Strong finish sees Conahy record good win over Tullaroan in U19C Shield Final

Tullaroan led Conahy Shamrocks for much of this Permanent TSB U19C Shield Final in Páirc Lachtain, Freshford, on

Saturday, but a strong closing six minutes saw Conahy gain the upper hand to record a good win.

Tullaroan had the better of the opening quarter getting the first score, a point, from Keelan Brennan. By the fifth minute

Conahy drew level through industrious midfielder Jack Murphy who was quickest to a breaking ball to score. That

point saw Conahy hit a good patch with further points from Brooklyn Synott and Robert Ring.

The play was towards the Conahy goal for the remainder of the quarter. Points from Liam Walsh and a Gearoid Dunne

free tied the game. The first goal of the game arrived on fourteen minutes when hesitant Conahy defending allowed

Gearoid Dunne to steer the ball over the line. Keelan Brennan added another Tullaroan point moments later to see his

side leading 1-4 to 0-3 at the first water-break.

Despite playing against the breeze in the opening half Conahy started the second quarter impressively with three

points from Mark Gunner, two from frees, to leave the minimum between the teams.

Tullaroan played the better hurling in the closing stages of the first half. They scored three unanswered points through

Bill Walton (2) and Gearoid Dunne to stretch the lead to four points. Robert Ring scored a fine Conahy point from an

acute angle to narrow the margin before Charlie Cleere and Bill Walton added points for Tullaroan to see them lead 1-

9 to 0-7 at the interval.

They extended that lead further on the restart when Keelan Brennan pointed, but Conahy were right back in the game

one minute later when a long delivery from Robert Ring ended up in the back of the Tullaroan net. When Mark Gunner

(free) and Harry O’Mahony added a brace of points for the winners the margin was back to the minimum.

Tullaroan put Bill Walton on free-taking duties in the third quarter and he scored a good point after fifteen minutes. He

got another from a sixty-five moments later after Oisín Cahill in the Conahy goal brought off a terrific save from Keelan

Brennan.

Another Harry O’Mahony point for Conahy Shamrocks was followed by a similar score from Bill Walton for

Tullaroan after a neat pass from Gearoid Dunne. Brooklyn Synott left a point between the sides close to the end of

normal time, but the key score of the game arrived one minute later when Billy Mulhall collected a low delivery from

Jack Murphy to score a goal.

Gearoid Dunne hit a brace of points for Tullaroan in between Ciaran Rice pointing a seventy-metre free for the

winners, but the momentum was now with Conahy Shamrocks. They finished impressively with Mark Gunner and

Harry O’Mahony hitting points to record a merited win.

Conahy’s work rate in the second half was key to their victory, but in the end Billy Mulhall’s goal proved the difference

between two evenly matched teams.

Best for the winners were team captain John Paul Gamble, Conor Duggan, Ciaran Rice, Jack Murphy, Robert Ring

and Mark Gunner, while for Tullaroan Bill Walton, Keelan Brennan, Gearoid Dunne, Brendan Walsh Eamonn Óg

Holland and Charlie Cleere stood out.

SCORERS

Conahy Shamrocks

Robert Ring (1-3); Mark Gunner (0-5, 0-2 frees); Harry O’Mahony (0-3); Billy Mulhall (1-0); Brooklyn Synott (0-2); Jack

Murphy (0-1) & Ciaran Rice (0-1, free).

Tullaroan

Gearoid Dunne (1-4, 0-3 frees); Bill Walton (0-5, 0-1 free & 0-1 ’65); Keelan Brennan (0-4); Liam Walsh & Charlie

Cleere (0-1, each).