Anthony Spillane goal fires Castlelyons to Croke Park
Castlelyons' Anthony Spillane poised to strike with Tooreen's John Cassidy attempting to get a hook in. Picture: Ger Rogers
CASTLELYONS are going to Croker.
Despite failing to score from play between the eighth and 47th minute of this All-Ireland intermediate club semi-final, the Cork and Munster champions came upon a pot of scores entering the final quarter that carried them into the Croke Park decider early in the New Year.
The very same as their recent Munster final victory, it was Dubai-based Anthony Spillane who had the umpire reaching for the green flag. His 47th-minute goal here was arguably more important than the three he grabbed last time out.
Collecting a length-of-the-field delivery from goalkeeper Jack Barry, Spillane’s initial effort was blocked. His second attempt, via the boot, was forced across the white paint.
The semi-final’s sole green flag represented Castlelyons’ first score from play in 39 minutes. More importantly, it moved them into a 1-7 to 0-9 lead.
Alan Fenton (65) and Oscar Hallihan followed with points to stretch out their advantage to three. Castlelyons had finally found some rhythm.
Tooreen would twice pare the deficit to the minimum late on. Fergal Boland won free after free. Castlelyons defenders conceded yellow card after yellow card. But no equaliser could Tooreen engineer.
Keeping East Cork noses in front were Anthony Spillane and James Kearney.
For Tooreen, this was a fourth All-Ireland intermediate semi-final defeat in six seasons.
For all they did so well in the opening half and for all Castlelyons did not, the gap between them at the break was an insignificant two points (0-7 to 0-5).
Tooreen were thrashing from the throw-in. Their intensity was manic. Many and frequent were the turnovers forced.
In the final minute of the regulation half-hour, four Tooreen players crowded out Anthony Spillane. Given his Munster final hat-trick, the commuting Spillane was never going to find much time or space in Tullamore.
It was his brother and centre-back Colm that threw over Castlelyons’ opening two points from play inside eight minutes. That pair of white flags ended up being their only first-half scores from play. The remainder of their 0-5 tally were Alan Fenton frees.
The Cork champions amassed seven first-half wides, further evidence of how clearly off-colour they were.
Their inability to settle or stamp their mark on this All-Ireland semi-final had everything to do with the pressure being applied by the Connacht champions.
Tooreen’s second point, from Fergal Boland, was directly sourced from a turnover. In stark contrast to Castlelyons having only one first-half scorer from play, Boland was one of five Tooreen men - Óisín Greally, Eoin Delaney, Liam Lavin, and Kenny Feeney the others - to find the mark from open fare.
Their outstanding regret of the half was the seven wides struck and two placed-ball efforts landed short. Their grafting didn’t generate the total it should have. They paid for it in the end.
A Fenton 0-6 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), A Spillane 1-2, C Spillane 0-2, O Hallihan, J Kearney 0-1 each.
S Boland 0-8 (0-7 f), O Greally, E Delaney, F Boland, L Lavin, K Feeney 0-1 each.
J Barry; N O’Leary, L Sexton, C Barry; D Spillane, C Spillane, J O’Leary; A Fenton, J Kearney; K O’Leary, L Doocey, B Murphy; O Hallihan, A Spillane, D Morrison.
C McCarthy for Doocey (36); S Moroney for J O’Leary (38); B O’Donovan for D Spillane (temporary 47-50); B O’Donovan for Morrison (62); P Roche for K O’Leary (65).
B Douglas; M Morley, C Hession, S Coyne; D Kenny, G Nolan, J Boyle; D Huane, S Kenny; O Greally, L Lavin, F Boland; E Delaney, S Boland, K Feeney.
S Regan for Feeney (40); B Morley for Delaney (46); J Cassidy for Kenny (52).
C McDonald (Antrim).
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