Tyrrellspass advance as goals topple Cill Óige

John Dingle

A hat-trick of goals in the second half helped Tyrrellspass see off the challenge of Cill Óige to advance to the Westmeath LGFA Junior Championship final in Ballynacargy last Sunday afternoon.

The Castledaly/Rosemount combination team led by a point at half-time, but a goal fest in the second half steered Tyrrellspass to a place in the final.

The first score of the game in perfect playing conditions was a major one as Cill Óige took an early lead when Ciara Nugent passed to Anna Sheerin, who scored the first goal after three minutes.

Ruth Daniels got Tyrrellspass off the mark with a sixth-minute point, followed by a Rachel Murphy free from in front of the posts. Sheerin almost struck for her second goal after ten minutes but fired wide of the target. Tyrrellspass took advantage of the let off and points from Murphy and Daniels had them ahead after 12 minutes.

Cill Óige responded though and the lead swung their way with two points from Alex Kelly, the second from a free kick. The teams were again level when Daniels blasted a shot over with a goal on.

Aoife Dolan edged Cill Óige back in front but the first of four Tyrrellspass goals, with Roisin O’Toole the scorer in the 23rd minute, had them ahead by two. The major score though proved to be their last of the half as the Castledaly/Rosemount outfit went off for the interval in front.

Ill-discipline from Tyrrellspass proved costly as they lost two players to yellow cards and a spell in the sin bin. Cill Óige took advantage and three successful frees from Alex Kelly had them ahead by 1-6 to 1-5.

It wasn’t all bad for Tyrrellspass though in the closing stages as they sent a goal chance wide in stoppage time but still had a numerical disadvantage to cope with when play resumed.

It was expected that Cill Óige would take advantage of the extra players when play got back underway, but instead it was Tyrrellspass that grabbed the first score to level matters as Vicki Carey sent over a point. Cill Óige eventually did make more use of numerical advantage as an Ally Duffy point and a free from Alex Kelly had them narrowly ahead by two.

They also lost a player to the sin bin and with just one player less now, Tyrrellspass took advantage as the lead again swung back in their favour. A Murphy free left just a point between the teams and then the lead was secured when Carey set up Amy Alford for a goal after 38 minutes.

Cill Óige responded with a point from Duffy to see them trail by a single point, 2-7 to 1-9. Alex Kelly's free had the teams level heading into the final quarter but Cill Óige lost another player to a yellow card soon afterwards.

The outcome was still very much in doubt as the half progressed but goals for Tyrrellspass proved crucial to their cause.

A third green flag was raised when Alford fired a shot to the net and another Murphy point had Cill Óige trailing by four points. That lead was halved when substitute Mairead Fox scored a point and Alex Kelly fired over a free. Murphy’s free at the other end left it 3-9 to 1-12 heading into the closing stages as Tyrrellspass still hung on in an exciting conclusion to the contest.

Cill Óige were out of luck on 56 minutes when, with the goal at her mercy, Aoife Dolan shot wide. Alex Kelly cut the lead to just two points but Cill Óige could get no closer in their efforts to force extra-time. A Murphy free in the penultimate minute left a goal between the teams as another bad wide proved costly for Cill Óige as the game headed into stoppage time.

There was still hope for Cill Óige when Alex Kelly sent over another point to leave it 3-10 to 1-14 but any chance of a comeback was stalled when Tyrrellspass completed their scoring with a fourth goal in the third minute of additional time. Amy Seery celebrated her introduction as a substitute with the vital score which helped to send Tyrrellspass into the final.

Nearly five additional minutes were eventually played but a brave Cill Óige team could not get the vital scores to prolong the game beyond regulation time.

Mairead Fox completed the scoring with a late point to bring Cill Óige's tally to 1-15 but in spite of scoring 16 times compared to their opponents' 14, they were still denied as the four goals proved crucial for the girls in sky blue. Clann Gaels will provide the opposition in the decider early next month.

Scorers – Tyrrellspass: A Alford 2-0; R Murphy 0-6 (4 frees); A Seery and R O’Toole 1-0 each; R Daniels 0-3; V Carey 0-1. Cill Óige: A Kelly 0-10 (7f); A Sheerin 1-0; M Fox and A Duffy 0-2 each; A Dolan 0-1.

Tyrrellspass - Aoife O’Brien; Marguerite O’Connor, Cliona Gallagher, Ciara Scally; Briana Alford, Mary Deegan, Eleanor O’Connor; Anna Mai O’Brien, Amy Alford; Katie Deegan, Rachel Murphy, Ruth Daniels; Vicki Carey, Roisin O’Toole, Chloe Kelly Gonoud.

Subs used: Alice Pierson, Alicia Kavanagh, Katie Hogg, Ellen Pierson, Jemma Seery and Marie Coyne.

Cill Óige - Michelle King; Eliza Jane Sheerin, Anna Cornally, Aoibh Larkin; Emma Kelly, Maria Loddick, Emily Winters; Triona Fox, Therese O’Reilly; Ally Duffy, Anna Sheerin, Ciara Nugent; Aoife Dolan, Hazel Kelly, Alex Kelly.

Subs used: Grace Galvin and Mairead Fox.

Referee: John Gallagher (Ballinasloe).