Killurin 3 Tullamore Rovers 4

CCFL Division 3A

January 2008

Two Sent Off As Carthy Header Gives Tullamore Rovers Victory

Killurin 3 Tullamore Rovers 4

TULLAMORE Rovers clinched only their second league win of the season as this CCFL Division 3A clash climaxed in dramatic fashion on Sunday.
Both sides have been struggling, hence their positions at the foot of the table, but they nonetheless served up an incident filled encounter in Killurin.
The home side, whose season has been hampered by local hurling success, took the lead when promising youngster Niall Kearns skilfully slipped the ball between two defenders and Kevin Keenaghan supplied the finish.
The first of _Tullamore Rovers star Derek Dolan's two goals levelled the game but Kearns put Killurin 2-1 up before the break, only for Dolan to square it up again.
Killurin hit the front for the third time when Keenaghan returned the favour to Kearns, setting the young player up for his second on this occasion.
Killurin then found themselves even again. Adrian Brazil was adjudged to have handled the ball by referee Tom Cunningham and James Carthy slotted the spot-kick home, making it 3-3.
Tullamore Rovers were reduced to 10 men with 17 minutes left when Edwin Finnerty was sent off for a second bookable offence.
But they recovered from that setback just five minutes later when Michael Kilmartin darted down the right and floated in a perfect cross which was headed expertly past stand-in 'keeper Jarlath Dunne by the rising Carthy from eight yards.
That seemed to be that, with time running out and Tullamore Rovers 4-3 up and seemingly on the verge of an unlikely victory.
However, the energetic Adrian Brazil nearly fashioned yet another shock equaliser when he attempted to charge down a clearance just minutes after Rovers' fourth goal.
Then the game delivered one more twist. Keenaghan was taken down by Rovers 'keeper Jimmy Kinahan just inside the box - the Tullamore Rovers defence had played a dangerous offside ploy which did not come off.
A penalty was awarded and Andy Brazil advanced to the spot to take it.
Just as he was about to take his kick, an opposing player shouted 'It's going over!' and sure enough, Brazil blazed his penalty over the bar to whoops from the relieved Rovers men.
An aggrieved Adrian Brazil asked that the spot-kick be retaken - apparently because he believed the 'It's going over!' shout amounted to ungentlemanly conduct - but was waved away by referee Cunningham.
When Brazil persisted in his argument for a retake, he was shown the red card by the official.
The final whistle sounded just seconds after that incident and Tullamore Rovers celebrated a rare win which boosts their slim hopes of avoiding relegation.
Killurin: Jarlath Dunne; James Dillon, Mick Keegan, Adrian Brazil, Gwen Meredith, Mick Burns, Mick Monaghan, Gary Brazil, Kevin Keenaghan, Willie Clear, Andy Brazil. Subs: Niall Kearns, Dom Keating, Owen Dillon.
Tullamore Rovers: Jimmy Kinahan; Pat Meehan, Brendan Kenny, Dean Tyrrell, Edwin Finnerty, Derek Dolan, Philip Evans, Mark Kelly, Michael Kilmartin, James Carthy, John Paul O'Leary. Subs: Ronan Kelly, Jason Dunne, Jimmy O'Brien.
Referee: Tom Cunningham.