By: Mary Dunne
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 1 Round 5
Rhode: 3-13
Tullamore: 0-16
Rhode joined Ferbane as the second team through the semi finals with a deserved win over reigning County Champions Rhode on Saturday evening last in Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore.
This was a very polished display by a Rhode side who have excelled in leaps and bounds since their opening round draw with Shamrocks back in July and remain the only team unbeaten in the strong group and they now find themselves back into another semi final.
Rhode played the majority of football in this one and while Tullamore came out a lot more composed in the second half and looked like they were going to have a say in the outcome at times, it was Rhode who held their nerve to take the win.
Heading into the second of the double header games the semi final spot was up for grabs for both sides. It was a rejuvenated Rhode side took to field in a bid to topple the reigning county champions Tullamore into a quarter final and in the end they certainly did that and Tullamore now must do it the long way round if they are to bring home the Dowling Cup for the fourth time in a row.
Saturday’s game a winner take all situation, but for Rhode a draw also would have been enough to secure the spot in the final four, unlike Tullamore who had to win and it was Rhode who were in the ascendancy by the half time break having played the better of the football for the half.
The opening half got it very hard to get going really and at times it was a case of going through the motions. Tullamore much like their previous game against Ferbane, they looked off the boil.
The vigor and drive that we had come accustomed to over the past number of years wasn’t as evident and it was Rhode who certainly in the early stages exposed it.
Rhode had a flying start to say the least and with as little as sixty odd seconds on the clock they were 0-4 to no score to the good.
Adam Kellaghan having taken the ball on the throw in was the game’s opening scorers with a well taken point.
His fellow midfield partner Sean Hurley followed with a marvelous two pointer strike and with their fourth thanks to Anton Sullivan their movement out of the blocks early warranted them a very good 0-4 to no score lead.
Tullamore struggled to get with the pace of Rhode in the early stages, but finally with five minutes on the clock they were off the mark with a free from Harry Plunkett.
Harry Plunkett was on target again with another free on the 11th minute, but Adam Kellaghan responded with his second of the half to bring the scores to 0-5 to 0-2 with fifteen played.
Tullamore were struggle to get into the scoring action from play but with sixteen on the clock Diarmuid Egan ended the rut with a nice score and the gap was back to two.
The game was starting slowly to come to life and with twenty two minutes on the clock Rhode attacked again.
Ross Kellaghan did extremely well to win the ball back off Declan Hogan and with a neat one two between himself and Ruairi McNamee, Ross took the return to land it nicely to the back of the Tullamore net and Rhode suddenly five clear 1-5 to 0-3.
The goal was a bit of a wakeup call for Tullamore and with two fine scores in quick succession from Harry Plunkett and Davin Keegan the gap was back to three, 1-5 to 0-5 on the 25th minute mark.
Ruairi McNamee stretched the Rhode lead to three again on the 30th minute, but it was Tullamore who had the final say of the half with Harry Plunkett with another free, hitting over this fourth of the half to leave three between the sides at the interval. The half time scores reading 1-6 to 0-6.
The second half was certainly a lot livelier and one thing is for sure there’s no love lost between the two clubs who have dominated the Offaly club scene for the past two decades.
Both sides ended up with fourteen with tempers certainly heightened in the second half. Conor McNamee saw red following a double yellow card within a short period of time, while Aaron Leavy who only was on the field for about twenty seconds was send off on a straight red following an altercation with Aaron Kellaghan and he will be a massive loss for Tullamore for their quarter final clash.
Ruairi McNamee struck first for Rhode but with a nice score Liam Dillane got Tullamore back into the scoring routine.
Rhode were winning vital ball in the field and with Sean Hurly pushing up the field he gave a lovely pass to incoming Ross Kellaghan who made no mistake in driving home his second goal of the game.
Rhode now lead by seven, 2-8 to 0-7 and it was all looking very worrying indeed for the Blues. Daire McDaid did claw one back but with a fine score from Aaron Kellaghan, Rhode maintained the upper hand.
The game then however took a swing and with the Plunkett brothers on the mark. Harry hit over two, two pointer frees either side of a score from his brother Luke and in the blink of any eye the gap was back to three, 2-9 to 0-12.
The game started to get messy from there. The hitting was hard both on and off the ball and Tullamore certainly had a crib with a decision to haul back a free which there was an advantage played for but Daire McDaid had landed a two pointer and who knows what would have happened at that point with the pendulum swinging with Tullamore.
When Rhode needed a score, it was Ruairi McNamee like he had done in so many games stepped up with a wonder strike, just before his brother Conor was issued with a second yellow and Rhode were down to fourteen.
Harry Plunkett brought it to a two point game with another two pointer free and with John Furlong making a welcomed return after a long spell out injured Tullamore were growing in confidence.
Tullamore had Rhode where they wanted them but with Aaron Leavy receiving his red card within seconds of come on and with that Rhode were back on point.
Ruairi McNamee again came with another score and then with a well worked move Aaron McBride found Dylan Kavanagh and with the aid of the post he hit home Rhode’s third goal of the game. Rhode leading 3-11 to 0-14 with five minutes of normal time to play.
With six minutes injury time signaled it was Rhode who ended with an Aaron Kellaghan two pointer free to bring the full time scores to 3-13 to 0-16 and the semi final spot secured.
The Scorers
Rhode: Ross Kellaghan 2-0, Ruairi McNamee 0-5 (0-2 Frees), Aaron Kellaghan 0-3 (0-2 TPF), Dylan Kavanagh 1-0, Sean Hurley 0-2 (TP), Adam Kellaghan 0-2, Anton Sullivan 0-1.
Tullamore: Harry Plunkett 0-11 (0-6 TPF’s, 0-4 Frees), Diarmuid Egan 0-1, Davin Keegan 0-1, Liam Dillane 0-1, Daire McDaid 0-1, Luke Plunkett 0-1.
The Teams
Rhode: Jack Murphy; Jake Kavanagh, Keith Murphy (Capt.), Jack Kilmurray; Aaron McBride, Eoin Smith, Ryan Kellaghan; Sean Hurley, Adam Kellaghan; Ross Kellaghan, Dylan Kavanagh, Ruairi McNamee; Aaron Kellaghan, Niall McNamee, Anton Sullivan.
Subs: Conor McNamee for Jack Kilmurray (inj. 30 mins), Niall Darby for Ryan Kellaghan (43 mins), Ryan Murphy for Adam Kellaghan (53 mins), Brian Darby for Aaron McBride (65 mins).
Tullamore: Arron Hensey; Patrick Keena, Declan Hogan, Jack Maher; Cormac Egan (Capt.), Luke Bourke, Daire McDaid; David Keegan, Luke Egan; Diarmuid Egan, Niall Furlong, Liam Dillane; Mike Fox, Harry Plunkett, Luke Plunkett.
Subs: Oisin Keenan Martin for Luke Plunkett (45 mins), John Furlong for Diarmuid Egan (51 mins), Aaron Leavy for Liam Dillane (51 mins), Ciaran Burns for Luke Bourke (56 mins).
Referee: Marius Stones (Clara).
By Offaly Secretary Sat 29th Aug
