Outstanding second half display from Tyrrellspass too much for Tang
Tyrrellspass 3-16, Tang 2-8
By Gerry Buckley
A very impressive second half display last Sunday evening in lovely conditions for football at TEG Cusack Park, in which they outscored Tang by 3-8 to 0-3, enabled Tyrrellspass to comfortably qualify for yet another Flanagan Cup semi-final.
Ray Sheridan’s troops looked like they would have to fight all the way to win this quarter-final tie when they trailed by three points at the interval, but they ended up as somewhat facile winners. Nine of their players made the scoresheet and, on this evidence, they could give red-hot championship favourites St Loman’s, Mullingar plenty of headaches in the penultimate round on the weekend after next.
Ger Egan set the tone for his latest tour de force at Westmeath GAA headquarters by pointing in style after a mere nine seconds. A well-taken brace from Dean McNicholas ensued – a neat point at the end of a counterattack and a good mark (after being superbly picked out by Tommy Ryan).
The maroon and white-clad side were on level terms by the 12th minute, courtesy of Martin Rock (one) and Adam Neary (two – a free after a needlessly conceded foul, and a fine score from play after a great interception by Shane Hanley).
The latter player edged the South Westmeath side ahead in the 13th minute, but the Tidy Town men pounced for three unanswered points by the 18th point via an Egan free, and a point apiece from Peter Clarke and Denis Glennon (both at the end of patient moves).
However, aided by a slight breeze blowing towards the scoreboard end of the ground, Tang followed up a fisted point from Tommy Lennon with a brace of goals, both from the boot of Neary. Firstly, he converted a 23rd-minute penalty with aplomb (after a foul on Lennon), and he doubled his goal haul three minutes later by rolling the ball past Joe Hyland (after fine work by John Rock).
The winners kicked two crucial points before the break via McNicholas (a quality finish) and Egan (a free), but they still trailed by 2-5 to 0-8 at the interval.
The men in sky blue and navy took control on the change of ends. A converted ‘45’ via the upright from Egan preceded a vital 33rd-minute goal from impressive wing back Nigel Harte, with Egan very prominent in the build-up. Aidan Burke levelled the scoring with a great free from 45 metres, but from the moment that Egan kicked a sublime point from near the terrace sideline, his side never looked like relinquishing the lead.
The former Westmeath star added another marvellous point from a tight angle in the 40th minute. Five scoreless and scrappy minutes followed before Tyrrellspass all but copper-fastened their last four spot with a quarter of the game remaining when sub Kieran Geraghty and the hard-working Adam Flanagan combined to tee up Glennon, and the 2004 Delaney Cup winner blasted the ball past Owen Coughlan to put his team ahead by 2-11 to 2-6.
There was no way back now for Tang. Ryan scored the winners’ third goal in style in the 47th minute. Points ensued from Aaron O’Brien (moments after his introduction), inter-county star Jamie Gonoud, and Peter Pierson (a fisted score under pressure).
Jason Coughlan was red-carded in the 56th minute to add to the losers’ woes. The respective number 5s, Harte and John Rock, soon traded points. Harte brought his tally to an impressive 1-2 from play, before Martin Rock rounded off the scoring with a low-trajectory point.
Man of the match: Ger Egan (Tyrrellspass). Class is permanent and one of the most consistent footballers in the county for the past decade and a half yet again turned on the style when his club needed a big display.
Key moment: There was no way back for Tang after another veteran Denis Glennon blasted the ball to the net in the 45th minute.
Footnote: Before the match, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Liam Conlon, The Pigeons, Athlone, who passed away recently.
Scorers – Tyrrellspass: G Egan 0-6 (2f, 1‘45’), N Harte 1-2, D Glennon 1-1, D McNicholas 0-3 (1m), T Ryan 1-0, J Gonoud, P Clarke, P Pierson, A O’Brien 0-1 each. Tang: A Neary 2-2 (1-0pen, 0-1f), M Rock 0-2, J Rock, S Hanley, A Burke (f), T Lennon 0-1 each.
Tyrrellspass: Joe Hyland; Stephen Quinn, Cormac Monaghan, Jamie Gonoud; Nigel Harte, Conor Slevin, Peter Clarke; Adam Flanagan, Denis Glennon; David Lynam, Ger Egan, Tommy Ryan; Peter Pierson, Dean McNicholas, Evan Connell. Subs used: Kieran Geraghty for Connell (38), Aaron O’Brien for Glennon (inj., 48), Cathal Dunne for Flanagan (inj., 50), Chris Daly for Egan (55), Sean Deegan for Slevin (58).
Tang: Owen Coughlan; Conall McKiernan, Kieran Duncan, Eoghan Bannon; John Rock, Ronan Hanley, Jason Coughlan; Ciaran Clear, Robert English; Tommy Lennon, Martin Rock, Shane Coughlan; Adam Neary, Shane Hanley, Aidan Burke. Subs used: Shane Keenan for Lennon (46), John Tumelty for Neary (inj., 48), Ian Coughlan for Burke (53), Davey Marlow for English (57).
Ref: Damien Maher (Ballynacargy).