2010/11 Schoolboys/girls Match Reports

MSL Shield Final - Girls Under-12

Tullamore Town  2   Birr Town  1

These two fine sides served up an action packed finale to the season in Leah Victoria Park last Friday as the Tullamore girls ran out narrow winners in this thrilling encounter. The home side were first to threaten on five minutes when Aishling Fox fired in a great effort that was brilliantly kept out by Aoibhe Whelehan in the Birr goal. With ten minutes on the clock they hit the front when Emily Bailey got on the end of a through ball  from Roisin Finn and blasted an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. As the visitors hit back Aishling Garland picked out Aoifa Maher on the left but her effort flew outside the near post. Minutes later Tullamore increased their lead in somewhat fortuitous circumstances when Garland, under pressure from Bailey, inadvertently drove the ball past her own keeper and into the net. With Katelynn Bracken and Ava Gowran working tirelessly in midfield, Tullamore continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges but Birr battled their way back into the game and went close when an Alana Roddy free kick was deflected wide and from the resultant corner Roddy saw her effort fly inches outside the post. They were not to be denied on twenty five minutes when Alana Roddy, playing a captain’s role, picked the ball up on the edge of the area and fired it into the top left hand corner for a superb goal. With Roddy and Niamh Middleton tightening their grip on midfield the Birr girls went in search of an equaliser but, with  Ciara Hamil, Sarah Bracken, Roisin Finn Jessica Mullary and Grainne Bracken outstanding at the back, Tullamore held firm as half time arrived with the score 2-1 in the home sides favour.

The second half opened in spectacular fashion when, after only five minutes, a Holly Ravenhill free kick broke to Aishling Fox in the area but Aoibhe Whelehan brought off a superb point blank save to deny her. As Tullamore continued to press the hard working Kate Fox was taken down on the edge of the area with Whelehan again making a great double save to keep out Ravenhill’s dangerous free kick. But it was not all one way traffic and a great run on the right by Jamie Spain nearly breached the home defence but  the strong and fast Jessica Mullary got across to clear. From the resulting throw in Alana Roddy fired in a searching cross from the right but Rebecca Conlon produced the tackle of the game to snuff out the danger. As the game began to turn in Birr’s favour, Spain sent Laura Sampson through but the Tullamore goalkeeper Hannah O’Connor not for the first time was quickly off her line to clear while at the other end super sub Romy Rucova flashed a fine effort inches outside the post. Tullamore threatened when Ava Gowran broke clear but she was denied by a great last ditch tackle from the excellent Aishling Garland and they again went close when Sarah Bracken picked out Rebecca Conlon but Tullamore’s leading goalscorer saw her effort fly inches outside the far post. With five minutes remaining Birr thought they had equalised when Alana Roddy and Laura Sampson combined to send Mariesa Cleary through and she drilled the ball into the back of the net only to be called back for off-side. Building on their good fortune, the Tullamore girls hit back with Aoibhe Whelehan brilliantly tipping Romy Rucova shot onto the upright. As Tullamore’s defence tired it was left to Roisin Finn, Kaitlin Nolan and Ciara Hamil to brilliantly tidy up any further Birr attacks. As the midlands most experienced and best known referee Micky Flanagan brought this terrific final to a conclusion there were scenes reminiscent of any All-Ireland final from the Tullamore players and supporters.

 Following the game the league treasurer, Brendan McElligott, presented the Shield to Tullamore’s winning captain and ‘lady of the match’, Aishling Fox, amid scenes of great excitement.

For the home side there were excellent performances from Sarah Bracken, Roisin Finn, Holly Ravenhill, Aishling Fox, Ava Gowran Emily Bailey and Rebecca Conlon with Aishling Garland, Alana Roddy, Niamh Middleton and Jamie Spain the pick of the visitors, but the player of the match award went to Birr’s outstanding goalkeeper, Aoibhe Whelehan.

Tullamore: Hannah O’Connor, Sarah Bracken, Jessica Mullary, Roisin Finn, Holly Ravenhill, Emily Bailey, Ava Gowran, Aishling Fox, Rebecca Conlon, Grainne Bracken and Katelynn Bracken,

 Ciara Hamil, Kate Fox, Kaitlin Nolan and Romy Rucova.

The Tullamore Town Schoolboys and Girls club would like to thank all parents that have provided transport to away games all season for there time and help and support.

MSLeague U16 Shield Final

Terrific Tullamore sink Clara in The Pond

Tullamore Town 4 Clara Town 1

The Pond in Killeigh played host to the U16 shield final between neighbours Clara Town and Tullamore Town and it was the Tullamore boys who ran out winners more comfortably than anyone expected. Right from the kick off the Tullamore boy’s seemed determine not to let this opportunity of silverware pass them by. As early as the second minute Town found themselves ahead through a terrific individual goal from Cillian Wyer. Cillian won a superb tackle on the halfway line and then ran past three Clara defenders before slotting the ball past the on rushing keeper to the far corner of the net. Tullamore continued their good start and never gave Clara any time on the ball. A Michael James free kick for Tullamore on the edge of the box just whistled past the Clara post and as Tullamore went in search of a second James was again unlucky to see his header from a corner hit the side netting. On 25 minutes Tullamore doubled their lead when a Conor Byrne throw found Pa Kane who put his strike partner Max Orsanu in on goal with a slide rule pass and Max finished to the net with the outside of his left foot. Tullamore were completely dominant at this stage and with Ciaran Scanlon and Cillian Wyer winning tackle after tackle Town were pressing for more goals. Orsanu found himself running on to through ball from midfield general Eddie Connolly but the Clara keeper just got to it first. A minute later Tullamore were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty box Orsanu struck the ball and it hit off Kanes back and slipped inches past the Clara post. With ten minutes to go to half time Tullamore defended a Clara corner and ‘keeper Johnny McEvoy launched the ball up field to Pa Kane. Kane floated a perfectly timed cross into the path of the on running Cillian Wyer who hit an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net to put Tullamore three up. With Town’s defence of Enda Doran, Conor Byrne, James Conolly and Kaylyn Colgan sniffing out any threats that were posed by Clara Tullamore’s lead never looked troubled for the remainder of the half.

The wind in the second half was to be in Clara’s favour and as expected were putting Tullamore under more pressure. But Eddie Connolly and Ciaran Scanlon were bossing the midfield for Tullamore and every time Clara had the ball Scanlon and Connolly were putting in tremendous tackles to break up the attacks. With Clara throwing everything at Tullamore in an effort to cut the deficit they were given some hope when Conor Byrne headed a Clara corner kick to the back of his own net. Clara grew in confidence and began to attack at every opportunity but Byrne seemed determined to make up for his OG and along with Doran some resolute defending prevented Clara from building on their goal. Town were enjoying success on the counter attack however and fifteen minutes into the second half substitute Charlie Ward latched onto a pass from Orsanu, but as he lifted the ball over the Clara keeper the defender got back to clear the ball off the line. From the resulting corner Tullamore hit the side netting and were now looking for the goal that would finally kill off the Clara threat. Cillian Wyer was causing all sorts of problems for the Clara defence with his tough tackling and surging runs down the right wing as was his fellow winger Michael James on the left. Tullamore were now back on top in the game and the decisive moment came with twelve minutes to go. Kaylyn Colgan made a brilliant tackle on the Clara wing. Orsanu got on the ball and slid the ball through the Clara defence to the on rushing Ward who side footed the ball past the Clara ‘keeper to put Tullamore 4-1 up and finally put the game beyond the Clara boys. Michael James and Enda Doran who had given everything they had were replaced by James Shanahan and Matthew Kilroe who maintained the levels of commitment given by those the had replaced. Declan Cuskelly came on for the excellent Wyer and Dec kept pushing the Tullamore lads forward. Tullamore were comfortable in the last five minutes just running down the clock and waiting for referee Martin Buckley’s final whistle. Martin and his team of officials did an excellent job and there were great celebrations in the Tullamore camp when the final whistle was blown. Captain Eddie Connolly was presented with the trophy and after paying tribute to the defeated Clara side he then found himself at the bottom of a pile of his team-mates. Great credit must go to the Tullamore Boy’s for the manner of the victory and every member of the panel contributed to the victory. This commitment made the choice of man of the match extremely difficult and all players could well have an argument for winning it. But in the end it was Tullamore’s right winger Cillian Wyer who just shaded it.

