Late Leveller Denies Ten-Man Tullamore Win In Thriller
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Tullamore Town 3, Gracefield 3. THE Tullamore boys played host to league leaders Gracefield last Saturday and produced one of the games of the season in this pulsating six goal thriller.
The home side were first to threaten when Alan Heffernan put Declan Cuskelly through but Stephen Houlihan was quickly off his line to clear and then Heffernan and Declan O'Neill combined to pick out Cuskelly but Houlihan brilliantly tipped his effort over.
With ten minutes gone the visitors took the lead when, following a free kick, Mark Garry sent a lovely controlled volley into the back of the net.
As Gracefield continued to press, Charlie Ward saved superbly from Jim Hendry while at the other end Heffernan played in Cuskelly but his fine effort came back off the crossbar.
With twenty five minutes on the clock Tullamore levelled the game in spectacular fashion when Declan Cuskelly picked the ball up thirty yards out and rifled it into the top left hand corner for a superb goal.
They almost hit the front when Heffernan threaded the ball through to O'Neill but his well struck shot was saved by Houlihan and then Derek Walsh cut in along the end line and his close range effort appeared to cross the line before being hooked clear, but the referee waved play on.
With the introduction of John McEvoy on thirty five minutes, Tullamore tightened their grip on the game and they again went close when Eoghan Coffey played a great ball through to Heffernan but his shot flew narrowly over.
As Gracefield hit back Ward again came to his side's rescue with a fine save from Jason Knight but, with forty minutes gone, the home side hit the front. Alan Heffernan won possession out wide on the right and somehow managed to squeeze his shot in at the near post to leave the score 2-1 in Tullamore's favour at the interval.
The home side began the second half brightly with Austin Davis and Alan Geoghegan combining to set up Eoghan Coffey but Stephen Houlihan saved his effort while at the other end Gareth Byrne brought off a fine tackle to deny Paudge Kelly.
Declan Cuskelly then got on the end of a Davis right wing cross but Houlihan was equal to his effort. With sixty five minutes gone Tullamore went perilously close to increasing their lead when Ken Hogan picked out Eoghan Coffey on the left and, when his fine effort came back off the near post, Declan Cuskelly fired the rebound narrowly wide.
As the visitors hit back Charlie Ward did well to deny Jim Hendry and Cuskelly again went close when he latched onto a Geoghegan pass and sent a wicked cross shot inches outside the far post.
With seventy five minutes on the clock Gracefield equalised when Jamie Evans picked the ball up wide on the left and cut inside before curling a great shot into the top right hand corner of the net.
Events took a turn for the worse for Tullamore when central defender Ken Hogan was sent off for a second yellow card, but this only seemed to galvanise them and on eighty minutes the ten men regained the lead.
Alan Geoghegan picked out John McEvoy on the right and the big centre forward powered past his marker before crashing his shot off a defender and into the back of the net.
As the visitors went all out for an equaliser Jim Hendry's fine header came back off the crossbar while at the other end Geoghegan broke clear on the right but Houlihan saved well.
As the game moved into time added on Gracefield finally made the breakthrough when Tullamore failed to clear their lines and Paudge Kelly swept the ball home from close range to bring this absorbing game to a conclusion.
This was a very impressive display by the home side with excellent contributions from Ken Hogan, Gareth Byrne, Alan Heffernan and Declan Cuskelly while Joey Molloy, Jason Knight and Jim Hendry were the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Tullamore's outstanding midfielder, Alan Geoghegan.
Tullamore: Charlie Ward; David Doyle, Ken Hogan, Dean Mills, Gareth Byrne, Derek Walsh, Alan Geoghegan, Alan Heffernan, Eoghan Coffey, Declan O'Neill, Declan Cuskelly. Subs: John McEvoy, Austin Davis, Aaron McDermott, Gavin Troy and Sibtain Haider.
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