Early dominance helps Tubberclair advance despite late, late scare
by Matt Scally Updated: Wednesday, 11th November, 2009 5:30pm
Tubberclair booked their place in the Leinster intermediate semi-final with a three-point victory over Dunlavin at Tubberclair GAA grounds last Saturday afternoon having survived a late onslaught from the Wicklow champions.
Having dominated the opening thirty minutes and taken a seven-point lead into the second-half, Tubberclair looked like they would ease home to victory.
Their cause was helped further still when, with sixteen minutes remaining and the gap still at seven points, Dunlavin's corner-forward Steven Carthy was sent from the field for a second bookable offence.
But goals in the final fifteen minutes of play from Shane Corrigan and captain Tom Harney dragged the Wicklow side to within two points with two minutes remaining. But there they ran out of ideas and Tubberclair were able to close the game off.
Manager Tom Lennon and Tubberclair supporters will undoubtedly be delighted to see their team advance to the semi-finals but will also be worried by their failure to close out this game earlier than they did.
Fergal Wilson was once again the man on form for Tubberclair on Saturday. The corner forward hit 1-6 in total during this game but it was his scoring burst of 1-2 in four minutes just before the interval that allowed Tubberclair to open up that seven-point lead - one that Dunlavin ultimately would not be able to catch.
Left-half-forward Conor Elliott worked tirelessly for his team before being substituted late on and also chipped in on the scoring with two points of his own. Jeffery Farrell too was at the top of his game, the centre-forward exhibiting some high fielding and some fine score taking.
In defence, Bernard Cassells was to the fore in displaying some tenacious tackling as well as setting some Tubberclair attacks in motion.
For Dunlavin, centre-forward and captain Tom Harney was the star man.
He proved impossible to handle for the sixty minutes and was at the heart of every attack for the Wicklow men. Sadly, from their point of view, he hadn't enough team-mates of similar prowess, a fact that, in the end, saw them fall just short.
After a wet week and an equally wet morning, the sun happily decided to come out for the 2pm throw-in on Saturday. A colour clash (both teams wear green and gold) saw a change of kit on both sides. Tubberclair donned the maroon of neighbours Tang while Dunlavin brought with them a set of white Wicklow jerseys.
Tubberclair began the game strongly and had raced into a two point lead after just four minutes. Firstly, Fergal Wilson pointed with his right boot after a swift move involving Enda McGee and Conor Elliott. Wilson then added to that with a converted free.
Down the other end, full-forward Steven Miley wasted two opportunities by kicking two scoreable frees into the hands of Gary Connaughton.
Jeffery Farrell took full advantage of Miley's profligacy by tapping over Tubberclair's third point on nine minutes - a free which was won by Elliott.
Miley finally got it right on eleven minutes, curling over his first from a placed ball to open his and Dunlavin's account. Another free was converted by Miley three minutes later to leave the minimum between the sides with fourteen played.
Michael Hopkins then restored Tubberclair's two-point advantage seconds later when Gary Connaughton's kick-out was fielded by Farrell who transferred to the corner-forward. But that score was cancelled out on eighteen minutes by Tom Harney who charged straight up the centre of the Tubberclair defence before drilling the ball over with the outside of his right boot.
The home side then took over. From the very next kickout, the ball made its way to Conor Elliott who speedily beat his man in along the end-line before punching the ball between the uprights.
A minute later, Farrell worked hard to make some space for himself before swinging the left boot at the ball and seeing his effort fly high over the bar.
On twenty-two minutes, the home side were given a scare when an accurate pass from Tom Harney found its way to Steven Miley who had a clear run at goal.
Connaughton rushed from his line and although Miley managed to get around him, he hesitated and his shot was cleared off the line by Rory Walsh who had done brilliantly to get back.
Then just before half-time, Tubberclair really took control of the match. Francis Spollen sent a ball goalward but when 'keeper Paul English came to collect, there seemed to be no danger. However, English fumbled the ball straight into the path of Wilson who gratefully accepted the gift before spinning and finishing to the net in one swift movement.
There was still time for Dunlavin to register the final score of the half - a Steven Miley free - but in reality it looked as though Tubberclair would ease to victory from this position.
Within just thirteen seconds of the restart Dunlavin had scored through Shane Corrigan but despite that lightning start to the half, the home side were soon back on top with scores from Wilson and Hopkins stretching the lead out to eight.
Half-time substitute Enda Bowes, tapped over a free for the visitors on forty-two minutes but when Steven Carthy was given his marching orders two minutes later, the result seemed assured.
Not so, however. Steven Miley landed a huge free on forty-five minutes to bring the deficit back down to six. And on forty-seven minutes the deficit was down to three when Shane Corrigan received another pin-point pass from Tom Harney before turning his man and rifling the ball to the top-corner past a helpless Gary Connaughton.
Crucially, however, Tubberclair were able to put a temporary halt to the Dunlavin momentum by moving swiftly down the field and winning a free which Fergal Wilson curled over.
On fifty-one minutes Conor Elliott raised the white flag for the second time after a lay-off from Robert Buckley and it looked as though the Westmeath champions had stemmed the Wicklow tide.
But with two minutes on the clock, referee Fergal Barry gave Dunlavin a life-line when he awarded a penalty after Niall Walker was judged to have dragged Tom Harney to the ground inside the box.
Harney stepped up to take the spot-kick and coolly sent Connaughton the wrong way to leave just two between the sides.
But despite letting their opponents back into the game, a welcome trait of Tubberclair's performance was their ability to get scores at crucial times.
They had scored immediately after the first Dunlavin goal, and they did so again after the second with Jeffery Farrell knocking over another free to stretch out the gap to a much safer three points.
With just two minutes of injury-time to be played Dunlavin launched one last attack - a swift hand-passing move down the pitch toward the clubhouse.
But as the ball made its way to Shane Carthy he lashed wildly at the ball which flew well wide of the goal. And with that went Dunlavin's last hope.
SCORERS
TUBBERCLAIR: Fergal Wilson (1-6, 4f), Jeffery Farrell (0-3, 2f), Conor Elliot (0-2), Michael Hopkins (0-2).
DUNLAVIN: Steven Miley (0-4, 4f), Shane Corrigan (1-1), Tom Harney (1-1), Enda Bowes (0-1, 1f)
TEAMS
TUBBERCLAIR: Gary Connaughton, Simon Lawless, James Martin, Rory Walsh, Bernard Cassells, Niall Walker, Enda McGee, David Ganley, Thomas Dougan, Robert Buckley, Jeffery Farrell, Conor Elliott, Fergal Wilson, Francis Spollen, Michael Hopkins. SUBS USED: David Cassells for E. McGee (41 mins), Enda Dooley for R. Walsh (56 mins), Peter Evans for C. Elliott (60 mins).
DUNLAVIN: Paul English, Kevin Miley, Mick Murtagh, Justin Birchall, Sean Metcalfe, Alan Bowens, Stephen Birchall, Thomas Kelly, Alan Heatley, Shane Corrigan, Tom Harney, Shane Carthy, Shane O'Rourke, Steven Miley, Steven Carthy.
SUBS USED: Enda Bowes for S. O'Rourke (HT), Conor Miley for S. Metcalfe (51 mins).
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