One person who everyone was delighted to see back involved on Saturday was Darren Hayes. Earlier in the season Darren gave everyone a scare when he was rushed to hospital in Dublin for emergency surgery on his brain. But his strong personality and a will to overcome everything made sure he could be a part of the celebrations and everyone at the club are delighted to see him back.

Well done to all involved and thanks to coaches Noel Colgan, Ray Connolly, Mark Kelly, Gerry Crowe and Barry Hennessy for their effort over the season and also to all the lads who stayed committed all season.

Tullamore Town: Johnny McEvoy, James Connolly, Enda Doran, Conor Byrne, Kaylyn Colgan, Cillian Wyer, Eddie Connolly, Ciaran Scanlon, Michael James, Pa Kane, Maxim Orsanu, Declan Cuskelly, Charlie Ward, James Shanahan, Thomas Hammond, Mathew Kilroe, Conal Mahon, Alan Flynn.

MSL Cup Final Under-15

Tullamore Town 3 Birr Town 2

The Tullamore boys brought the curtain down on their all-conquering season in the most dramatic of circumstances in Leah Victoria Park last Friday evening when they came from behind to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the very last minute of a thrilling Cup final. Having already secured the League title they began the game in determined fashion and thought they had opened the scoring in the first minute when Macdarragh O’Neill sent a lovely glancing header to the net but he was ruled off-side. As they continued to press, Jordan Quinn and John McEvoy combined to set up Michael James but Thomas Hough saved well and then McEvoy flashed a fine effort outside the far post. As Birr hit back Val Feeney picked out Emmett Nolan but his shot flew inches wide while at the other end Terry Byrne played a great ball through to Shane Martino but Hough was quickly off his line to clear. The linesman’s flag again came to Birr’s rescue on fifteen minutes when John McEvoy got on the end of an O’Neill pass to fire the ball into the roof of the net only to be ruled off-side. They continued to pile on the pressure and went perilously close when Dylan Murray sent Martino clear on the right but his goal bound effort was taken off the line by Nathan Stapleton. With half an hour gone, incredibly, Tullamore had a third goal ruled out when Murray picked out O’Neill and he swept the ball past Hough only to again be called back for off-side. Undaunted they went all out for the opener and went close when Murray saw his tremendous twenty five yard effort superbly saved by Hough and, as the ball broke free, John McEvoy had his shot taken off the line by Conor Freeman. Michael James threatened when his in-swinging corner just cleared the bar and then a long range effort from Gary Hutchinson was held at the second attempt by Hough as the referee brought the first half to a conclusion.

Tullamore went straight into the attack on the resumption and within five minutes they had made the breakthrough. Gary Hutchinson exchanged passes with Shane Martino before picking out Michael James on the left and his pin point cross was neatly despatched into the bottom corner by Macdarragh O’Neill. With fifty minutes gone Birr struck back when a terrible mix up in the home defence allowed Emmett Nolan to roll the ball into the unguarded net for a shock equaliser. With Tullamore still reeling, Conor Nolan picked the ball up on the right and curled a lovely shot into the top left corner to put his side in front. Tullamore should have equalised on fifty five minutes when James sent Martino clear on the left but his cut back was fired over by O’Neill from six yards. Birr almost killed the game off on the hour when their Irish under-15 international, Val Feeney, won possession thirty yards out and crashed a tremendous shot off the underside of the crossbar and, with the goal gaping, Conor Nolan fired the rebound wide. With Ken Hogan coming on at full back and the excellent Gary Hutchinson pushing into midfield, Tullamore pumped up the volume as they went in search of an equaliser. It nearly arrived when Dylan Murray played a great ball through to Martino who lifted his shot over the advancing Thomas Hough, but it just drifted outside the far post. With seventy two minutes on the clock they levelled the scores when Murray played in John McEvoy and, as the big centre forward rounded the keeper, he was hauled down with the referee immediately pointing to the spot. Playing with a suspected broken foot and propped up with pain killers, Tullamore’s inspirational captain Shane Martino, drilled his shot into the bottom right hand corner to set the scene for a grandstand finish. Having had their keeper sent off for the original infringement, Birr were forced back on defence as the home side went all out for the winner, and they went close when Eoghan Coffey latched onto a clearance and, from thirty five yards, lofted in a shot that deputy keeper Dylan Patel did well to gather. With extra time beckoning, Tullamore struck for the winner with one minute remaining to decide this pulsating contest. Once again Dylan Murray was at the heart of the action when he played a lovely ball through to John McEvoy and, from the edge of the area, he fired an unstoppable shot in off the far post before being engulfed by his delirious team mates.

Played before one of the biggest crowds of the season, these two outstanding teams served up a superb spectacle that, in truth, could have gone either way. For the Tullamore boys it was the perfect end to a memorable year that saw them land their first League and Cup double. Following the game the MS League treasurer, Brendan McElligott, presented the trophy to the winning captain, Shane Martino, amid scenes of great excitement.

For the home side there were excellent contributions from Adam Shelly, Dylan Murray, Shane Martino and Macdarragh O’Neill with Conor Freeman, Dylan Patel, Val Feeney and Emmett Nolan the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s outstanding defender/midfielder, Gary Hutchinson.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, Gary Hutchinson, Jordan Quinn, Adam Shelly, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Dylan Murray, Michael James, John McEvoy and Macdarragh O’Neill.

Subs: Eoghan Coffey, Ken Hogan, David Doyle, Aaron McDermott, Thabiso Yona and David Geraghty.

Birr: Thomas Hough, Michael Ryan, Aaron Flanagan, Sean Dunne, Nathan Stapleton, Conor Freeman, Val Feeney, Conor Nolan, Joe Gilligan, Emmett Nolan and Colm Gath.

Subs: Cian Harte, Dylan Patel, Rory Claffey, Barry Hehir, Paid Guinan and Owen Dolan.

MSL Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg Under-15

Portlaoise Town 2 Tullamore Town 4

(Tullamore won 6-5 on aggregate)

This was a white knuckle ride from start to finish as these two great rivals locked horns in a six goal thriller that went all the way to the wire in Portlaoise last Wednesday. Trailing 3-2 from the first leg, the Tullamore boys set about the task of hauling back the arrears with a frightening intensity as they pinned the home side back for long periods. Within minutes of the start they went close when Jordan Quinn had a header saved by Darren Territt and then, following a Shane Martino corner, Michael James fired over. The home side demonstrated how dangerous they could be when James Mullaney drove a tremendous thirty yard rocket inches outside the far post while at the other end both Martino and Dylan Murray went close with long range efforts. With thirty five minutes on the clock Tullamore made the breakthrough when Ken Hogan picked out Murray who played in Macdarragh O’Neill and he drilled the ball low into the back of the net to level the tie. As they continued to press Gareth Byrne and James combined to send O’Neill clear on the left but his shot found the side netting and then Gary Hutchinson picked out Martino but Territt saved superbly. With Ken Hogan, Adam Shelly, Jordan Quinn and Gareth Byrne outstanding at the back, the visitors continued to dominate as Hutchinson went close with a fine twenty five yard effort that Territt saved down low to his right. Quinn created a chance for Murray but he shot over and then Gareth Byrne played a great ball through to Michael James but again Territt came to his sides rescue. With minutes remaining in the first half Tullamore nearly went further ahead when Ken Hogan and Terry Byrne combined to pick out Dylan Murray but his shot flew inches wide as the interval arrived with Tullamore one goal to the good.

