Torpey’s brace crucial as Kellaghan’s men find winning display

Coralstown/Kinnegad 2-11, Tyrrellspass 0-10

By Gerry Buckley

Just five days after their shock defeat to Tang, the senior footballers from Coralstown/Kinnegad got back on track in TEG Cusack Park last Friday evening with a fully deserved seven-point win against Tyrrellpass.

The Tidy Town lads have been perennial contenders for the Flanagan Cup over the past quarter of a century, but the loss of some hugely influential players has diminished their powers in the past couple of seasons and they were unable to build on their fine opening win against Caulry.

The two crucial scores of what was often a scrappy contest – albeit it improved in the second half – were Jack Torpey’s three-pointers expertly dispatched past Joe Hyland in the 22nd and 37th minutes respectively. Last year’s defeated county finalists are now back on track as they attempt to bridge a 28-year wait for the blue riband trophy in Lake County football.

Tyrrellspass meet Tang in a crucial round three game, while Coralstown/Kinnegad will take on Athlone.

Scores were at a premium in a ragged opening quarter, at the end of which the men in red and white led by 0-3 to 0-1. The winners score came from the boots of Darren Giles (two – a first-minute free and a delightfully curled effort from play on the quarter-hour mark) and Shane Fleming (an expertly converted ‘45’ in the 12th minute, after Brían Cooney had been denied a green flag by a goal line clearance from Cormac Monaghan). There was an element of good fortune to the losers’ 12th-minute opener from Cathal Dunne, as Adam Flanagan’s delivery - which Dunne fielded - appeared to be a point attempt.

Eoghan Bracken (a fisted effort after an eye-catching solo run) and Kieran Geraghty (a free – the award seemed soft) traded points, either side of an ambitious goal attempt by the hard-working Liam Daly flying wide of the target. In the 22nd minute, a great delivery from Ciaran Daly teed up Torpey who applied a very cool finish to put his side five points clear. Josh Gaham struck a pair of disappointing wides late on, and his colleague Fleming spurned a scoreable free by his standards with the last kick of a forgettable first moiety. Coralstown/Kinnegad led by 1-4 to 0-2 at the interval.

Giles doubled his tally from frees within three minutes of the resumption of play before an opportunist and quickfire brace from Peter Clarke kept Eddie Kinsella’s troops in touch. However, a fine run from Eoin O’Brien set up Torpey for another great finish to the Tyrrellspass net, leaving Paschal Kellaghan’s charges seven points clear (2-5 to 0-4) after 37 minutes. David Hanlon reduced the gap with a point at the end of a patient move before the respective number 11s, Giles (open play) and Geraghty (a free), traded points.

Cooney then belatedly got on the scoresheet with a brace of points – the second was a powerful shot for a goal which Hyland did very well to deflect over the crossbar. The strong-running Nigel Harte scored a low-trajectory point at the other end, with sub Tommy Ryan cleverly adding another. The gap was now two goals (2-8 to 0-8) after 51 minutes.

Wayne Fox chipped in with a very good brace of points for the winners, either side of a routine free conversion by Geraghty. At the end of normal time, sub Callum Cruise pointed when Coralstown/Kinnegad had several men to spare in front of goal, but it mattered little. Geraghty wrapped up match scoring by converting a free with the last kick of the match.

Scorers – Coralstown/Kinnegad: J Torpey 2-0, Darren Giles 0-4 (2f), B Cooney, W Fox 0-2 each, S Fleming (‘45’), E Bracken, C Cruise 0-1 each.

Tyrrellspass: K Geraghty 0-4 (4f), P Clarke 0-2, N Harte, D Hanlon, C Dunne, T Ryan 0-1 each.

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Sean Martin; Jason Lynch, Ciaran Daly Snr, Josh Gahan; Eoghan Bracken, Daniel Woods, Eoin O’Brien; Brian McGrath, Liam Daly; Jack Torpey, Darren Giles, Brían Cooney; Shane Fleming, Wayne Fox, David Giles. Subs used: Dan Leech for David Giles (52), Callum Cruise for Darren Giles (58).

Tyrrellspass: Joe Hyland; Jamie Gonoud, Kai Harte, Jamie Corcoran; Cormac Monaghan, Nigel Harte, Conor Slevin; Adam Flanagan, David Hanlon; Val Sizychas, Kieran Geraghty, Peter Clarke; Brian Slevin, Cathal Dunne, Evan Connell. Subs used: Chris Daly for Connell (h-t), Tommy Ryan for B Slevin (35). Sean Deegan for Corcoran (56), Eoin Corcoran for Hanlon (60).

Ref: Barry Nea (Killucan).