Clinical Carrick Swan win County Tipperary Under 15 B Football Championship final

Carrick Swan 3-10 Arravale Rovers 1-7

A blistering attacking display from dynamic duo Jay O’Gorman and Alex O’Dwyer set Carrick Swan on their way to a deserved victory over Arravale Rovers in the County Under 15 B Football Championship final at Ned Hall Park, Clonmel last Thursday evening.

O’Gorman and O’Dwyer scored 3-8 between them – all but two points of the side’s total – and they were the main difference between the teams on a lovely evening for football at the Clonmel Óg venue.

The Carrick-on-Suir side took their chances while the Tipp Town boys struggled in front of goal. Joint captain O’Gorman hit 2-2 from play in a virtuoso performance at full forward, while O’Dwyer not only scored 1-3 from play but was also accurate from placed balls.

Rovers had no one to match that scoring threat. They did race into a 1-1 to no score lead after just two minutes, but added just one more point in the first half, and five in the second. Their return from penalties reflected their problems, with just one point to show from two spot kicks, that coming four minutes into added time when the contest was really over.

And yet it was Arravale who started on the front foot. They attacked from the throw-in and quick passing saw Mark Duggan shoot to the net after just forty seconds. By the time Davy Hogan pointed a free, following a foul on Cillian O’Dea a minute later, Carrick Swan had barely touched the ball.

But they quickly settled and Alex O’Dwyer opened their scoring from a pointed free in the 6th minute and thirty seconds later Jay O’Gorman laid down his first marker for the evening when he took an Evan Moran pass to shoot past Adam Gleeson in the Arravale goal for the equalising score.

Swan were now relentless in attack and they took the lead with a second goal from the unmarkable O’Gorman, and O’Dwyer made it 2-2 to 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Brilliant play from Tomas O’Connor saw him start the move and then finish it for Rovers’ first point from play in the 22nd minute, but Swan finished the half stronger, with points from Evan Moran and O’Dwyer – following the best move of the game from deep in defence – to give them a 2-4 to 1-2 half-time lead.

The advantage was extended to six points five minutes into the second half, with Craig O’Donnell finishing a move that involved O’Dwyer and Jack Kiely, but a hugely committed Arravale Rovers side suddenly upped their game.

They began to press more on the Swan defence, with Cillian O’Dea’s jinking runs opening up space, and Eoin Heffernan looking dangerous at full forward. O’Dea was fouled on one of his runs and pointed the free to reduce the deficit on six minutes, and a minute later they had a big chance to cut the lead further when Heffernan was fouled in the square and referee Brian Tyrrell pointed to the spot. But unfortunately for Rovers, Davy Hogan’s penalty kick tailed wide.

Yet Arravale continued to play their best football of the game and when O’Dea pointed another free, it was down to 2-5 to 1-4. Frees from O’Dea again and O’Dwyer for Swan left four points still between the sides entering the final quarter.

Swan took charge again with two points from O’Gorman and another from O’Dwyer to stretch the lead out to 2-9 to 1-5. Rovers keeper Adam Gleeson had kept his side in the game with a superb save from O’Gorman from close range, but he could do nothing with Swan’s third goal, scored by O’Dwyer after good build-up from Kiely and O’Gorman.

O’Gorman, again, then finished the Swan scoring with two late points.  Arravale’s last scores were from Conor Kelly from play and Cillian O’Dea with a point from a late penalty after Mark Duggan had been fouled when taking a pass from substitute Jamie Cotter.

Carrick Swan: Eoin Connolly, Eoin Kelly, Jay Fleming, Odhran Reade, Charlie Torpey Walsh, Liam Walsh, Aaron Brennan, Jack Raymond Walsh, Noah Power, Alex O’Dwyer 1-5, 0-2 frees; Evan Moran 0-1; Craig O’Donnell 0-1; Jay O’Gorman 2-3, 0-1 free; Jack Kiely.

Subs: Evan Power for Craig O’Donnell, Scott O’Shea for Charlie Torpey Walsh, Cian Norris for Eoin Kely, Tadhg Robinson for Jack Kiely.

Arravale Rovers: Adam Gleeson, Cian Lowry, James Gleeson, Dylan Ryan, Luke Webster, Conor Kelly 0-1; Mark Ryan, Paul Kelly, Cian O’Connell, Mark Duggan 1-0; Cillian O’Dea 0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 penalty; Robert Swords, Davy Hogan 0-1; Eoin Heffernan, Tomas O’Connor 0-1.

Subs: Paddy Cavanagh for Robert Swords, John Beary for Dylan Ryan, Ryan Devitt for Mark Ryan, Jamie Cotter for Davy Hogan, Daire Ryan for Eoin Heffernan.

Referee: Brian Tyrrell (Clonmel Commercials).