Relieved Tullamore rescue fortunate draw as Shamrocks let golden chance slip in junior “B” classic

THERE was only one side smiling as a goal from former senior player, Patrick Cosgrove over three minutes into added time gave treble seeking Tullamore a draw that they scarcely deserved in a captivating Junior “B” Football Championship final at Clara on Friday evening.

Tullamore Court Hotel Junior “B” Football Championship final

Shamrocks 0-13

Tullamore 2-7

If it felt like a win for Tullamore, Shamrocks' expressions and body language afterwards was almost funeral like as the harsh reality dawned that they hadn't closed out a game in which they were clearly the better side in and should have won with a few points to spare.

The final scoreline of 0-13 to 2-7 tells a very true story. Shamrocks scored four times more than Tullamore and were four points the better side on the day but the concession of two calamitous goals means that they have to do it all again in a couple of weeks time.

Seeking a treble of Junior “B”, Intermediate and Senior Football Championship titles, Tullamore very much got out of jail. They battled with great fortitude but didn't play a whole lot of incisive attacking football. Five of their seven points came from frees while their two goals would not arrive every day.

The first in the 17^th minute gave them a foothold at a stage when they were struggling woefully, trailing by 0-6 to 0-1 and being outplayed all over the field. It was a disaster for Shamrocks as they were letting a shot from out the field go wide – it was always going to be kept in with Cody Hensey having a snap shot across the face of goal and Patrick Cosgrove getting his boot to the ball to find the net.

The second goal came in the 63^rd minute with Cosgrove again the hero as Tullamore chased a three point deficit and Shamrocks were roaring for the final whistle. It was a chaotic few minutes at the end for Shamrocks who blinked when they had their hands on the cup and got caught in the cross-fire.

It was an evening very well spent, a true junior “B” classic in many ways. A compelling, fiercely fought game with heart-warming honesty and endeavour from both sets of players. It had a bit of everything and you couldn't take your eye of the exchanges for a minute. The standard was also decent – there were spells and moments when it was clearly the fifth tier of Offaly football but there was also a lot of very good football played, with both sides reasonably adept at retaining possession – even if it was always likely to break down with that sloppy pass or a player not moving as fast as he should to a delivery, though in some cases they were going as quick as they were able to. Overall, however, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between these and the sides that made the Junior Football Championship semi-finals.

A huge crowd up close to the field added to the atmosphere and enjoyment factor – you would expect a big crowd from a mainly rural club like Shamrocks but they were outnumbered by their big town neighbours who brought a way bigger crowd than they usually would for a junior B fixture.

It was certainly true junior “B” football at the end as chaos reigned on the sideline and on the field for Shamrocks. Firstly they introduced Alex Kavanagh as a 60^th minute sub, mainly to waste time at this stage but didn't get the word across to Gary Merriman that he was coming off. With supporters shouting at mentors, mentors initially confused and then shouting at players, Shamrocks had 16 players on the field for nearly a minute and a half before Merriman came off.

In the middle of all that, they took their eye off the ball and paid a very dear price. With composure gone everywhere and the usual instructions about going man to man not coming in when Tullamore got a free about 40 metres out in the third minute of injury time, Shamrocks stopped doing the basics for almost the first time the whole evening – Cosgrove was left in way too much space, too close to goal, carried a couple of metres before driving home a great equalising goal.

It was a sensational end to a compelling game and Shamrocks disappointment will be enhanced by the fact that a win here would have meant so much more to them than Tullamore in the broader scheme of things. A club clearly moving in the right direction, a title even in this lowly grade would mean so much to so many in the locality.

They really should have got the job done and Tullamore are unlikely to be as mediocre again. Shamrocks were brilliant in the first quarter with Matthew Molloy causing Tullamore a lot of problems with his direct running and intelligent passing. He got two points as Shamrocks stormed into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after thirteen minutes.

Cosgrove's 17^th minute goal was against the run of play and while Tullamore had a few good minutes after this, Shamrocks steadied the ship very well to take a very nice 0-10 to 1-2 half time lead – a two point free from Johnny McEvoy helped their cause.

While the injury time goal will be the main source of discussion in Shamrocks, they shipped as much damage early in the second half as they found scores too hard to come against a Tullamore defence who tightened up – they only scored three points in the second half and that was a cardinal sin on a balmy evening that was almost perfect for football.

Tullamore got three early points, all Shane Kelly frees, to bring them right back into it with a two point deficit and it looked like they would take over – one of the frees came when Shamrocks corner back, Cian Crerand took one for the team, lucky to get a yellow and not a black card, for hauling down Mark Hayes as he tried to get in on goal.