Portlaoise began the second half in determined mood and, following a goalmouth melee, the ball broke back to Stefan Wrafter but Jamie Coyne brought off a superb point blank save to deny him. As Tullamore hit back Macdarragh O’Neill, Shane Martino and Dylan Murray combined to set up Gary Hutchinson but his effort was well saved. With fifty five minutes on the clock they increased their lead when Murray got on the end of a Martino right wing cross and, as he stepped inside his marker, he was taken down with the referee immediately pointing to the spot. Martino took responsibility for the kick and the Tullamore captain coolly drove the ball into the bottom right hand corner. Five minutes later Portlaoise were back in the game when James Mullaney brilliantly curled a free kick around the defensive wall and inside the right hand post. As the visitors hit back O’Neill and Martino combined to set up Murray but his shot was deflected wide and from the resultant corner Terry Byrne headed wide. Tullamore again regained the initiative when Murray was taken down on the edge of the area and Terry Byrne blasted his free kick through the wall and into the back of net. The home side refused to throw in the towel and with ten minutes remaining they again levelled the tie when James Henderson fired his shot in off the far post to set up a grand stand finish. Displaying tremendous battling qualities, Tullamore struck for the winner with minutes remaining. Tom Touhey and Dylan Murray combined to pick out Michael James on the edge of the area and, when his shot was blocked on the line, he pounced on the rebound to drive the ball into the back of the net for a sensational winner.

For Tullamore there were outstanding performances throughout the team but the man of the match award was shared between their twin strike force of Macdarragh O’Neill and Dylan Murray.

 

 

Tullamore: Jamie Coyne, Ken Hogan, Adam Shelly, Jordan Quinn, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Gary Hutchinson, Michael James, Dylan Murray and Macdarragh O’Neill.

Subs: Tom Touhey, David Doyle, Aaron McDermott, Eoghan Coffey and Thabiso Yona.

MSL Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg Under-15

Tullamore Town 2 Portlaoise Town 3

The Tullamore boys saw their dreams of a League and Cup double dangling by a thread following this smash and grab raid by a very good Portlaoise team in Leah Victoria Park. The home side started brightly with Adam Shelly playing a great ball through to Dylan Murray but his shot flew wide and then a Jordan Quinn free kick brought a good save from Darren Territt. With ten minutes gone they were rocked back on their heels when Stefan Wrafter broke clear on the right and his deep cross was volleyed home by James Henderson at the far post. As Portlaoise looked to add to their advantage Christian Cekiso had his header well saved by Patrick Dunican but with fifteen minutes on the clock Tullamore hit back when Murray sent Shane Martino clear and he drilled his shot low into the bottom corner. They again went close when Murray got on the end of a Dunican clearance but his drive was too high. With half an hour gone the visitors regained the lead when James Mullaney powered a great twenty five yard effort into the back of the net. Five minutes later the sides were level again when Eoghan Coffey got on the end of a Murray through ball and left Territt grasping at thin air. As the visitors continued to press, Wrafter raced clear on the left but was denied by a great save from Dunican as the referee brought the first half to a conclusion.

On the resumption Portlaoise threw everything into attack with Stefan Wrafter crashing a great shot off the crossbar and then Christian Cekiso broke clear but fired wide from a good position. As Tullamore tried to get back in the game Gary Hutchinson picked out Eoghan Coffey but his fine cross was well held by Territt while at the other end Cekiso again threatened but he was denied by a superb save from Patrick Dunican. The home side went close when Shane Martino broke clear on the right bur Territt brilliantly tipped his effort around the post and then Michael James knocked the ball back to Dylan Murray but his shot was too high. With fifty five minutes gone the visitors struck again when the dangerous Cekiso got on the end of a through ball and fired his side back into the lead. As they looked to kill the game off James Mullaney sent Cekiso through but Dunican tipped his effort around the post and from the resultant corner Michael James cleared the ball off the line. John McEvoy then picked out Martino but his shot flew over and he again went close when he got on the end of a great Dylan Murray pass but failed to hit the target. With minutes remaining Portlaoise nearly increased their lead when Mullaney went on a surging run but he was denied by a great last ditch tackle from Thabiso Yona as both sides braced themselves for the second leg of this pulsating cup tie.

For the home side there were excellent contributions from Jordan Quinn, Shane Martino and Dylan Murray with James Henderson, James Mullaney and Christian Cekiso the pick of the visitors but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s goalkeeper, Patrick Dunican.

 

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Jordan Quinn, Adam Shelly, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Gary Hutchinson, Eoghan Coffey, Dylan Murray and Macdarragh O’Neill.

Subs: John McEvoy, Michael James, Thabiso Yona, Ken Hogan and Aaron McDermott.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Portlaoise Town 2 Tullamore Town 5

With one game remaining the Tullamore boys clinched the league title with this fine win over a very good Portlaoise side last Tuesday. This was never as easy as the scoreline might suggest as they had to come from a goal down in the second half before claiming victory in a tense and always entertaining encounter.

They were quickly out of the blocks with Shane Martino flashing a shot past the far post and then a fine Adam Shelly volley was superbly tipped around the post by Darren Territt and from the resultant corner Shelly again went close with a powerful header that flew inches wide. Good play by John McEvoy created an opening for Dylan Murray but his effort was charged down and then Terry Byrne fired narrowly over from thirty yards. It was not all one way traffic as Patrick Dunican had to be quickly off his line to clear from Christian Cekiso while at the other end Martino picked out Michael James but Territt got down well to save. They again went close when Jordan Quinn headed over and then John McEvoy got on the end of a great Gary Hutchinson cross but his fine header was ruled out for off-side. They again went tantalisingly close when McEvoy played a lovely ball through to Martino but his shot came crashing back off the crossbar and minutes later McEvoy latched onto a Byrne knock down but his shot flew inches outside the left post. They were not to be denied on twenty five minutes when Shane Martino got on the end of a long Dunican clearance and cut the ball back to McEvoy and the big centre forward drilled his shot low into the back of the net. As Portlaoise looked to hit back Cekiso broke through the middle but Gareth Byrne did really well to get back to clear the danger while at the other end, following a corner, Terry Byrne had his header deflected narrowly wide. Tullamore nearly increased their lead on thirty five minutes when David Doyle picked out Dylan Murray and he played a great ball through to McEvoy who expertly lobbed the advancing Territt, but James Henderson got back to clear the ball off the line. They again went close when Shane Martino rifled a tremendous volley into the roof of the net but the score was ruled out for an earlier infringement. The home side threatened when Cekiso cut in from the right but Dunican brought off a superb save to deny him but, with minutes remaining in the first half, they equalised when James Mullaney got on the end of a left wing cross and fired home to leave the score 1-1 at the interval.

Tullamore began the second half in determined fashion with Adam Shelly sending a fine volley narrowly wide and then Dylan Murray played a great ball through to John McEvoy but Darren Territt made a superb stop at his near post. Five minutes into the half disaster struck for the visitors when Patrick Dunican did brilliantly to parry a James Mullaney cross shot but, as he went to retrieve the loose ball, it slipped from his grasp and James Henderson was on hand to fire into the empty net to put Portlaoise in front. But the Tullamore boys were not about to see their title snatched from their grasp and, with fifty five minutes on the clock, they hit back when Terry Byrne curled a wonderful twenty five yard free kick inside the right post to put his side back in the game. Byrne again went close when he got on the end of a Jordan Quinn pass but Territt got down to save and he was again called into action when he tipped a Shane Martino shot around the post. As the visitors went all out for the winner Adam Shelly won possession in midfield and sent Murray clear but Territt was equal to his effort. With sixty five minutes gone they hit the front when Eoghan Coffey sent Murray clear but Territt tipped his effort around the post and, from the resultant corner, Jordan Quinn rose above the defence to power his header into the roof of the net. They increased their lead on seventy minutes when John McEvoy blasted a free kick into the top right hand corner and he completed his hat-trick minutes later when Murray and Martino combined to pick him out and he made no mistake from close range. They nearly went further ahead when Territt did well to tip over a wicked inswinging corner from Eoghan Coffey and he again did brilliantly to block Dylan Murray’s drive down low to his right. Portlaoise staged a late revival and, with minutes remaining, Christian Cekiso broke through the middle but Patrick Dunican brought off a great save to deny him and in the dying seconds they were awarded a penalty but the spot kick came back off the crossbar as Tullamore emerged winners and champions.

For the home side there were fine contributions from Darren Territt, James Mullaney, James Henderson and Christian Cekiso with Gareth Byrne, Adam Shelly, Jordan Quinn, Shane Martino and John McEvoy the pick of the visitors but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s outstanding playmaker, Dylan Murray.

 

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Jordan Quinn, Adam Shelly, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Gary Hutchinson, Michael James, Dylan Murray and John McEvoy.

