Tang win with ease as Lynn’s late goal warms hearts

Tang 6-18 Loughnavalley 0-8

By Paul Doolin

In an absolutely tropical TEG Cusack Park on Friday evening, the last of the league finals for 2026 turned out to be a mismatch if the truth be told, with Tang too strong for a resurgent but ultimately outplayed Loughnavalley, who were short some regulars.

From very early in this ACFL Division 7 final, it was obvious that Tang, who fielded several senior championship players, were training and playing at a different level. For Loughnavalley it's a case of small stepping stones as they try to climb the ladder to success that their huge following in headquarters deserve. For Loughnavalley, 25 years was a long time for wait for a final but it surely won't be anywhere near as long before they are back in contention.

That being said, Tang showed their experience and greater cohesion and could have finished with any score by the end, with the club's first team preparing to compete in senior championship fare in a few weeks’ time.

Highlight of the night, however, was a goal by Niall Lynn, a Tang stalwart and legend at this stage who scored the final three-pointer of the game to the delight of every supporter and neutral in Cusack Park.

The game was barely a pup when Tommy Lennon netted the opening goal for Tang, while Phillip Smyth replied with a lovely score for the Valley. However, that was as close as it got for the green and gold outfit as Tang hit 11 of the next 12 points, one as good as the next. Shane Keenan (2), John Tumelty (3), Martin Rock (2), Bobby Foxe and Lennon were among the scorers. The pick of the bunch was a magnificent two-pointer from wing back David Marlow as they simply sliced through a totally under pressure Valley defence that struggled to cope with Tang's pace and movement.

Jack Mulligan did pull one back in that period for Loughnavalley and they finished the half with the final score through Derek Glennon. That left it 1-11 to 0-3 in Tang's favour at the short whistle.

There was no let up from the men in maroon, Rock kicking two frees and one from play, and Keenan almost breaking the crossbar with a shot that went over rather than under. The Valley's only reply was a superb two-pointer from Shane Doran.

Tang then went on a four-goal spree, with Tumelty netting two beauties and Foxe and sub Callum McGarry adding green flags as the gulf between the sides began to widen considerably.

Rock added two frees as well before Loughnavalley had their best spell of the game with three points in a row from Lee Kelly, Daniel Shaw and Stephen Ronan, and each score was well constructed and finished.

But it was mere window dressing as Lennon added a late point and then Niall Lynn netted a sixth Tang goal with the last kick of the game for a moment that reiterated the GAA slogan ‘Where We All Belong’. The game finished to a tumultuous round of applause from both sets of supporters.

Man of the match: John Tumelty (Tang). All of the candidates were on the Tang side as the scoreline would suggest with Keenan, Lennon, Tumelty and Rock in the frame and from a playing point of view any of them could claim the accolade.

Sporting gesture: For this writer the greatest sporting gesture I have seen in my time in Cusack Park came from Loughnavalley GAA in Friday's final as Tang substitute Niall Lynn scored a late goal. Indeed, it showed what the game should be about and collectively the Loughnavalley GAA club deserves special mention.

Scorers - Tang: J Tumelty 2-3; M Rock 0-7 (4 frees); T Lennon 1-2; B Foxe 1-1; N Lynn and C McGarry 1-0 each; S Keenan 0-3; D Marlow 0-2 (tp). Loughnavalley: S Doran 0-2 (tp); D Shaw, J Mulligan, P Smyth, D Glennon, S Ronan and L Kelly 0-1 each.

Tang - Michael Galvin; Killian Foxe, Kieran Duncan, Gary Curran; David Marlow, Daniel Taplin, Andrew Gill; Paddy Clear, Robert English; Shane Keenan, Martin Rock, Tommy Lennon; Niall Bannon, John Tumelty, Bobby Foxe. Subs: Callum McGarry for Bannon (25 mins), Adam Neary for Clear (41), Kealan Galvin for Gill (45), Niall Lynn for Tumelty and Clear for English (55).

Loughnavalley - Brian Carter; Phillip McCabe, Brian Buckley, Derek Newman; Shane Doran, Shane Egerton, Daniel Shaw; Lee Kelly, Jason Kiernan; Jack Mulligan, Rory Quinn, Stephen Ronan; Phillip Smyth, Derek Glennon, Shane McLoughlin. Subs: Alan Kincaid for Smyth (38 mins), Sean Ruane for Kiernan (43), Robert Madden for Egerton (48), Kyle Gavin for Buckley and Maurice Gorman for Mulligan (55).

Referee - John Gallagher.