Dean Carroll was wide with a fierce drive at goal after a great surge forward for Tullamore while Shamrocks made a very strange decision when replacing Matthew Molloy after 38 minutes. Molloy had been ticked down as a man of the match contender in the first half and while he may have been heading towards the red, there was surely another few minutes in him

The quick replacement of Molloy may have been fuelled by a desire to get their oldest player Leonard Mooney on the field. Now closer to his 50^th than his 40^th birthday, Mooney showed all the class and composure that was a hallmark of his displays for so long in the 1990s and 2000s, doing the simple thing very well and telling players where to go and when to give it.

Mooney's arrival did help Shamrocks settle and Johnny McEvoy kicked a much needed point moments later to give them a 0-11 to 1-5 lead. Shane Kelly and McEvoy exchanged frees before another vastly experienced former senior player, Shane Kelly had an uncharacteristic miss from a fairly straightforward one. Shamrocks had ample play to go four points clear but didn't convert. Kelly (free) and Ger Keating swopped points to leave Shamrocks three ahead with five minutes plus injury time left.

There was to be only one more score. Shamrocks had more than sufficient play to have put a safe four points in it, attacks breaking down, shots half blocked, all leaving the door open. It left them clinging to that most dangerous of leads and a grateful Tullamore snatched their opportunity.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Alan Foster (Shamrocks): Whether Shamrocks won or lost, Alan Foster was going to get the nod as man of the match. He only scored two points, one from play, one from a free, but he was one of the real class players on show. Playing mainly as a link man between the half back and half forward lines, he foraged so productively for breaking ball, moving it on at pace and in the right direction.

A huge volume of ball went through his hands and he was the single biggest factor in Shamrocks being so close to victory.

THE TEAMS

SHAMROCKS: Cillian Twomey; Jason Daly, Mark O'Rourke, Cian Crerand; Neil Minnock, Darragh Minnock, Mark Malone; Conor Kearney, James Coughlan; Matthew Mollloy, Jason Minnock, Garry Merriman; Ger Keating, Johnny McEvoy, Alan Foster. Subs – Leonard Mooney for Molloy (38m), Wayne Mooney for Jason Minnock (43m), Ian Keating for Creand (44m), Alex Kavanagh for Merriman (60m).

TULLAMORE: Brendan Deering; Mark Bannon, Mark Conlon, Eoghan Geoghegan; Jack Carroll, Owen Power, Aaron Pierce; Dean Carroll, Kevin Leavy; Mike Feeley, Cody Hensey, Evan Fitzpatrick; Patrick Cosgrove, Shane Kelly, Mark Hayes. Subs – Eoghan Spain for Conlon (23m), Robert Deegan for Leavy (34m), Robbie Hand for Bannon (34m), Donnacha Corcoran for Feeley (46m),Kevin Williamson for Carroll (55m).

Referee – William McNamee.

REFEREE WATCH

Willian McNamee's impartiality and consistency was beyond doubt. He was harsh a couple of times when penalising players for over carrying but this swung both ways. Both sides were entitled to frees at different stages but it balanced out. He played over four minutes injury time and this did look a bit excessive but eight subs were introduced in the second half and there was an injury hold up so maybe it was there.

Shamrocks' Mark Malone was probably entitled to a yellow for upending Tullamore goalkeeper Brendan Deering early in the second half – in fairness to Malone, he saw nothing only the high dropping ball, there was no malicious intent in it and it possibly looked worse than it was, though Deering was down for a while receiving treatment. Cian Crerand's yellow card was a black card offence every day of the week, a deliberate foul to prevent a goal being scored.

He will have to be more focused on the basics in the future. He wasn't aware of Shamrocks having sixteen men on the field for that spell in injury time, oblivious to the confusion but making sure a man goes off when one comes on is very basic book-keeping for a referee and his linesmen.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Patrick Cosgrove's injury time goal was the big moment here.

VENUE WATCH

Clara had their ground in great order. The floodlights were good and they hosted the big crowd very well. They deserve particular plaudits for their traffic management at the end with plenty of stewards trying to get cars out onto the main road and explaining to some that they might be quicker taking an alternative route back to Tullamore via the back roads into Durrow or Coolnahiley.

WHAT'S NEXT

The sides meet again in a couple of weeks time.

STATISTICS

Wides: Shamrocks - 5 (4 in first half); Tullamore – 7 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: Shamrocks – 1 (Cian Crerand); Tullamore 0.

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0