St Vincent’s emerge as deserving champions while Tullamore go down fighting

An excited O’Connor Park crowd ensured a lively atmosphere at Sunday’s U13 football championship final. Both teams displayed great talent and determination in what was a relatively balanced match. However, it was St Vincent’s superb midfield display which ultimately proved the difference on the day.

Offaly U13 Football Championship Final

Tullamore 1-8
St Vincent’s 0-15

Early on, Vincent’s key players Shane Lawless and Paddy Burns drove their team on. A combination of powerful running and clinical finishing ensured the men in yellow had the better of the opening exchanges. Tullamore were not far behind, as centre-forward Adam Martin pulled most of their strings, part of an impressive first half display. Sam Heffernan too was a standout, notching three lovely first half points with his trusty left boot.

The blues first substitute, forced after an injury to midfielder Jamie Harvey, came in the form of Sean Doyle. Perhaps even a surprise to himself, the ball dropped to Doyle after the Daingean parish side had initially resisted a relentless Tullamore attack. The Tullamore number eighteen wasted no time as he drilled the ball into the top right hand corner. With that, the game roared to life. Tullamore’s pressure paid off, but not for much longer as Vincent’s continued to chip away at Tullamore, remaining clinical in front of the posts.

Tullamore mounted the pressure on the Vincent’s defence throughout the first half but had little to show for it. Their opponents dug deep and tackled very well, Tyler Evans in centre-back particularly catching the eye with his tough but fair tackling. When they did attack Vincent’s were difficult to stop, Paddy Burns and Shane Lawless the focal point in their team’s forward motion. After forcing a number of fouls from the Tullamore rear-guard, neither Burns nor Lawless put a foot wrong in converting the dead balls.

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As the second half commenced, Tullamore were narrowly leading, 1-7 to 0-9. They had struggled to put a significant gap between themselves and Vincent’s, keeping them too close for comfort. This was partly down to rushed decision making going and some solid, composed defending by St Vincent’s. The second half continued much as the first had finished, Tullamore with plenty of possession though finding it difficult to capitalise. Lawless was immense, covering every blade of grass as he added further important scores from play. Scott Halloran got on more ball in the second half and tried to find a way through along with team-mates Conor Rigney and substitute Sean Doyle, who worked incredibly hard throughout.

As the game entered the final quarter, Vincent’s appeared to have the edge. Tullamore remained frustrated by loose passing and missed chances in front of goal. Despite their positive play Tullamore would rue these misses as Vincent’s took full advantage. Wing-back Brían McNamee had a strong second half, showing his skill and drive, helping his team put serious pressure on Tullamore. Equally, Robbie Minnock was a great outlet in full-forward, always showing for the ball and linking it brilliantly.

Scott Halloran slotted Tullamore’s only point of the second half, a neat finish despite onrushing defence. After this, it was Vincent’s game. They really put the shoulder to the wheel near the end as increased pressure pushed Tullamore back time and again. Patrick Duffy played well in defence for his team, using his physique and power to propel his team forward as much as he could. In truth, Vincent’s won the physical battle overall which told the tale come the final whistle.

In the closing minutes St Vincent’s made it clear their intent. They pushed Tullamore to the pin of their collar, extending their lead to four scores before the final whistle drew the contest to a close. Deserving winners overall, Vincent’s worked hard to earn their victory against a talented Tullamore but were by no means lucky to win. Overall, the contest was exciting and showed that Offaly football has a lot to look forward to.

SCORERS

St Vincent’s: Paddy Burns 0-8 (7f), Shane Lawless 0-7 (3f).

Tullamore: Sam Heffernan 0-4 (1f), Sean Doyle 1-0, Adam Martin 0-2 (1m), Conor Rigney and Scott Halloran 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

St Vincent’s: Dan Mangan, Mathew Coyne, Déasún McNamee, Cian Conway, Brian McNamee, Tyler Evans, Scott Martin, Shane Lawless, Paddy Burns, Finn Longworth, Hugh Kelly, Aaron Mangan, Adam Geraghty, Robbie Minnock, Seamus McGuinness. Subs – Alex Cummins, Tomás Cassidy, Dáithí Boland, AJ Daly, Cillian Brennan (for Coyne, 59 mins), Joseph Scally, Jake Delaney, Cian Donohue, Harry Dunne, Conor Sullivan, Barry Gallagher, Ronan Heffernan, David Gowing, Ollie Flanagan, Rory Farrell, Cale Lunch, Sean Goodings, Rory Gallagher, Jack Hanley, Harvey Joe Hanley, Charlie Larkin, Ben Colgan, Ronan Loughman, Jake Maher, Aaron Lynch, Peter O’Rourke, Jack Pyke, Eoin Flanagan.

Tullamore: Donagh Keane, Fionn Kane, Daniel Bourke, Adam Keegan, Cian Rigney, Patrick Duffy, Steven Murrihy, Darragh Stewart, Jamie Harvey, Sam Heffernan, Adam Martin, Gleann Keaveney, Conor Rigney, Scott Halloran, Tom Lynch. Subs – Cian O’Brien, Mark Conroy, Sean Doyle (for Harvey, 23 mins), Alex Lambe, Charlie Ceighin (for Lynch, 44 mins), Andy Hynes, Niall Lambe, Devin Donoghue, Conor Clarke, Daniel Holton.

Referee: Robert Dunne