Subs: Eoghan Coffey, Macdarragh O’Neill, Tom Touhey, Ken Hogan, Aaron McDermott, Thabiso Yona and David Geraghty.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Portumna Town 2 Tullamore Town 3

You simply could not have written the script. With the Tullamore boys chasing their 100th goal of the season and the scores tied at 2-2, leading scorer John McEvoy popped up in the last minute to volley the ball into the back of the net to create his own little piece of history in Portumna last Thursday. It was a wonderful finale to a season that has seen them retain the title they won last year. They began smartly with Dylan Murray flashing a fine half volley past the post and then Ken Hogan and Terry Byrne combined to send Aaron McDermott clear but he was crowded out. McDermott again went close when he had two shots charged down following good play from Byrne and Jordan Quinn but with fifteen minutes on the clock they hit the front. Great work on the left by Macdarragh O’Neill and Dylan Murray saw them pick out Shane Martino and when he cut the ball back, O’Neill was on hand to drill his shot into the bottom left corner of the net. As Portumna hit back Patrick Dunican did brilliantly to keep out a tremendous thirty five yard effort from Colin Burke and then Owen Foley fired over when well placed. Tullamore again went close when O’Neill cleverly knocked on a Ken Hogan through ball to Martino but his shot was too high and then a great run and cross from Eoghan Coffey saw Macdarragh O’Neill’s fine volley superbly saved by Niall Royston. They increased their lead on the half hour when Terry Byrne picked out Shane Martino in the area and he made no mistake with a low shot under the diving Royston to clock up his sides 99th goal of the season. As they continued to press, Murray sent a blistering volley past the far post and then great play on the left by Michael James and Eoghan Coffey ended with James firing across the face of the goal as the interval arrived with the visitors two goals to the good.

With goal number 100 beckoning the Tullamore boys threw everything into attack on the resumption and five minutes in it almost arrived. Good play by Macdarragh O’Neill on the right saw Portumna concede a corner and from the resultant kick Aaron McDermott had his beautifully struck volley taken off the line. They again went close when Terry Byrne played Shane Martino through but Niall Royston brought off a great save to deny him and then Ken Hogan and Martino combined to set up O’Neill but his shot was charged down. As they continued to press, O’Neill played a lovely ball through to Dylan Murray but he fired over and then, following a Jordan Quinn free kick, Adam Shelly knocked the ball back to Aaron McDermott but again his effort was taken off the line. They did get the ball in the net on the hour but O’Neill was ruled off-side and then a fine long range effort from Gary Hutchinson was well held by Royston. With sixty five minutes gone Portumna opened their account when Simon Curran swept home a left wing cross to put his side back in the game. Tullamore immediately went back on the offensive with Hutchinson playing a lovely ball through to John McEvoy but his drive was brilliantly saved by Royston and he again came to his sides rescue when he managed to tip a looping Hutchinson header onto the crossbar. The visitors were stunned on seventy five minutes when Simon Curran latched onto a through ball to fire home the equaliser but in the last minute Tullamore won the game in the most dramatic circumstances. Gareth Byrne and Gary Hutchinson combined to send Eoghan Coffey clear on the left and his pin point cross was volleyed home by the inrushing John McEvoy to bring the curtain down on a memorable league campaign.

 

Following the game the League trophy was presented to the Tullamore captain, Shane Martino, by the league secretary, Karl Bond, amid scenes of great excitement. For Portumna there were excellent contributions from Niall Royston, Colin Burke and Simon Curran with David Doyle, Ken Hogan, Shane Martino and Macdarragh O’Neill the pick of the visitors but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s outstanding midfielder, Aaron McDermott.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Jordan Quinn, Ken Hogan, Michael James, Shane Martino, Aaron McDermott, Terry Byrne, Eoghan Coffey, Dylan Murray and Macdarragh O’Neill.

Subs: Gareth Byrne, Adam Shelly, Gary Hutchinson, John McEvoy, David Geraghty and Thabiso Yona.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Birr Town  4   Tullamore Town  2

The Tullamore boys travelled to Birr last Saturday needing only one point to retain their League title but were rolled over by a battling home side who are now firmly back in the championship race. The visitors began brightly with Macdarragh O’Neill flicking on an Adam Shelly header to John McEvoy but Thomas Haugh was quickly off his line to avert the danger and O’Neill was again in the thick of the action when Gareth Byrne and Eoghan Coffey combined to set him up but his effort was charged down. Gary Hutchinson then picked out Shane Martino on the right but his shot was superbly saved by Haugh while at the other end Colm Gath broke clear on the right but fired into the side netting. Tullamore again went close when O’Neill got on the end of a fine Coffey cross but his header was well saved but, with twenty minutes gone, Birr hit the front. The Tullamore defence failed to deal with a long through ball from Sean Dunne and Conor Nolan popped up in the area to drive it into the roof of the net. As the visitors went in search of an equaliser Tom Touhey played a great ball through to Eoghan Coffey but Haugh brought off a fine save to deny him and then Martino and O’Neill combined to pick out McEvoy but his shot flew outside the far post. With half an hour gone Birr increased their lead when, following a corner, a goalmouth melee ensued with Conor Nolan finally bundling the ball over the line. With the interval approaching Tullamore nearly got a goal back when Eoghan Coffey got on the end of a Shane Martino cross but his volley flew inches outside the post as half time arrived with the home side two goals to the good.

On the resumption Tullamore went on the offensive with Gary Hutchinson playing a great ball through to Shane Martino but Thomas Haugh got down to save but they had a real let off when Patrick Dunican failed to hold a Val Feeney free kick but recovered brilliantly to deflect Conor Nolan’s effort around the post. With fifty minutes gone the visitors were back in the game when Terry Byrne picked out Dylan Murray and his superb through ball was hammered into the roof of the net by John McEvoy. As they went all out for an equaliser McEvoy found Murray but his shot flew inches outside the far post and then Murray and Byrne combined again but this time McEvoy’s effort was well saved by Haugh. Birr increased their lead on the hour when Emmet Nolan got on the end of a long ball out of defence by Conor Freeman and lifted it over the advancing Dunican and into the net for a fine goal and minutes later he almost repeated the move but this time his lob came down on the crossbar. As Tullamore looked to hit back Terry Byrne found John McEvoy but his shot was saved and they had another narrow escape when Dunican was wrong footed by a back pass and Joe Gilligan crossed the loose ball to Emmet Nolan but with the goal gaping he put his shot wide. Birr had the woodwork to thank minutes later when Dylan Murray cut the ball back to Terry Byrne and his low drive came back off the left upright with Eoghan Coffey driving the rebound inches wide. The visitors again went close when, following a corner, Jordan Quinn saw his header taken off the line and then Murray’s fine twenty five yard drive flew narrowly over. With seventy minutes gone the home side went further ahead when a superb Val Feeney free kick came back off the post and the predatory Conor Nolan was on hand to drive the rebound into the net to complete his hat-trick. Tullamore refused to lie down and again battled back when Terry Byrne picked out Michael James on the left and he drilled his shot into the bottom right corner to keep his side in the game. Byrne and Martino then combined to set up McEvoy but his effort was too high and he again went close when he got on the end of a Murray through ball but his shot flew inches outside the post as Birr ran out worthy winners.

In a fiercely contested encounter these two great rivals produced a game full of passion and commitment and no little skill that was a credit to both teams. With two games remaining Tullamore are still in pole position but they need at least three points from these fixtures to ensure back-to-back titles. For the home side there were excellent contributions from Conor Freeman, Val Feeney and Emmet Nolan with Adam Shelly, Terry Byrne and Dylan Murray the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Birr’s three goal match winner, Conor Nolan.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, Ken Hogan, Terry Byrne, Adam Shelly, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Tom Touhey, Gary Hutchinson, Eoghan Coffey, Macdarragh O’Neill and John McEvoy.

