Ultra professional Tullamore grind all resistance out of shocked Edenderry

THERE was something very impressive about Tullamore as they returned to the Offaly Senior Football Championship final with a remarkably comfortable win over Edenderry in a surprisingly one sided semi-final in O'Connor Park on Sunday afternoon.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship semi-final

Tullamore 2-8

Edenderry 0-5

After sort of falling over the line against the same opposition in last year's semi-final, Tullamore controlled this game from start to finish, never looking like losing. You could argue that they could have went for the jugular more in the second half when they had their opponents on the ropes but you also had to admire the quality and composure they displayed.

They effectively had the game won when they led by 2-2 to 0-2 at half time after playing against a very strong wind in the first half and they very much adopted a “what we have, we hold” attitude for a good twenty minutes or so of the second half.

With the wind on their back, they resisted the opportunity to really go for Edenderry, instead pulling players back and inviting them onto them. However, it would be churlish and wrong to criticise Tullamore for this as an outstanding defence kept a stuttering Edenderry at bay, keeping them well away from the shooting zone and showing terrific discipline in their tackling and work rate.

The champions did leave the door open for Edenderry going into the last ten minutes. They led by 2-4 to 0-4 at that stage and an Edenderry goal would have changed things but in truth, there was not one moment here when you thought that the underdogs would pull it off or get back into it.

While they often had no player in the Edenderry half of the field in the second half, they remained very dangerous when they did break at pace out of defence. One such break led to a fine Dan Fox point in the 50th minute and a black card for Edenderry corner back Eoin Dunne two minutes later ended whatever resistance was in them. Dunne had to get black for tripping a flying Cormac Egan and Tullamore finally opened up after this.

Cormac Egan got two points and the second was almost a goal in the 56th minute as he spotted Mark Young off his line and went for the lob but it just floated over the bar. Sub Niall Furlong added a point and Edenderry's injury time point from Cillian Lowry made no difference whatsoever.

It was a very impoverished display by Edenderry, almost bereft of redeeming features. For them to win, they needed Cian Farrell to produce a man of the match display up front. Farrell had been in great form this year but could make no headway against a super Tullamore back line and with several other players below par, they were as badly beaten as you can be – without a side really shooting the lights out.

Edenderry will be disappointed at their display and their energy levels and work rate certainly did not look right in the first half in particular but a lot of the credit for this has to go to a very efficient Tullamore.

Their first half display was excellent and the extent of their dominance against the wind was considerable. They played some great football in the opening quarter in particular as they went at Edenderry and it was obvious from an early stage that they meant business. They were in a winning position after just fifteen minutes with Cormac Egan giving them a dream start with a super 2nd minute goal, gathering the ball in space and unleashing a powerful shot to the net.

A Daire McDaid penalty goal in the 15th minute after Cillian Bourke was fouled by Adam Mahon gave them a 2-1 to 0-1 lead and a stunned Edenderry didn't know what had happened them. They never got going in the first half and Tullamore should have killed them off with a third goal in the 19th minute. John Furlong manoeuvred his way through a retreating defence and had clear sight of goals but Mark Young made the save. Furlong has looked much happier since the experiment of playing him at centre forward was ended for the quarter-final and he has been restored to the heart of the defence – he was very good in the first half in particular as he drove at Edenderry, though once again the finish was missing when he got into great attacking positions.

Dan Fox and Jordan Hayes swopped points to leave Tullamore 2-2 to 0-2 ahead at the break and it was impossible to envisage anyway back for Edenderry.

It would have took something extraordinary for them to win from here and Tullamore, absolute masters at dictating the pace of play, were never going to allow that to happen. Their second half display did verge on frustrating when they really slowed things down but the end very much justified the means and you could see why they didn't take chances. And in fairness to them, there were plenty of times when they attacked at pace and let in long passes, some of which just failed to hit the target by centimetres.

The effective Harry Plunkett opened up an eight point gap with the first two points of the second half, one of them from a free, and they had a goal disallowed in the 43rd minute – Daire McDaid's punch across may have gone direct into the net without the waiting Aaron Leavy getting a hand to it.

