Arravale Rovers win their fourth Tipperary Under 21 A football title

Arravale Rovers 2-11 Moyle Rovers 1-12

Arravale Rovers are the FBD Insurance County Under 21 A football champions for the fourth time following their two-point victory over South champions Moyle Rovers in the final played at Fethard Town Park’s 4G pitch on St Stephen’s Day.

Played before a good crowd on a cold but dry afternoon, this was the main event of an attractive Under 21 football double header and the paying public were not disappointed, as both teams served up a feast of football.

Moyle Rovers were in total command during the open period and led by 1-4 to 0-0 after eleven minutes, the goal coming from Cathal O’Gorman. Arravale had started the game playing an extra defender but this tactic was certainly not paying dividends. The Tipperary town side reverted to a more natural formation, one that had served them well during the campaign and Orrin Jones got them moving on the scoreboard at the start of the second quarter.

They outscored the Powerstown/Lisronagh side by 0-8 to 0-3 over the 15 minutes before the short whistle and despite the slow start to their game, trailed by just two points at the break.

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As their manager Donough Leahy, remarked “We changed our system at the start of the game and decided to employ a sweeper, to curb their forward threat. It worked to an extent but then we weren’t able to get on the ball and go forward. When we went 1-4 to no score down, we reverted back to basics, to what we were good at and started running at them. The likes of Adam Ryan, Orrin Jones, Davy Ryan and Jaye Cilvinas started running and they are very hard to stop and this is where we are most dangerous”.

Arravale’s first break came seven minutes after the restart when the in-running Adam Ryan beat Moyle goalie Peter Boland with a low shot from the 13 metre line to finish off a good move. This major brought them back on level terms for the first time and they pushed on from there. A second goal came with six minutes of normal time remaining when Alex Webster was first to react to a ball coming back off the upright and he scored from a narrow angle.

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For the final six minutes plus added time, they kept the Moyle Rovers attack at bay and also had a bit of luck on their side when a shot from Paddy O’Keeffe came back off the post on 62 minutes.

Moyle Rovers got up to the pace of the game quickly, as Arravale were finding it hard to get their hands on the ball. Paddy O’Keeffe opened their account from a two-pointer after four minutes when he curled over a beauty from out on the sideline. That advantage was doubled on eight minutes with a converted placed ball, again from O’Keeffe, which followed a minor from open play from Briain Morrisson after he had been set up by Killian Butler.

The opening goal of the game came after eleven minutes when Cathal O’Gorman hooked a shot from a narrow angle to the top corner of the net. Following the concession of this major, the west champions reverted back to a more basic approach and this quickly began to pay dividends.

Orrin Jones got them moving on the scoreboard when he kicked a two- pointer off his left.

While Paddy O’Keeffe kicked Moyle’s fifth point, it was the town side who began to dictate the pace and direction of the game. Shane Quigley had replaced the injured Eoin Doocey after twelve minutes and he soon made his mark, kicking two points from open play, the second following a three-man movement that also involved David Ryan and Orrin Jones. Briain Morrisson, who always posed a threat, kicked his second point to extend the lead to five, before Jones added another two- pointer.

When David Ryan burst through from midfield and kicked over from the 13 metre line, the gap was down to two as half-time approached. Ciarán Kelly then kicked a tap over point, after the ball had been moved to a central position for dissent, before Briain Morrisson put two between the sides in added time. The half time score was Moyle Rovers 1-7, Arravale Rovers 0-8.

Following the restart, Moyle attacked from the throw-in and were rewarded with a 45, which Daragh Walsh converted to ease their advantage out to three.

Both sides were then guilty of wayward shooting, before Arravale got their first big break. Darragh Bresnan won possession out around midfield before offloading to Ciarán Kelly. Kelly wriggled his way past a couple of defenders before finding the in-running Adam Ryan, who bore down on goal and unleashed a low shot to the left corner of the net. Arravale had clawed their way to level terms for the first time in the game.

They eased in front for the first time from an Evan Ryan converted 45, but John Cronin equalised when the ball was moved up to a central position following dissent from the Arravale management team after a player was booked. Cronin was again on target from a placed ball but Jones replied for Arravale.

With the game ebbing and flowing from end to end, every score was vital. John Paul Lohan kicked Arravale back in front, before Alex Webster gave them some breathing space when he goaled from a narrow angle, after being first to react to a ball coming back off the upright from an Adam Ryan shot. This gave the west side a four-point advantage with six minutes of normal time remaining.

Briain Morrisson cut the deficit to a goal on 59 minutes, as Moyle went in search of a major. Two minutes into added time Paddy O’Keeffe outjumped the Arravale defence to gain possession, but his shot at goal from a narrow angle came back off the post and was cleared.

John Cronin closed out the scoring when his fisted effort went over the crossbar with the last attack of what was a hugely entertaining game.

This was a polished performance from the Tipperary town side after their initial hiccup. They had big performers all round but David Ryan, Adam Ryan, John Paul Lohan, Ciarán Kelly and Orrin Jones led by example when it was needed most.

Moyle Rovers will be disappointed, especially after their great start. The fact that they had no semi- final to play and the four-week lay off since the south final didn’t help their cause. Killian Butler marshalled their defence while Paddy O’Keeffe, John Cronin and Briain Morrisson left it all on the field of play.

Scorers: Arravale Rovers: Adam Ryan (1-0), Alex Webster (1-0), Orrin Jones (0-5, 2x2pt, 1f), Shane Quigley (0-2), Evan Ryan (0-1x45), John Paul Lohan (0-1), Ciaran Kelly (0-1), David Ryan (0-1).
Moyle Rovers: Cathal O’Gorman (1-0), Paddy O’Keeffe (0-4, 1x2pt,1f), Briain Morrisson (0-4), John Cronin (0-3 frees), Daragh Walsh (0-1x45).

Arravale Rovers: Evan Ryan, Seán Lewis, Peter Ryan, Brendan Delaney, John Paul Lohan (captain), David Ryan, Jaye Cilvinas, Adam Ryan, Darragh Bresnan, Eoin Doocey, Orrin Jones, Seán O’Mahoney, Donncha Quigley, Ciarán Kelly, Alex Webster.
Subs: Shane Quigley for Eoin Doocey (inj 12), Ronan O’Connor for Peter Ryan (56).

Moyle Rovers: Peter Boland, Mark O’Meara, Michael O’Reilly, Cian O’Flaherty, Connor O’Gorman, Killian Butler (captain), Harry O’Keeffe, Luke Foley, Jake Forristal, Daragh Walsh, John Cronin, Cathal O’Gorman, Briain Morrisson, Paddy O’Keeffe, Daire Luttrell.
Subs: Brian Hurley for Daragh Walsh (43), Ciaran Power for Daire Luttrell (46), Louis Carroll for Michael O’Reilly (51), Sean Mullins for Cathal O’Gorman (57).

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Ardfinnan).