Subs: Dylan Murray, Jordan Quinn, Michael James, David Doyle, Aaron McDermott, Thabiso Yona and David Geraghty.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Tullamore Town  7   Gracefield Ath  4

Averaging five goals per game in all competitions, the Tullamore scoring machine showed no sign of running out of steam in Leah Victoria Park last Tuesday as they continued their fine run of results. Within minutes of the start they found themselves in arrears when they failed to cut out a left wing cross and Nigel Murphy bundled the ball over the line to put the visitors in front. As they battled to get back in the game Terry Byrne flashed a shot narrowly wide and John McEvoy was twice denied by the Gracefield keeper, Kevin Galvin. McEvoy remained a constant threat and again went close when he got on the end of a great Byrne pass but his shot flew outside the near post. With quarter of an hour gone they equalised when Gareth Byrne, Terry Byrne and Ken Hogan combined to send Dylan Murray clear on the right with McEvoy sliding his cross home for a wonderful team goal. With Jordan Quinn dominating at the back Tullamore continued to press and nearly took the lead when McEvoy latched onto a Gary Hutchinson pass and rounded the keeper but the ball just ran away from him. They again went close when Eoghan Coffey picked out Dylan Murray but Galvin brought off a superb save to deny him and then Coffey and McEvoy combined to put Shane Martino through but the keeper was quickly off his line to avert the danger. They hit the front on the half hour when great play by Terry Byrne sent Coffey clear on the left and his searching cross was fired home by Dylan Murray. Five minutes later they increased their lead when Murray picked out Martino on the right and, when Galvin could only parry his dangerous cross, Murray was on hand to fire the loose ball into the net to leave the score 3-1 at the interval.

The second half began exactly as the first when, within minutes of the restart, Gracefield’s Jamie Evans raced onto a through ball and outpaced the defence before firing into the roof of the net. Minutes later Tullamore had restored their two goal advantage when John McEvoy got on the end of a great Terry Byrne pass and fired home. As they continued to press Ken Hogan and Dylan Murray combined to set up Shane Martino but his effort was charged down but then a terrible mix up in the home defence allowed Jason Knight to find the net and once again put the visitors back in the game. As Tullamore went on the offensive Eoghan Coffey played a great ball through to Murray but his shot was deflected out for a corner while at the other end Gracefield came within inches of an equaliser when a deep left wing cross was fired into the side netting. Town again threatened when McEvoy played a lovely ball through to Terry Byrne but his shot came crashing back off the crossbar, but they were not to be denied on seventy minutes when Dylan Murray got on the end of a McEvoy knock on and fired home to complete a fine hat-trick. Not to be outdone John McEvoy also notched up a hat-trick minutes later when he raced onto a Terry Byrne pass and slotted the ball into the bottom left hand corner to put his side 6-3 in front. Eoghan Coffey then turned provider as he played in Murray but Kevin Galvin brought off a fine save to keep his side in the game. And stay in the game they did as incredibly Gracefield again hit back when Mark Kirwan picked the ball up on the left and fired his shot inside the near post. They almost further reduced the arrears when a long range free kick came back off the crossbar while at the other end Macdarragh O’Neill fired narrowly over from a corner. Tullamore finally put the game to bed when O’Neill played a great ball through to John McEvoy and the big centre forward expertly lifted it over the advancing keeper and into the net. With minutes remaining they again went close when Tom Touhey picked out David Geraghty but his fine effort was brilliantly tipped around the post by Galvin as this thrilling encounter came to an end.

For the home side there were excellent performances from Jordan Quinn, Terry Byrne and Eoghan Coffey with Joey Malone, Jamie Evans and Mark Kirwan the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award was shared between Tullamore’s twin strike force of John McEvoy and Dylan Murray.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, Ken Hogan, Adam Shelly, Jordan Quinn, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Gary Hutchinson, Eoghan Coffey, Dylan Murray and John McEvoy.

Subs: Macdarragh O’Neill, Tom Touhey, Michael James, David Doyle, Aaron McDermott and David Geraghty.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Tullamore Town  5   T&S United  2

The Tullamore boys extraordinary season continued unabated in Leah Victoria Park last Thursday as they brought their goals tally to eighty seven in yet another high scoring game. With only two minutes gone they demonstrated how lethal they can be when, following a T&S corner, John McEvoy played a long ball out of defence to Dylan Murray and he raced clear of his markers before  drilling it into the back of the net. Within five minutes they had increased their lead when McEvoy’s shot was deflected wide and from the resultant corner Terry Byrne powered his header into the net. Michael James and Tom Touhey combined to set up Shane Martino but his shot flew into the side netting and then Martino picked out McEvoy but Jack Larkin brilliantly tipped his effort around the post. As they continued to press Jordan Quinn headed narrowly over from a corner but with half an hour gone they went further ahead when Adam Shelly picked out Dylan Murray on the right and, when Larkin could only parry his vicious cross shot, John McEvoy swept the loose ball into the net. Shelly again created danger when he sent McEvoy clear but his effort flew outside the far post and then Murray, James and Terry Byrne combined to pick out McEvoy but again Larkin brought off a fine save to deny him. As the pressure continued to mount great play by Terry Byrne saw him find Michael James but his shot flew inches outside the right post and then Tom Touhey tried his luck from long range but Larkin got down well to save. McEvoy again threatened when he raced clear in the inside left channel but Larkin kept his effort out with his feet and Touhey fired the rebound wide. With minutes remaining in the first half Michael James played a great ball through to Shane Martino and the Tullamore captain rounded the keeper before firing home to leave the score 4-0 at the interval.

Within minutes of the restart the Tullamore boys had increased their lead with a goal of real quality. Tom Touhey and Shane Martino combined to send Terry Byrne clear on the right and when his cross was floated in, Dylan Murray’s perfectly executed bicycle kick sent the ball flying into the back of the net for a superb score. As they continued to pile on the pressure Michael James fired over and then a fine run by John McEvoy saw his effort well saved by Jack Larkin. T&S had the woodwork to thank on fifty minutes when Byrne played in Martino who hammered his shot off the underside of the crossbar and, as the ball broke back, both James and Martino had their shots taken off the line. Gareth Byrne and Shane Martino then combined to pick out Dylan Murray but his effort flew outside the post but, with Liam Knowles and Jeffrey Kennedy getting to grips with midfield, the visitors hit back. Joe Quigley fired in a deep cross from the right for Tom Shiels to send a towering header into the roof of the net. Tullamore nearly restored their five goal advantage when Eoghan Coffey and Tom Touhey combined to pick out Macdarragh O’Neill and his cut back was drilled inches wide by Aaron McDermott. With seventy minutes on the clock the visitors struck again when Tom Shiels played a lovely ball through to Owen Buggy and his low shot found the back of the net. As Tullamore again went on the offensive David Doyle played a great ball through to O’Neill but Larkin was quickly off his line to avert the danger and then David Geraghty picked out Eoghan Coffey on the left and his searching cross just missed out the inrushing Michael James as the referee brought this entertaining game to a close.

For the home side there were excellent contributions from Adam Shelly, Michael James, Shane Martino and John McEvoy with Jack Larkin, Liam Knowles, Jeffrey Kennedy and Tom Shiels the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s outstanding striker, Dylan Murray.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Jordan Quinn, Adam Shelly, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Terry Byrne, Tom Touhey, Michael James, John McEvoy and Dylan Murray.

Subs: Aaron McDermott, Macdarragh O’Neill, Eoghan Coffey, Ken Hogan, Thabiso Yona, David Geraghty and Gary Hutchinson.

Midland Schoolboys Under-15

T&S United  0   Tullamore Town  3

The Tullamore boys travelled to Timahoe last Saturday and came away with all three points as, with only three games remaining, they tightened their grip on the league title. This was a real championship winning performance with every player contributing to this fine victory. They began brightly with Tom Touhey sending Eoghan Coffey clear on the left and his cross was headed wide by John McEvoy while at the other end Patrick Dunican did well to get down to cut out a dangerous right wing cross. Gary Hutchinson then picked out Shane Martino with Jack Larkin brilliantly tipping his shot around the near post and from the resultant corner Ken Hogan flashed his header narrowly wide. As they continued to press Macdarragh O’Neill got on the end of a Hogan cross but his effort was deflected wide and he again went close when he won possession on the left but his fine cross shot flew inches outside the far post. With Terry Byrne and Adam Shelly outstanding at the heart of the Tullamore defence, T&S struggled to create any scoring opportunities as Gary Hutchinson and Tom Touhey began to dictate affairs from midfield. With twenty five minutes gone they hit the front when Hutchinson and O’Neill combined to put Martino through and he coolly fired his side into the lead. The home side went in search of an equaliser but were denied by a fine save by Dunican while at the other end great play by Martino picked out John McEvoy but his stinging twenty yard drive was kept out by Larkin. With half an hour gone the visitors increased their advantage when Shane Martino won possession on the right and cut the ball back for Macdarragh O’Neill to rifle the ball into the roof of the net. They thought they had scored again minutes later when Coffey and McEvoy combined to pick out Martino but his effort was ruled out for off-side while at the other end Patrick Dunican had to be at his most alert when he raced from his line to head clear as half time arrived with Tullamore two goals to the good.