Edenderry did perform better in the second half, playing with more urgency and enjoying more possession. A Sean Doyle free and good Cian Farrell point reduced arrears to 2-4 to 0-4 after 49 minutes and they probed desperately for a goal. Tullamore also got a bit sloppy around the three quarter way mark as the work rate of a few players dipped and their error count crept higher but they could afford this and were never in peril.

Time and time again, Tullamore defenders came out with the ball and Edenderry lost heart following Eoin Dunne's black card as the realisation that they were now chasing a lost cause became impossible to deny, even to themselves.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Daire McDaid (Tullamore): Tullamore had a lot of players who performed at a high level, never putting a foot wrong. Daire McDaid is the choice for an excellent defensive display. He made blocks, interceptions, cut out ball and raided up field, often soloing with left and right. He went on anything that moved in the Edenderry full back line and the sight of him emerging from bodies with the ball became a familiar one. He got into advanced attacking positions and was the standout figure in a brilliant defence where Declan Hogan and Oisin Keenan-Martin also caught the eye with some great play.

Cormac Egan was their best player up field, scoring 1-2 and moving at great pace while Michael Brazil did powerful work in the first half and most others did the job they were asked to. Cillian Bourke's contribution is worth singling out as he oozed class at times.

Sean Pender put in a good shift for Edenderry at full back but it was a poor day at the office for them and they either didn't, or weren't let, perform – a five point return doesn't lie.

THE SCORERS

Tullamore: Cormac Egan 1-2, Daire McDaid 1-1 (Goal from a penalty), Dan Fox and Harry Plunkett (1f) 0-2 each, Niall Furlong 0-1.

Edenderry: Cian Farrell 0-2, Jordan Hayes, Cillian Lowry and Sean Doyle (f) 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

TULLAMORE: Corey White; Paul McConway, Declan Hogan, Daire McDaid; Nigel Bracken, John Furlong, Oisin Keenan-Martin; Aaron Leavy, Arron Hensey; Cillian Bourke, Michael Brazil, Cormac Egan; Luke Egan, Dan Fox, Harry Plunkett. Subs – Niall Furlong for Brazil (44m), Mike Fox for Hensey (44m), Sean McCabe for Dan Fox (52m), Ciaran Burns for Luke Egan (56m), Michael Feeney for McConway (58m).

EDENDERRY: Mark Young; Liam Farrell, Sean Pender, Eoin Dunne; Adam Mahon, Lee Pearson, Dylan Byrne; Rory Egan, Jordan Hayes; Mason Farrell, Alan Harte, Conor McCarthy; Cillian Lowry, Cian Farrell, Sean Doyle. Subs – Darragh Farrell for Mahon (HT), Daithi Brady for Liam Farrell (43m), Ciaran Farrell for McCarthy (47m), Alex Kenny for Mason Farrell (47m)

Referee – Eamon O'Connor (Ballycommon).

REFEREE WATCH

Eamon O'Connor had a good game with no big talking points. He disallowed an Tullamore goal in the 43rd minute but blew the whistle immediately and was clear in his decision – in real time, it looked like he had penalised Aaron Leavy, questionably, for a square ball but it now seems that Daire McDaid's punch across went direct into the net without Leavy getting a touch to it. If that was the case, he was certainly right. Eoin Dunne's trip on Cormac Egan was an obvious black card offence and O'Connor rightly flashed it.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Cormac Egan's 2nd minute goal sowed immediate doubts in Edenderry and provided Tullamore with an early launching pad to win.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park pitch is in remarkable condition at the moment, very dry and that is very good news as it faces into a busy schedule of games in the coming weeks.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tullamore take on Ferbane in a repeat of last year's final, where they held on to win.

STATISTICS

Wides: Tullamore – 5 (2 in first half); Edenderry – 5 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Tullamore – 0; Edenderry – 1 (Mason Farrell);

Black cards: Tullamore – 0; Edenderry – 1 (Eoin Dunne).

Red cards: 0.

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