2005 Under 21 13 a-side Final

Classy Tyrrellspass take the title but Caulry restore pride in second half

TYRRELLSPASS 3-6

CAULRY 1-4

Caulry had no answer to the superior class of Tyrrellspass in the 2005 U-21 ‘B’ football final at Drumraney last Saturday.

Tyrrellspass came into this game as favourites and they led by a whopping 3-3 to 0-1 at half-time. And although Caulry produced a spirited second-half display, they never really looked like completing what would have been a comeback of epic proportions.

Westmeath senior star Denis Glennon was on fire for Tyrrellspass during the first half, during which he scored 2-2.

The winners actually finished the game with only 11 players on the field in this 13-a-side decider, with defenders James Troy and TJ Gonoud both dismissed after receiving two yellow cards. Troy was sent off in the 48th minute, while Gonoud’s dismissal came in the dying moments of the game. By then, it made no difference.

There was little wind on a bright but cold day at the Drumraney venue, where January sunshine was making a welcome appearance.

The writing was on the wall for the Mount Temple side inside the opening minute when Cathal Daly’s one-two with Aidan Mealiffe cut the Caulry defence open and Daly blasted the ball to the net.

An incisive solo run by Tyrrellspass wing-forward Keith Scally then set up Darren Quinn for a well-taken point.

In the 11th minute, Caulry were unlucky to have a goal disallowed when Damien Keenan’s attempt for a point was flicked to the net by Peter Smith. Referee Sean Carroll awarded a free-out for ‘square call’. It seemed a harsh call.

At the other end, an injection of pace by Denis Glennon set up Darren Quinn for a scoring chance and when Quinn was fouled, Glennon pointed the 13-metre free.

Caulry got off the mark on 14 minutes with a point by Damien Keenan, but they were unable to add to their tally before half-time.

With Gavin Hoey a dominant figure at centre-back, Caulry were unable to get decent ball into their full-forward line. The Caulry mentors decided to move Peter Smith out around midfield in a bid to improve their fortunes.

However, Denis Glennon’s stunning 18th minute goal left Caulry facing an even steeper gradient. The Tyrrellspass midfielder outpaced Smith and then waltzed around defender Damien Dolan, before unleashing a blistering shot into the roof of the net. The Caulry defence was ill-equipped to cope with that sort of skill and pace.

Tyrrellpass were carving open the Caulry rearguard almost at will in the opening half. And, from a Caulry perspective, it was just as well that David Glennon was unavailable to play due to injury.

In the 20th minute, Darren Quinn tried to get in on the goalscoring act with a ambitious effort that flew wide. Glennon’s pinpoint pass then presented Quinn with a better goal chance. Quinn’s shot was blocked by Damien Dolan but the referee awarded a penalty for a ‘foot block’.

Glennon took the penalty and his low shot, though not particularly powerful, was sufficiently well placed to beat Caulry ‘keeper Alan Murphy.

To their credit, John Higgins’ team lifted their efforts but a decent move yielded nothing when Mark Fitzpatrick’s shot was blocked by the Tyrrellspass defence.

In first-half injury-time, Denis Glennon produced a Maurice Fitzgerald-style score, as he pointed a sideline ball from the right corner off his weaker left foot.

Winning the game looked well beyond Caulry at half-time, but they restored some pride with their second-half performance. They scored three consecutive points shortly after the restart, courtesy of Keenan (free), Ernie Buckley and Peter Smith (a huge kick from all of 45 metres).

Indeed, Caulry should have put more scores on the board during this spell. Ernie Buckley, who was very prominent in the second half, hit a goal chance wide and a few other chances were squandered as well.

Complacency crept into the Tyrrellspass players, with some loose passes by Denis Glennon symptomatic of this malaise. But Pat Flanagan’s side opened their second-half account in the 41st minute with a fine point from an acute angle by Sean Bagnall.

As Caulry sought a goal to bring the game to life, Ernie Buckley and Conor Allen had shots blocked by defender Paul Henry and ‘keeper Tommy Byrne respectively.

The sky blues were reduced to 12 men when James Tory was yellow-carded for the second time. Moments later, Caulry got the goal they were craving after John Dolan’s effort for a point came back off the upright. Peter Smith was on hand to seize the rebound and drill the ball to the net. The goal reduced the gap to six points (3-4 to 1-4).

Tyrrellspass were penalised for delaying the resulting kick-out as a hop ball was awarded, but Caulry were unable to profit from this situation.

A 55th minute point by Keith Scally eased Tyrrellspass fears about Caulry’s revival and, with a minute of normal time remaining, Darren Quinn added another.

In injury-time, Caulry substitute Philip Dully was yellow-carded for a spiteful foul on Denis Glennon, while TJ Gonoud received his second yellow for retaliating on his team-mate’s behalf.

SCORERS - Tyrrellspass: D Glennon 2-2 (1-0pen, 0-1f, 0-1 sideline); C Daly 1-0; D Quinn 0-2; S Bagnall and K Scally 0-1 each.

Caulry: P Smith 1-1 (0-1f), D Keenan 0-2 (1f), E Buckley 0-1.

CAULRY: Alan Murphy; Brian Mullarney, Damien Dolan; Brian Muldoon, Johnny Buckley, Cormac Fox; Conor Allen, Nicky Killane; Ernie Buckley, Mark Fitzpatrick; John Dolan, Damien Keenan, Peter Smith (capt.).

Subs: Peter Rigney for Fitzpatrick; Gary Walker for Keenan; Philip Dully for Killane.

TYRRELLSPASS: Tommy Byrne; James Troy, TJ Gonoud; Paul Henry, Gavin Hoey, Joe Henson; Denis Glennon, James Carroll; Aidan Mealiffe, Cathal Daly (capt.), Keith Scally; Darren Quinn, Sean Bagnall.

Subs: Eoin O’Neill for Henson; Brian Slevin for Bagnall.

REFEREE: Sean Carroll (The Downs).

Extracted from the Westmeath Independent Archives, 28th Jan, 2006