Daingean stage second half comeback to make winning start
Daingean make full use of elements in second half to score decisive win
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior ‘B’ Football Championship Round 1
Daingean 2-17
Tullamore 2-11
TRAILING by 1-4 to 2-8 at half-time, Daingean made the most of wind advantage after the restart to overpower Tullamore in an entertaining Tullamore Court Hotel Senior ‘B’ Football Championship opener in sunny Daingean last Sunday afternoon.
County star Shane Tierney top-scored with 1-5, while corner forwards Odhran Connolly and Shane Marsden – who started in place of Jamie Hayes and Cian Bracken – combined for a further 1-5 as Daingean staged an excellent second half recovery to get off to a winning start. Indeed, all of their starting forwards got on the scoresheet against last year’s intermediate champions, who could only manage three points in the second half.
The strong wind was a major factor and the suspicion at half-time was that a seven-point lead wouldn’t be enough for the visitors. And so it proved as Daingean gradually ate into the deficit before Connolly’s 47th minute goal gave them a lead they never looked like surrendering. The full forward line of Connolly, Tierney and Marsden ran riot in the second half, while Scott Milne – who missed all of last season through injury – did a lot of good work around the middle and Cathal Ryan set the tone with a two-point free straight after the restart.
Tom Furlong, Jay Sheerin, Davin Keegan and Liam Dillane were very good for a Tullamore team who didn’t get enough scores on the board when favoured by the elements in the opening half. Although only up from intermediate, the Tullamore second string have a lot of players who featured in Division 1 of the Brosna Press League this year and would have high hopes of winning this six-team championship.
The O’Brien Park outfit came flying out of the starting blocks with two-pointers from Liam Dillane and Ben Connolly inside the first two minutes, only to concede a goal in the third minute when Daingean full back Adam Bolger was fouled as he took a shot on goal, and Shane Tierney sent Donnacha Keoghan the wrong way from the resultant penalty.
Barry Weldon’s charges regained parity in the eighth minute through Marsden before a Dillane free restored Tullamore’s lead. Aran Byrne levelled for a second time before Odhran Connolly blazed a goal chance wide after Keoghan’s short kickout was intercepted.
Another misplaced kickout at the other end was punished by Tullamore in the 17th minute when Jay Sheerin set up Martin Keogh for a rasping finish to the top corner of Conan Curley’s net. Keogh followed up with the Blues’ third two-pointer before Connolly got a point back for the hosts.
But they were rocked back on their heels for a second time in the 22nd minute when Dillane raised Tullamore’s second green flag after the elusive Tom Furlong had done all the spadework. Shane Tierney and Shane Horkan traded points before Daingean were fortunate not to go into the break further behind after Peter Fox had a shot cleared off the line.
The margin was back to three points, 1-8 to 2-8, within four minutes of the restart thanks to Cathal Ryan’s two-point free from 50 metres and singles from Marsden and Connolly. Jay Sheerin steadied the visitors with a well-worked score in the 39th minute, but the momentum remained with Daingean who hit back through Tierney and Marsden.
Furlong teed up Sheerin for a 45th minute point which left Tullamore 2-10 to 1-10 ahead, but they would only score once more as Daingean seized control heading down the home stretch.
A Tierney brace had reduced the deficit to the minimum before the maroon and whites hit the front for the first time in the 48th minute when Shane Marsden picked out Odhran Connolly with a lovely kick-pass and the number 17 coolly rounded Tullamore ‘keeper Keoghan before finishing to an empty net.
It was all Daingean now as further scores from Cormac Whittle and Charlie Burns pushed them into a 2-14 to 2-10 lead. Tullamore had two shots cleared off the line in an almighty goalmouth scramble from Sheerin’s well-struck '45' before Cathal Ryan slotted over a Daingean '45'.
Big midfielder Davin Keegan registered a final score for Brian O’Reilly’s men before Burns and Tierney landed late points for the winners either side of Shane Dooley punching a high ball narrowly wide of goal.
Scorers
Daingean: Shane Tierney 1-5 (1-0 pen), Odhran Connolly 1-2, Shane Marsden and Cathal Ryan (1x2ptf, 1 ’45) 0-3 each, Charlie Burns 0-2, Aran Byrne and Cormac Whittle 0-1 each. Tullamore: Liam Dillane 1-3 (1x2pt, 1f), Martin Keogh 1-2 (1x2pt), Jay Sheerin and Ben Connolly (1x2pt) 0-2 each, Davin Keegan 0-1 and Shane Horkan 0-1 each.
Teams
DAINGEAN: Conan Curley; Cathal McKnight, Adam Bolger (captain), Casey Evans; Ryan Conway, Cathal Ryan, Steven Joyce; Sam Wright, Scott Milne; Charlie Burns, Aran Byrne, Cormac Whittle; Odhran Connolly, Shane Tierney, Shane Marsden. Subs: Jamie Hayes for Byrne (54 min), Aaron Longworth for Burns (59 min).
TULLAMORE: Donnacha Keoghan; Jake Moore, Dylan Hensey, Shane Enright (captain); Jack Daly, Liam Dillane, Patrick Fahey; Davin Keegan, Shane Horkan; Tom Furlong, Jay Sheerin, Ben Connolly; Peter Fox, Shane Dooley, Martin Keogh. Subs: Ryan Sheerin and Kevin O’Brien for Connolly and Keogh (both 52 min).
REFEREE: Eamon O’Connor (Ballycommon).
Man of the Match
Shane Marsden (Daingean): Wearing number 19, the corner forward gets the nod ahead of team-mates Shane Tierney, Odhran Connolly and Scott Milne. Tom Furlong was a livewire for Tullamore and certainly didn’t deserve to finish on the losing side.
Referee Watch
Eamon O’Connor handled proceedings very well and got all the big calls right.
Moment of the Match
Odhran Connolly’s 48th minute goal from Marsden’s sublime pass set Daingean on the road to victory.
Statistics
Wides: Daingean – 10 (7 in the first half); Tullamore – 9 (5 in the first half).
Yellow cards: Daingean – 0; Tullamore – 1 (Shane Dooley).
Red Cards: none.