On the resumption they continued to press the home side back with Eoghan Coffey sending a blistering thirty yard effort narrowly over. O’Neill then played a great ball through to McEvoy but he was denied by a fine last ditch tackle and from the resultant corner Terry Byrne had his header taken off the line and, as the ball broke back, Martino cracked his shot off the upright. Following another Coffey corner Adam Shelly and Terry Byrne had shots taken off the line in quick succession before Macdarragh O’Neill blasted the ball home at the third attempt to put his side three up. Terry Byrne fired in a long range effort that Jack Larkin did well to keep out and then Tom Touhey flashed a twenty five yard shot inches past the left post. Great play by Eoghan Coffey created an opening for O’Neill but his effort was deflected wide and from the resultant corner Gary Hutchinson had his header saved. Macdarragh O’Neill was desperately unlucky not to complete his hat-trick on fifty five minutes when he got on the end of a Shane Martino corner but his fine volley was deflected onto the crossbar and away to safety. Martino again went close when he cut in from the right but his effort was brilliantly saved by Larkin and then John McEvoy saw his shot come back off the post with Coffey firing the rebound narrowly wide. As they continued to dominate the exchanges Adam Shelly headed wide from a corner as the referee finally brought proceedings to a close.

Having completed four games in eight days and extracted maximum points from them, the Tullamore boys now have the finishing line in their sights. This was a particularly impressive performance with outstanding contributions from Ken Hogan, Terry Byrne, Adam Shelly and Shane Martino, but the man of the match award was shared between Macdarragh O’Neill and Eoghan Coffey.

Tullamore: Patrick Dunican, Ken Hogan, Terry Byrne, Adam Shelly, Michael James, Shane Martino, Gary Hutchinson, Tom Touhey, Eoghan Coffey, Macdarragh O’Neill and John McEvoy.

Subs: Thabiso Yona and David Geraghty.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Tullamore Town 3 Mullingar Ath 1

These two fine sides served up an excellent game of football in Leah Victoria Park last Saturday as the Tullamore boys consolidated their position at the top of the league table. Within minutes of the start the Mullingar keeper, Ben McCabe, brought off a remarkable double save when he parried a John McEvoy rocket and, as Shane Martino pounced on the loose ball, he knocked his close range effort around the post. McEvoy was again in the thick of the action when he headed down to Gary Hutchinson but he shot wide and then Gareth Byrne and Michael James combined well to set up Macdarragh O’Neill but his effort was charged down. With fifteen minutes gone Tullamore went perilously close to opening their account when Dylan Murray had his shot blocked and as the ball broke back to Martino he crashed it off the underside of the crossbar. As they continued to press James cut in from the left but his effort was charged down and then McEvoy played a great ball through to Martino but McCabe was quickly off his line to avert the danger. They should have gone ahead on the half hour when Martino got on the end of a James pass and cut the ball back to Dylan Murray but he fired over when well placed. With Eoghan O’Malley, Daragh Daly and Shane Donoghue outstanding at the back, Mullingar held firm but they had their keeper to thank on thirty five minutes when John McEvoy got on the end of a great Jordan Quinn through ball and unleashed a piledriver which McCabe brilliantly tipped around the post. From the resultant corner Ken Hogan flashed a header across the face of the goal and with minutes remaining in the first half Shane Martino picked out Michael James in the area but his effort was deflected wide as the interval arrived with the scores tied at nil all.

Tullamore continued to lay siege to the Mullingar goal on the restart with Gareth Byrne and Ken Hogan combining to set up Macdarragh O’Neill but his shot was deflected over but with fifty five minutes on the clock they made the crucial breakthrough. Great play by Dylan Murray saw him pick out O’Neill on the edge of the area and he drilled his shot unerringly into the bottom left hand corner for a fine goal. Within minutes they had increased their lead with Murray again the creator when he sent John McEvoy clear through the middle and he hammered the ball into the roof of the net. With the visitors still reeling Tullamore pressed home their advantage when Gareth Byrne, Macdarragh O’Neill and Gary Hutchinson combined to send John McEvoy clear on the left and he cut inside before slotting the ball home from the narrowest of angles to bring his goals tally to twenty for the season. Despite this setback Mullingar refused to lie down and on sixty five minutes they scored a fine goal when Connor Gavigan raced on to a clever through ball and rounded the keeper before firing into the empty net. As the home side hit back Terry Byrne went on a great run through the middle but was denied by a superb save from Ben McCabe at his near post while at the other end Ken Hogan did well to get back to nick the ball off Eoghan Clarke’s toe as he bore down on goal. Terry Byrne again created danger when he picked out John McEvoy but his effort was deflected behind and then for the second time in the game Ben McCabe pulled off an astonishing double save. Eoghan Coffey fired in a searching cross from the left which found Dylan Murray but the keeper blocked his shot and, as the ball broke back to Aaron McDermott, he somehow managed to get across to knock his close range effort behind as the home side ran out deserving winners.

With a four game schedule in eight days the Tullamore boys are facing into a defining week in the title race but they appear to be hitting a fine vein of form at just the right time. In an impressive display there were excellent contributions from Gareth Byrne, Gary Hutchinson, Dylan Murray, Macdarragh O’Neill and John McEvoy with Eoghan O’Malley, Daragh Daly, Shane Donoghue, Brendan O’Donnell and Eoghan Clarke the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Mullingar’s outstanding goalkeeper, Ben McCabe.

Tullamore : Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Jordan Quinn, Ken Hogan, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Gary Hutchinson, Dylan Byrne, Michael James, Macdarragh O’Neill and John McEvoy.

Subs : Terry Byrne, Eoghan Coffey, Adam Shelly, Aaron McDermott and David Geraghty.

MSLeague U13 Div 1

Tullamore 2    Derry Rovers 1

Saturday morning in Leah Victoria park saw the second meeting of Tullamore and Derry Rvs.  Back at the start of the season, the two teams met for the first match of their league campaigns, which ended in a respectable 1-1 draw.This time however it was Tullamore's second last game of the league and Rvs last. Three points for Rvs would mean a third place finish for them in the division and right from the whistle battle commenced!! 

This was to be a fast paced game with both teams charging at the goals. Tullamore were certainly not about to give anything away easily, and if Rvs wanted their 3 points they would have to fight hard for them. Tullamore's goal was put under a bit of pressure early on , but the combination of the back line of Sean Nolan, Darren Hennessy, Keelan O Brien, Garreth Kelly and 'keeper Joe Smyth were rock solid and stood their ground. In the centre of the park, Andrew Fitzgerald,Nathan Tierney, Steven Comiskey and Eoghan Geoghegan were equally solid while up front Jordan Daly and Cormac Deegan made themselves  known to the Rvs defence.
But it was to be Rvs who took first blood and net a goal. Jubilation from the Edenderry line but Tullamore just put their heads down and worked hard and really upped their game. Rvs seemed quite shell shocked by the work rate of Tullamore at that point. The off-side trap was sprung brilliantly,midfield stood up pushed the game forward while the lads up front were very unlucky not to have a few scores. From a Rvs kick out, Eoghan took a strike from a bounce that found the back of the net..a well deserved goal from this young man. Tullamore were very unlucky not to get another when a shot bounced on the Rvs goal line..everyone thought it had gone in and maybe "Hawkeye" could have shown if it did or didn't but the ball was cleared!
At half time you could really feel that Tullamore still had a lot more in them and that they could really take this game. At the re start they came out ready and eager. At times their play was spell-binding. Keelan and Steven on the right hand side were superb and over on the left, Sean simply thwarted the Rvs forwards...They say big things come in small packages and that could have been written about Sean!!! Darren played with a confident ease in front of Joe who also pulled off some brilliant goal keeping.The Tullamore subs bench all came on and these guys were a revelation aswell! Dylan Harvey, Aaron Kelly, Bryan Pidgeon, Bart Gorski and Bryan Slattery all increased the pressure on Rvs. Fresh legs and total concentration from the lads took the game up another level.All were solid, but Dylan was brilliant in there.
Tullamore were working the ball towards their forwards and when a ball dropped to Jordan he stopped it, had a look and shot past defenders and the 'keeper right into the corner of the net! a brilliant strike and brilliant goal. The lads kept the pressure on and never stopped for breath and Rvs had nowhere to go.
As the final whistle blew Tullamore got a well deserved win. It was probably the best game they played this season and the culmination of a lot of hard work on their part.Rvs were not easily beaten and played very well but the home side stopped them in their tracks and denied them their 3rd place finish. To a man Tullamore were fantastic, and with another game to go before the u13 Shield matches,there is a lot more football in this team!!

