Relentless Tullamore break stiff Wheery resistance to claim five in a row
IT was not quite as clearcut as the final score of 0-12 to 0-5 scoreline suggests but a relentless Tullamore were still full value for their win as they claimed their fifth U-20 football title in a row in Kilcormac's Faithful Fields on Saturday.
Tullamore Court Hotel U20 Football Championship final
Tullamoere 0-12
Wheery 0-5
Wheery, a combination of mainly Ferbane players with a couple from Shannonbridge, made Tullamore fight hard. The favourites had to earn their win but once again their capacity to do the right thing, defend correctly and do what it takes to get the result manifested itself.
Quite brilliant defensively, Davin Keegan and Cillian Bourke saw them win the midfield battle while Niall Furlong went in and out of the game in the attack but was super at spells, particularly early on as Tullamore started very well.
Tullamore have been a terrific force of nature at underage level in recent years and their dominance at U-20 level is a direct symptom of that. They now are just one away from the six in a row record that the Rhode parish side of St Michael's set from 2002 to 2007 and they will be the team to beat next year.
While Tullamore were definitely the better side on the day and there were only a couple of very fleeting moments where it looked like it could go wrong for them, Wheery deserve to take a bow. They displayed fantastic fighting spirit against superior opposition, dug so deep and it was only inside the closing ten minutes when the result slipped beyond of their reach.
Wheery didn't score until the 27th minute when Ronan Flynn tapped over a free and one point was no where near a good enough return for the first half. You really couldn't win with that and Wheery simply didn't score enough in the first half. However, the half time deficit was only 0-5 to 0-1 and the door was still open for them, even though it was clear that a couple of quick Tullamore scores in the second half could slam it shut.
Tullamore controlled a lot of the play in the first half and their defensive set up meant that the Ferbane-Shannonbridge outfit did everything under pressure. Tullamore's tackling and covering was very good and Wheery found it hard to create chances.
The holders, however, occasionally pulled all fifteen back into their own half and this invited Wheery onto them.
It was all Tullamore in the first quarter with Niall Furlong running the show for them. He got all three points, two from play as they opened up a 0-3 to no score lead after thirteen minutes. Jack Daly almost got in for a goal whle Donnacha Keoghan made a good save from a Ronan Flynn snap shot at the other end.
Flynn dropped a straightforward looking free short as Wheery improved significantly in the second quarter, getting their hands on a lot more ball. A Jack Maher point put the lead out to four before that Flynn free got Wheery off the mark. Cillian Martin's high lofted kick gave Tullamore a four point half time lead, leaving them in a strong position for the second half.
Furlong again turned it on at the start of the second half, kicking two points, one a quality score from play. Davin Keegan also booted over a super point and with a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after 37 minutes, it looked all over.
Full marks to Wheery who could have given up at this stage but instead rallied the forces all over the field. They almost got back into it, getting the next three points, frees from Matthew Darcy and Ronan Flynn, while Flynn got their first point from play in the 39th minute.
The gap was only four as it drifted into the closing quarter and a Wheery goal would have changed everything. It almost came in the 45th minute when a Wheery free dropped into the goalmouth and a boot drove it against the post. It may have been Eoghan Grennan but lady luck smiled on Tullamore and that was more of less that.
Shane Horkan could have killed it off in the 49th minute when sent in on goal but opted to tap over the bar.. Still that point more or less broke Wheery even though Flynn got the next score, a free in the 51st minute.
In the closing ten minutes, Tullamore drove it home impressively with the final three points and Wheery were finally beaten – they had ample chances and possession to have been much closer over the hour but in reality, they were fighting an uphill battle from the throw in and could also have been beaten by much more. The game did end on a sour note for them when sub Donal Flynn was red carded for an incident out near the sideline deep in injury time.
MATCH ANALYSIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
Ben Heffernan (Tullamore): Tullamore's defensive display was excellent and Ben Heffernan had a fantastic game. He did his primary defensive duty with great efficiency and scarcely put a foot wrong. However, he brought much more to the table than that, often charging up the field with the ball and distributing very well. He was a great asset to Tullamore when going forward.
Niall Furlong was considered as he had a profound influence on the game in the spells when he was firing on all cylinders. Davin Keegan had a very good game for Tullamore at midfield while Cillian Bourke looked tired at times but when they needed him, he was always there and he was so good on the ball. Jack Maher and Cillian Martin also did a lot of work for a very solid Tullamore.
Collectively, Wheery gave it everything they had with several players having very solid games but five points and one from play just won't win games.
THE SCORERS
Tullamore: Niall Furlong 0-6 (3f), Jack Maher and Davin Keegan 0-2 each, Cillian Martin and Shane Horkan 0-1 each.
Wheery: Ronan Flynn 0-4 (3f), Matthew Darcy 0-1 (f).
THE TEAMS
TULLAMORE: Donnacha Keoghan; Jack Bracken, Ben Heffernan, Devon Henchy;; Jack Maher, Patrick Kenna, Jack Daly; Davin Keegan, Cillian Bourke; Luke Bourke, Niall Furlong, Cillian Martin; Killian Wynne, Sean Afolabi-Joseph, Kevin Leavy. Subs – Shane Horkan for Leavy (HT), Alex Sheridan for Kenna (59m).
WHEERY: David Dunican; Jake Maher, Mark Wren, Ruari O'Neill; John Dunican, Patrick Taaffe, Darragh Mannion; Eoghan Grennan, Michael Spillane; Daniel Kelly, Conor Dunican, Gavin Egan; Brian Carroll, Matthew Darcy, Ronan Flynn. Subs -Lee Moore for Spillane (36m), Rory Dunican for Mannion (36m), James Wren for Egan (47m), Donal Flynn for Darcy (60m).
Referee – Fintan Pierce (Raheen).
REFEREE WATCH
Both sides queried decisions here and there and it became a bit ragged late on but Fintan Pierce was very consistent in the way he applied the rules. Those calls balanced out and he had a good, solid game.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Shane Horkan's 49th minute point came after Wheery had scored three in a row and were close to getting back into it. It came just after he had missed a chance and while a goal was on the table, that point settled Tullamore.
VENUE WATCH
The Faithful Fields pitch was in its usual excellent condition and the large crowd was professionally hosted.
WHAT'S NEXT
This final concluded the season for both clubs.
STATISTICS
Wides: Tullamore – 5 (3 in first half); Wheery – 6 (2 in first half).
Yellow cards: Tullamore – 1 (Ben Heffernan); Wheery – 1 (Conor Dunican).
Black cards: 0.
Red cards: Tullamore – 0; Wheery – 1 (Donal Flynn).