Tullamore manager gave his “blessing” to all players taking step up

TULLAMORE would have had a considerably stronger team for Saturday's Offaly Senior “B” Football Championship final if all eligible players had stayed with them for the year.

Ciaran Burns, Jack Maher, Patrick Kenna and Davin Keegan were all eligible to play for them but Burns, Maher and Kenna were quickly grabbed by senior football manager Paul McConway – and their second team then suffered an unanticipated loss when an injury to Mickey Brazil resulted in Davin Keegan starting midfield in their senior football loss to Rhode.

Keegan had been named to start in the final Senior “B” Football Championship group game to Tubber but was in civvies on the sideline after the seniors selected him for the Rhode game the following night. Cillian Martin had really stepped forward that night at midfield, giving a storming performance even though they lost but he was red carded by referee Eamon O'Connor after the final whistle for words he said and got a two game ban that ruled him out of the semi-final and final.

Tullamore senior “B” manager, Brian O'Reilly took the loss of Burns, Maher, Kenna and Keegan on the chin. He had been without Maher, Burns and Kenna for months and Keegan's elevation didn't knock him. “That is the way it works, senior gets priority. Davin is a young player and I am delighted he is playing senior. We want young lads moving up the ranks. Davin was three years with me at intermediate and he is excellent. He went senior with my blessing and it is the same with any of the lads. It is up to us to rejig things. It was the same with losing Cillian Martin, we adapt and get on with it.”

Tullamore had to deal with a very strange conflict of emotions after their loss to Tubber in that final group game. It was their third defeat which is hardly championship winning form but their final opponents Ballinagar threw them a lifeline when beating Cappincur the same night.

This allowed Tullamore to fall into the semi-finals but even then there was no jubilation in Pullough as they were immediately aware that Cillian Martin had been shown red after the final whistle. O'Reilly initially thought the young player would just get a one match ban and was shocked when he discovered the penalty was two matches.

“Cillian was great for us. He has a high work rate and was in America for most of the summer but was phenomenal when playing. It is a tough blow not to have him,” he admitted.

He described the feeling on the final whistle against Tubber as a “mixture of emotions”. He was happy that Tullamore had “played well” after a bad start, though “one or two decisions did not go our way”.

“It was a one point game and Tubber got the winner in the 62nd minute after overturning us. I was happy that we were pushing right to the end,” he said – they didn't transmit any updates from Ballinagar and Cappincur to the players during the game or at half time but the management knew that Cappincur had been winning at the interval and Ballinagar were heading to victory throughout the second half. “We were always trying to win the game,” he reflected.

That Tubber defeat provided company for losses to Ballinagar and Daingean and it has been a stuttering campaign for Tullamore who needed a late goal from Shane Dooley to beat a Ballycumber team heading for relegation.

One of their “best” defeats came against Ballinagar in Geashill and former senior player O'Reilly recalled: “We felt we had enough chances to win. Ballinagar left chances behind too and if both sides brought their shooting boots, it would have been the best game of the championship. Our performance was not enough.”

Tullamore had been knocking on the door at intermediate for a few years before beating St Brigid's in the final last year. The manager agreed that it was crucial to get their second team up into the second tier.

“It was very important, we had been beaten in three semi-finals in a row before winning it. The step up from intermediate to senior B isn't as big as the on from senior “B” to senior. We felt we would be able to give most teams a good crack and got a lot of confidence from winning last year. We have experienced lads who have helped the whole set up.

“We have younger lads coming through and it is good to have them playing at as high level as they can for when they go senior. If we are sitting in senior “B”, it is great experience for those lads.

“There is probably not a whole pile between any team in senior “B”. Ballycumber went down but we were lucky to beat them. They were outstanding against us in the second half and it took a last minute goal from Shane Dooley to get us through. Our whole year would have been much different if we lost that.”

After scraping into the semi-finals, Tullamore got a dramatic win against fancied Daingean with Peter Fox arrowing over a sensational two point winner at the end of injury time. “That was fantastic for the group. When we are in O'Connor Park, we are comfortable there and are always capable of a performance.

“I thought we played fierce well. We were turned over in the second minute of injury time. From the kickout, Shane Horkan caught the ball and passed to Patrick Fahey. Shane then gave a great kick pass to Peter Fox, he had two key involvements. I didn't think Peter would shoot from where he was, that the wind would put him off attempting. I was hoping they would work it in close to the box and get the ball to (Shane) Dooley or someone. It was an outstanding score. When we got the ball, my fear was that we would not get a shot off and the whistle would go. We just wanted someone to have a swing at it and see what happens.”

He has watched Ballinagar's great rise up the ranks from junior in 2022.

“Ballinagar have been very impressive. Benny (O'Brien) has done a fantastic job. They have won a lot, intermediate, junior, Leinster junior. It is generally a good open game between Tullamore and Ballinagar. We won't sit back and they won't sit back. Ballinagar have a young team, a few lads coming back, the Strong's, Finneran, Bracken. They are a different proposition now. Robbie (Gallagher) and Morgan (Tynan) are dangerous. We know this is going to be a really, really tough game but we are confident in what we do and will leave everything out on the field.”

O'Reilly did not try and deflect the question when asked about Tullamore's ability to perform in and win finals.

“We do have that tendency. A lot of it is down to our experienced players. Shane Dooley loves a county final, Kevin O'Brien has played in loads of finals. We have good experienced players and players who have won a lot at underage. A lot have played in big games in O'Connor Park. We love playing there and are comfortable in there.”