Match Report March 26th 2011 U14

Tullamore United  8    Portumna  0

Tullamore kept their strong league run going with a convincing win at Leah Victoria Park last Saturday against Portumna. From the kick off Tullamore attacked on the right wing with Paddy Hogan taking the ball past the full back and squaring a dangerous ball which was finished to the net by Scott Kane. Within two minutes, an almost identical move saw Paddy Hogan send in a similar cross with James Daly dispatching the ball to the net on this occasion.  The Tullamore pressure was constant and on 15 minutes, James Daly sent an excellent pass through the Portumna defence for Paddy Hogan to score. Dan Britten was unlucky not to add amother goal shortly afterwards when he rounded two players with a run from the middle of the pitch, only to see his excellent shot come back off the underside of the bar. Paddy Hogan was in devastating form and completed his hat-trick before half time to leave the score 5 – 0 at the break.

Paddy Hogan scored his fourth for the second week in a row after 10 minutes of the second half and Shaun O’Connor had two excellent finishes in the last 15 minutes to complete the scoring.

Most importantly Tullamore did not concede any goals today for the first time this season and full credit to the back four and Dan Kelly in goals.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Tullamore Town 7 Portlaoise 2

A second half five goal salvo settled this top of the table clash in Leah Victoria Park last Saturday as the Tullamore boys gave notice that they are not about to relinquish their league title easily. Within minutes of the start they had hit the front when Terry Byrne played a great ball through to Dylan Murray and, as he stepped inside his marker, he was taken down with the referee immediately pointing to the spot and Shane Martino despatched the penalty just inside the right post. Murray again threatened when he brought a fine save from Darren Territt down low to his right but they were not to be denied on fifteen minutes when Macdarragh O’Neill fed the ball back to Michael James and he sent a lovely twenty yard drive into the bottom left hand corner to put his side two up. James then turned provider as he played a great ball through to Martino but his shot was deflected out for a corner. As Portlaoise hit back Patrick Dunican had to be at his best to keep out a fine James Henderson effort while at the other end Murray picked out James on the left with the keeper just managing to parry his dangerous cross shot. With twenty five minutes on the clock the visitors were back in the game when Emanuel Okpara broke clear on the right and crashed a vicious shot off the upright that rebounded off Dunican and into the net. As Portlaoise began to take control Patrick Dunican was again called into action when he did brilliantly to keep out an Okpara rocket with David Doyle completing the clearance. With Terry Byrne steadying the ship at the back Tullamore held firm and, as half time approached, Aaron McDermott, Dylan Murray and Michael James combined to set up Shane Martino but Darren Territt did well to keep out his effort as the interval arrived with the game finely balanced at 2-1 in the home sides favour.

Tullamore began the second half in determined fashion with Aaron McDermott firing in a searching cross that just missed out Macdarragh O’Neill and then Gary Hutchinson sent Shane Martino clear on the right but his effort was deflected wide. With fifty minutes on the clock they moved into top gear when, in a devastating five minute spell, they hammered home three goals in quick succession to kill the game off as a contest. Terry Byrne started the onslaught when he played a great ball through to Dylan Murray and he drilled it into the bottom right corner and then Gary Hutchinson and Michael James combined to pick out O’Neill in the area and he coolly rounded the keeper before lifting his shot into the roof of the net. With Portlaoise still reeling the home side struck again when James found Martino on the edge of the area and he fired the ball into the bottom right hand corner for a fine goal. As they continued to press Martino, McDermott and Hutchinson combined to set up Murray but his effort was too high and then Murray knocked a Martino cross back to O’Neill but his low drive flew inches outside the far post. With sixty five minutes gone they went further ahead when Dylan Murray picked the ball up thirty yards from goal and skipped outside his marker before firing a great shot into the roof of the net. Minutes later he nearly brought his tally to three when he got on the end of a superb forty yard pass from Martino but his wicked cross shot came crashing back off the angle of bar and post. They were not to be denied on seventy minutes when McDermott and Hutchinson combined to pick out Shane Martino at the far post and the Tullamore captain fired home from close range to complete a fine hat-trick. Portlaoise refused to throw in the towel and with five minutes remaining they reduced the arrears when they were awarded a penalty and James Henderson drove the spot kick into the bottom right corner. As Tullamore hit back Patrick Dunican sent Michael James clear on the left but his fine run was cut out by Cathal O’Connor while at the other end Emanuel Okpara broke into the area with minutes remaining but was denied by a brilliant last ditch tackle from Ken Hogan.

This was an outstanding performance by the home side with excellent contributions from Patrick Dunican, Gary Hutchinson, Dylan Murray and Shane Martino with Cathal O’Connor, James Henderson and Emanuel Okpara the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s cultured central defender, Terry Byrne.

Tullamore : Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Terry Byrne, Jordan Quinn, David Geraghty, Shane Martino, Gary Hutchinson, Aaron McDermott, Michael James, Dylan Murray and Macdarragh O’Neill.

Sub: Ken Hogan.

U14 Div 1 Mar 19th 2011

Tullamore United 12 Clonaslee 4

Tullamore showed their intent early on in this game with three goals in the first fifteen minutes. Scott Kane headed over the goalie for the opener, following a fine cross from the right from Ryan Cleary and Shaun O’Connor capitalised on a poor kickout minutes later to put the home side two up, before Daniel Britten played a lovely ball through the Clonaslee defence for Paddy Hogan to score his first of four goals.

With Tullamore continuing to dominate James Daly showed great determination in following up on a fine save from the Clonaslee keeper to finish to the net, and both Paddy Hogan and Shaun O’Connor racied through the defensive line to score two fine goals, to leave the score 6 – 0 at the break. Good saves from Tullamore net-minder Alan Jordan and timely tackles and clearances from Ben Gowran and Nathan Robilliard in defence kept the clean sheet in the first half.

Tullamore captain Shane Minnock swopped his centre back position with Alan Jordan for the second half, which Clonaslee started in a more determined manner. After 10 minutes Paddy Hogan added to his tally and then Eamon Conroy sent a delightful lob over the keeper’s head to put Tullamore eight up. However Clonaslee then began to rally and put two goals past the Tullamore captain, before Shane Minnock charged up the pitch to dispatch a penalty to the net. Kevin McDonnell played a fine game at full back with Malachy Keaveney strengthening up the midfield enabling Tullamore to push forward once more resulting in goal number four for Paddy Hogan and a hat-trick for Shaun O’Connor to add to his collection this season.

Clonaslee showed great spirit to score twice more before Scott Kane finished the scoring spree with another fine goal.

An excellent performance from the entire panel saw Tullamore notch up their fifth victory out of their last six outings.

Midland Schoolboys League Under-15

Killavilla Utd 1 Tullamore Town 5

The Tullamore boys great scoring run continued in Roscrea last Saturday when they brought their goals tally to nineteen in their last three games. They were straight into the attack and with only minutes gone Tom Touhey picked out Shane Martino on the right and his cross found John McEvoy who was denied by an excellent save from the home keeper. As Killavilla began to get a grip on midfield the visitors came under increased pressure with goalkeeper Patrick Dunican being called on to make a number of fine saves to keep his side in the game. However with the back four of David Doyle, Terry Byrne, Ken Hogan and Gareth Byrne refusing to give an inch they held firm and nearly took the lead on the half hour when Byrne and Eoghan Coffey combined to set up Macdarragh O’Neill but again the keeper came to his sides rescue. With Terry Byrne outstanding at the heart of their defence Tullamore continued to restrict Killavilla to long range efforts and with thirty five minutes gone they hit the front when Michael James played the ball out to Martino on the right and his cross was fired home by O’Neill for a fine goal. With half time approaching they increased their lead when they won a corner on the right and Coffey’s inswinging corner was helped into the net by the Killavilla full back to leave the score 2-0 at the interval.

