes, five of normal time and five plus of injury time, it was all Tullamore. They got the closing three points while Edenderry became hestitant in possession. Some of it was down to the work rate of Tullamore but some was also because of Edenderry now trying to play it too safe.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cian Farrell (Edenderry): Cian Farrell's second half tour de force almost got Edenderry into the county final. He was sensational and his form argues very well for him getting back to his best with Offaly next year. Aaron Leavy put in a serious shift for Tullamore at midfield while Nigel Bracken had a very good first half for them.

THE SCORERS

Tullamore: Harry Plunkett 0-6 (6f), Dan Fox 0-3, Aaron Leavy 1-0 (penalty), Luke Plunkett 0-2, Corey White (f), Cormac Egan 0-1 each.

Edenderry: Cian Farrell 0-7 (4f and 1 '45'), Sean Doyle 1-2 (1f), Jordan Hayes 0-2, Mark Abbott 0-1.

THE TEAMS

TULLAMORE: Corey White; Declan Hogan, Dylan Hensey, Paul McConway; Nigel Bracken, John Furlong, Oisin Keenan-Martin; Aaron Leavy, Aaron Hensey; Michael Brazil, Diarmuid Egan, Harry Plunkett; Dan Fox, Luke Plunkett, Cormac Egan. Subs – Luke Egan for Brazil (HT), Jay Sheeran for Keenan-Martin, inj. (35m), Niall Furlong for Dan Fox (51m), Mike Fox for Luke Plunkett (51m), Daire McDaid for Dylan Hensey (52m).

EDENDERRY: Mark Young; Daithi Brady, Sean Pender, Lee Pearson; Darragh Farrell, David Hanlon, Eoin Dunne; Alan Harte, Rory Egan; Mark Abbott, Adam Mahon, Jordan Hayes; Sean Doyle,Cian Farrell, Colm Byrne. Subs – Cillian Lowry for Brady (HT), Oran Lawton for Byrne (59m).

Referee – Fergal Smyth (Kilclonfert).

REFEREE WATCH

Fergal Smyth had a good game. He got most calls right and was consistent but two perenial talking points with refereeing emerged: the length allowed for advantage, though he was on the right side with most of these, and the excess yardage some forwards are taking for frees, with both sides taking liberties here – Corey White's movement off the line before the Edenderry penalty was out of the same ball park and that should also have been dealt with by the referee while at least a few of the frees on both sides could have been thrown in. In the second half as the intensity levels rose, he was kept on his feet. Some Edenderry supporters were not happy but the decisions balanced out – Mark Young could have seen red in the penalty incident and the referee did give a questionable extra minute and a half above the announced four minutes of injury time as Edenderry chased an equaliser.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Harry Plunkett's 64th minute winning free was the only moment that really mattered here – though Cian Farrell's missed penalty was also a huge one as a goal would have put Edenderry three up and Tullamore would have found it hard to come back from that.

VENUE WATCH

The good weather ended on Sunday with heavy rain and thunder but the pitch was in great order.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tullamore play Ferbane in the final.

STATISTICS

Wides: Tullamore – 4 (3 in first half); Edenderry – 2 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Tullamore – 0; Edenderry – 3 (Mark Young, David Hanlon and Cian Farrell).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.