Offaly SFC Final: Tullamore retain title

Tullamore Court Hotel Offaly SFC Final

TULLAMORE 2-16 (2-0-16) FERBANE 1-13 (1-1-11)

Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

Tullamore remain the footballing kings of Offaly, and their place on the throne looks more secure than ever after they comprehensively outplayed Ferbane in what was the fourth consecutive senior football final between the two rival clubs.

The last three finals went down to the wire but Tullamore were always in control of this one, their dominance built on the foundation of a landslide victory in the battle for primary possession.

Cillian Bourke, who left the club to join AFL side Essendon last year, was watching on, as was Ferbane and Offaly star Cathal Flynn, whose long-term future remains up in the air as he battles a significant shoulder injury.

Yet while Flynn’s absence was sorely felt on the Ferbane side, who badly needed his creativity and spark, Tullamore shrugged off the absence of Bourke to ensure that they won far more first phase ball in both halves of the game; and off both their own kickout and that of Ferbane’s Adam Nugent.

With the wind at their backs in the first half, Ferbane started well and two fine strikes from Cian Johnson gave them an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead, only for Tullamore to prevail in an increasing preponderance of the kickout contests, leading to points from Niall Furlong, Mike Fox and McDaid.

Wing backs David Nally and Jake Maher had been the source of much of Ferbane’s best play this year but 18-year-old Maher was starved of ball while Nally was marked by Cormac Egan and struggled to get involved in the game.

A slick breakaway move that started 60 metres out from their own goal led to Harry Plunkett rolling the ball to the Ferbane net with 24 minutes played, and even though the underdogs responded bravely, they never fully undid the damage.

Ferbane full-back and former Offaly and Louth hurler Leon Fox strode forward to kick two crucial points with Paddy Clancy also scoring twice for the West Offaly side, once from outside the arc.

Johnson squeezed the ball into the Tullamore net through heavy traffic to start the second half and briefly they led by 1-10 to 1-7 as a result, but Tullamore’s response was devastating, and emphatic. They went on a run of 1-6 unanswered, including two points right down the central channel from Cormac Egan and a stunning shot from full-back Declan Hogan, rifled into the top corner from 13 metres out to deal a hammer blow to Ferbane’s hopes.

Their ongoing inability to get hands on ball meant that Tullamore were relatively comfortable for the remainder of the game and they now advance to a Leinster championship meeting with the winner of next week’s Dublin final between Cuala and Castleknock.

Scorers for Tullamore: Harry Plunkett 1-4 (0-4f), Niall Furlong 0-3, Declan Hogan 1-0, Cormac Egan 0-2, Daire McDaid 0-2, Mike Fox 0-2, Aaron Leavy 0-1, Diarmuid Egan 0-1, Liam Dillane 0-1.

Scorers for Ferbane: Cian Johnson 1-7 (0-4f), Paddy Clancy 0-3 (1tp), Leon Fox 0-2, Darragh Flynn 0-1.

TULLAMORE: Arron Hensey; Patrick Kenna, Declan Hogan, Jack Maher; Diarmuid Egan, John Furlong, Daire McDaid; Davin Keegan, Aaron Leavy; Luke Egan, Niall Furlong, Cormac Egan; Mike Fox, Harry Plunkett, Luke Plunkett.

Subs: Michael Brazil for L Egan (48), Liam Dillane for L Plunkett (54), Luke Bourke for D Egan (58), Nigel Bracken for H Plunkett (60+1), Oisín Keenan-Martin for Maher (60+3).

FERBANE: Adam Nugent; Patrick Taaffe, Leon Fox, Conor Dunican; David Nally, Aaron McCabe, Jake Maher; Ciarán Cahill, Kyle Higgins; Paddy Clancy, Eoghan Grennan, Brian Carroll; Cian Johnson, Joe Maher, Darragh Flynn.

Subs: Oisín Kelly for Johnson (33-36, temp), Oisín Kelly for Grennan (41), Kevin Nugent for Higgins (43), Jack Clancy for Cahill (48), James Wren for Jake Maher (56), Conor Grennan for Carroll (60+1).

Referee: Chris Dwyer (Clara)