Dramatic finish as Cahir secure senior football status in Tipperary

Cahir 1-8 Aherlow 0-8

Aherlow are consigned to intermediate football for 2023, following their injury-time defeat by Cahir at Bansha on Saturday in the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship relegation final. This was a late smash and grab raid by the south men, when a draw looked on the cards.
All the excitement was packed into injury time at the end of the game. With the sides level at 0-8 each, two minutes into extra time, Oisin Maher put a low ball past Jack Whelton in the Aherlow goal to give Cahir the lead for the second time in this mediocre game.
Three minutes later Aherlow were awarded a penalty, but Aaron Wall in the Cahir goal saved brilliantly from Barry Grogan, a save that keeps Cahir in senior football next year, while Aherlow will play intermediate for the first time since winning the county title in 1995.
From the outset Aherlow were in control and led by four, 0-7 to 0-3 after 25 minutes. Cahir were dependent on full forward Ger Quinn to keep the scoreboard ticking over and he kicked the last two scores of the opening half, bringing his tally to five, as the south men recovered.
Cahir were probably happy enough with the half- time score, just trailing by two and with the aid of a slight wind to come. Six minutes after the restart Barry Grogan kicked his fourth point, and Aherlow’s eighth, to put them three up but this was to be their last score, as Cahir came more into the game. Conor O’Brien kicked two points in quick succession to tie the game with seven minutes remaining.

Two Tipperary players help 'Emerging Ireland' side to rugby win in South Africa

With neither side able to break the deadlock, the game headed into injury time and a replay looked on the cards until Cahir’s Oisin Maher got in for the all-important goal.
Aherlow played with the aid of a slight wind for the opening half and Barry Grogan opened their account when he converted a free after two minutes. Cahir replied with two points from Ger Quinn,  going one up after eight minutes. Aherlow took control and dictated the pace. Tom Hanly equalised on ten minutes before Barry Grogan kicked a wonderful sideline ball from the 45 metre line, out under the stand.
Cahir had a goal disallowed when Stephen Grogan was adjudged to have been in the square. This was a let-off for Aherlow and in their next attack Grogan put over point number four. Ger Quinn kicked his third point  before Jack Whelton saved point blank from Jack Buckley, when a goal looked on. Aherlow weathered the storm and three unanswered points from Diarmuid Looby and Michael Elligot (2) gave them a four-point cushion with five minutes of the half remaining.
Aherlow were reduced to fourteen players following a black card and Cahir made the most of their numerical advantage. They finished the half the stronger and Ger Quinn kicked over two valuable points in the closing stages to leave the half-time score Aherlow 0-7 Cahir 0-5.
Barry Grogan kicked his fourth point of the afternoon after six minutes of the second half. With both defences on top, scores were hard to come by but Ray Hennessy got into a scoring position after twelve minutes, only to see his shot come back off the crossbar, with Aaron Wall well beaten.
This let-off proved to be the boost that Cahir required. They upped their game and attacked with greater numbers, without throwing caution to the wind.
As the game entered the final quarter they still trailed by three, but they were getting more on the ball. Jack Buckley converted a free from the right after 16 minutes. Substitute Conor O’Brien kicked a point from play to cut the deficit to the minimum and followed up with the equaliser from a placed ball, with seven minutes of normal time remaining.
For those final minutes, both sides missed their chances and as the game entered injury time a draw looked the likely outcome. However, Cahir then attacked down the middle, in a move that started in defence and when the ball eventually ended with Oisin Maher he made no mistake.
Cahir were now three up, two minutes into injury time, but Aherlow were not yet finished. In one final attack they were awarded a penalty. However, Barry Grogan’s well-struck effort was brilliantly saved by Aaron Wall.
Cahir: Aaron Wall, Nicholas Reidy, Robbie Costigan, Sean Leahy, Eanna Heffernan, Ger Hally (captain), Dara Heffernan, Ian Flannery, Eoin Wyse, Stephen Grogan, Sean O’Connor, Brian McKenna, Jack Buckley (0-1 free), Ger Quinn (0-5, 4 frees), Niall McKenna.
Subs: Ciaran Condon for Eanna Heffernan (H.T.), Oisin Maher (1-0) for Stephen Grogan (H.T.), Conor O’Brien (0-2, 1 free) for Sean O’Connor (44 mins), Kieran O’Dwyer for Brian McKenna (58 mins).
Aherlow: Jack Whelton, Mark Hanly, Sean Mullins, Tom O’Donoghue, Stephen Moloney, Tadhg Carew, Lawrence Coskeran, Ray Hennessy, Mark Russell, Ed O’Meara (captain), Diarmuid Looby (0-1), Liam Carew, Tom Hanly, Barry Grogan (0-4, 3 frees, 1 sideline), Michael Elligot (0-2).
Subs: Darren Neville for Liam Carew (25 mins), Ben Carey for Tom Hanly (44 mins).
Referee: Jonathan Cullen (Loughmore/Castleiney).