Within five minutes of the restart the home side were back in the game when Patrick Dunican failed to hold a swirling cross and the centre forward bundled the loose ball over the line. As they continued to press Dunican saved superbly down low to his right while at the other end Eoghan Coffey fired a long range effort narrowly wide. However, with the introduction of Gary Hutchinson on the hour, the balance of play began to swing firmly in Tullamore’s favour. The crucial score arrived on sixty five minutes when Coffey won possession in his own half and cut through the middle before releasing a great ball to John McEvoy who skipped past his marker before planting it in the bottom right hand corner. They pressed home their advantage minutes later when Gareth Byrne found McEvoy on the left and his low cross was fired home at the far post by Shane Martino. They completed the scoring on seventy five minutes when Macdarragh O’Neill swopped passes with Martino before sweeping the ball into the far corner for a great goal. They nearly went further ahead when Martino and O’Neill combined to set up David Geraghty but his fine effort from the edge of the area was brilliantly saved by the Killavilla keeper as Tullamore ran out comfortable winners.

This was a hugely impressive performance by the Tullamore boys with particular contributions from Gareth Byrne, Eoghan Coffey, Gary Hutchinson, Macdarragh O’Neill and Thabiso Yona, but the man of the match award was shared between Terry Byrne and Shane Martino.

Tullamore : Patrick Dunican, David Doyle, Terry Byrne, Ken Hogan, Gareth Byrne, Shane Martino, Michael James, Tom Touhey, Eoghan Coffey, Macdarragh O’Neill and John McEvoy.

Subs : Gary Hutchinson, Aaron McDermott, Thabiso Yona and David Geraghty (all used).

Tullamore Town get out of jail.

MSLeague U16 Major

Killeigh 1 Tullamore Town 1

Coming only two weeks after their first encounter of the season Tullamore Town and Killeigh played out another 1-1 draw at The Pond last Saturday morning. However if Tullamore considered themselves unlucky not to take all three points in Leah Victoria Park, they were very fortunate to come away with a point this time round. On a very windy morning Town had the advantage of the wind and the hill in the first half but Town never looked like making use of the conditions. Killeigh were by far the more active team in the first half with Tullamore failing to get any continuity to their play. Mistakes were being made by most of the players and only for some resolute defending from Tullamore’s back four of Mills, Kinnarney, Condron and Kelly Killeigh may have killed off this game early. Gary McDonald was the only Tullamore player who seemed capable of stringing passes together and he caused problems for the Killeigh defence at times but the Tullamore strikeforce of Cian Daly and Felix Alexandre just couldn’t latch on to the through balls. Halfway through the first period the Killeigh defence broke up a Tullamore attack from Niall McCabe. They then swept down the field past the Town defence and squared the ball for Killeigh to slot the ball home past the outstretched Jamie Coyne and put the home side 1-0 up. Arron Dooner replaced Daly up front and Darragh Kelly replaced Michael Cleary on the wings as Tullamore tried to make use of the strong breeze, but Killeigh seemed to be able to counteract anything that the Tullamore lads tried. Despite some harsh words at halftime from the Tullamore management, Tullamore began the second half in much the same way as they finished the first. Ted Conway began to come into the game to cause Killeigh some trouble, however Killeigh continued to rule the midfield despite his best efforts. Dean Mills was forced off through injury but Sean Donegan ably replaced him. David Rusniak came on up front for Tullamore but Killeigh still dominated. As Killeigh pressed for a second the Tullamore goal lead a charmed life on several occasions. With time running out, Tullamore were pushing more players forward and with two minutes remaining won a corner kick. Felix Alexandre whipped a ball to the back post where Ted Conway was on hand to finish the ball to the net. This was probably more than Tullamore deserved but they had a chance to win it when they were awarded a free kick five yards outside the Killeigh penalty box. The ref said that it was to be the last kick of the game, Cian Daly fired the ball towards the goal only for the Killeigh keeper to block the shot. Referee Joe Scanlon, who had an excellent game, blew the full time whistle and Tullamore had got out of jail.

Tullamore Town has not always got the results they have deserved from games this season but they definitely got the rub of the green on this occasion. It was hard to pick a man of the match from Tullamore with nobody playing to their full potential but fullback Dean Mills was their best player until he had to go off injured.

Tullamore Town: Jamie Coyne, Dean Mills, Rory Condron, Ross Kinnarney, Luke Kelly, Niall McCabe, Gary McDonald, Ted Conway, Michael Cleary, Cian Daly, Felix Alexandre. Subs: Arron Dooner, Sean Donegan, Darragh Kelly, David Rusniak.

MSLeague U16 Major Division

Tullamore Town 1 Killeigh 1

Tullamore Town and Killeigh played out an entertaining draw at Leah Victoria Park last Saturday despite the best efforts of the referee to ruin a good game. Tullamore started the livelier and had a long range shot from Cian Daly fly past the Killeigh post. As the game wore on however Killeigh began to make their mark on the game and only some resolute defending from Tullamore centre halves Ross Kinnarney and Rory Condron keeping them at bay. With Tullamore on the attack an attempted back flick from Daly was intercepted by the Killeigh defence who launched an attack where there no 7 danced through the Town defence before squaring the ball for the striker to slot the ball home and put the visitors 1 up. Town battled back and had some pressure of their own with Gary McDonald and Niall McCabe beginning to control the midfield. Town were awarded a dubious free kick from which Tullamore no 10 Felix Alexandre whipped in an inviting cross which just missed the inrushing Daly. Then with 5 minutes to go to the break Tullamore were awarded a free kick 5 yards outside the penalty box, up stepped Cian Daly and buried the ball to the roof of the Killeigh net to leave the sides level at the break. Town continued to press in the second half but both sides were being frustrated by some poor refereeing decision none more so than when the ref raised the yellow card in the air with both sides scratching their heads as to who had been booked and for what reason.  It was eventually established that Town centre half Kinnarney was the man carded. With town pressing Killeigh produced a conter attack only to be blown up for a very dubious offside much to the relief of the Tullamore players. With Tullamore causing problems down the flanks through Michael Cleary and Sean Aherne, they were matched by the Killeigh full backs. Equally the Killeigh boys were met with the same determination from Town full backs Dean Mills and Luke Kelly when they had success on the flanks. Killeigh began to get a foothold in the game and some commanding work from Town keeper Jamie Coyne in his penalty box kept the visitors at bay. As Killeigh pressed for a winner the ball fell at Kinnarney’s feet some 10 yards inside his own half, he connected for what was a clearance but he nearly caught the Killeigh keeper napping as the ball looped over him only for it to rebound of the post. Tullamore were now looking for the winner and Déjà Vu seemed to strike as a Luke Kelly free kick from inside his own half deceived the Killeigh keeper only for it to rebound off the post again, Dean Mills then crossed the ball back in and Daly’s header just went over the crossbar. A great battle developed between Town’s Ross Kinnarney and Killeigh’s former Tullamore player Arron Hensey but the ref was to have his say here too when he booked Hensey for very little. Both sides sought out a winner but both had to settle for a draw. In a very fair game without any semblance of a bad tackle the referee seemed to want to be the centre of attention and wound up putting 7 players names in his book much to the amusement of both sides who agreed that it was a fair contest which didn’t warrant that amount of bookings. Picking a man of the match for this game was extremely difficult with players from both sides putting in their all, but Town’s centre half Ross Kinnarney just shades it.

Tullamore Town: Jamie Coyne, Luke Kelly, Ross Kinnarney, Rory Condron, Dean Mills, Michael Cleary, Gary McDonald, Niall McCabe, Sean Aherne, Felix Alexandre, Cian Daly.